"The dance." he suggested cleverly.
"The what? A dance?" confusion on his face. "How is dancing going to help with anything?"
"The dance is a simple cover up- it's a marriage arrangement, similar to a meet and greet."
"I still don't get it…" he scratched his head, digging for the answers.
"Sigh, listen here, the dance is a way for Lady Hinata to select her partner. Every Main Hyuuga Branch member can recommend one tribute, her choice- in the end being the absolute decision. This, in order to maintain balance, the maiden has her choice, the main branch their recommendations; they're basically pre-approved. " Neji explained carefully.
"So every member… of the main branch?" Naruto raised a brow. "But… I thought you weren't in the main… "
"-I was an exception, Lady Hinata voiced me, she stated if I chose someone, it'll fit her fine to accept my recommendation. " Naruto coks his head to the side.
"It means she trusts me, and I in turn wish to trust her to you." he bows, asking for his attendance - an extremely polite gesture Naruto is not used to. "Please, accept my invitation. "
A hand lands on his shoulder, a tight reassured squeeze after that, he glances up to see an apologetic Naruto.
"Thank you, I mean it's great and all, but they'll recognize me, kick me out before I even catch a glance at her, and besides...I can't know for certain that she'll choose me as her partner. " his voice trails off a bit at the end.
"Then why attend? If you believe she harbors no feelings for you, that's foolishness speaking." he glares slightly." Indeed, anyone here would recognize Konoha's number one knucklehead," he pauses, smiles lightly- a mischievous grin that couldn't seem to fit him any better. "However, I didn't mention an important detail. The dance… will be a masquerade."
"A masquerade? Why? Isn't that going too far?" he questioned, though the grin on his face showed his excitement was far greater than curiosity.
"It is Hyuuga tradition, the Heir will be the only one without a mask, everyone else will have one throughout the whole afternoon. By the way, any removal of the mask before the final decision will be seen as an insult to the main household." Naruto glances at his suddenly clouded eyes in question.
"This… is because, as the Heir freely wonders, the rest must conceal their identity- letting her be the main event. Like Royalty-wearing crowns, only they have that privilege. And since the Hyuuga don't wear crowns, a symbolic event, though the opposite, is played out. Everyone gets to wear a mask, except the Heir who will have no ties to lower society. Much like our seal…"
"I see." Naruto replies quietly. "Then… there's no way I could refuse."
That's what I said back then but...I still don't know if she would choose someone like me as her partner. What if she decided on someone else? I mean, I don't bear a single drop of her Hyuuga blood, or noble title. Most importantly- how will she know its me? I've changed quite a bit since she last saw me...since I last saw her. I wonder if she changed again. Will her eyes carry the same gentleness and curiosity as before? Or have the stubborn old men corrupted her? Sigh- all those years...there's no telling what might happen.
That afternoon I had Neji prepare me some "proper attire" for the dance, being a black kimono, outlined in white smooth lacing, the inside hinting at red silk. My mask, centered a golden droplet at the bottom half, the top was pointed leading throughout to a curved end. The nose painted directly under- a red shade, had curls spread across as a mouth and slightly above that, were three whiskers for each side, these looked sharper and rose up, ending parallel to the eyes. The darker golden shade served as the pupils- with the contrasting red and black outlined pigment. In the top center a sharp and then widening curl- also painted in red. Next to that, symmetrical lines similar to the whiskers below, except there was only two- one much smaller than the other. The mask began at the top with fox-like ears, shaded in with red. It was a fox mask. Fitting.
I had arrived at the Hyuuga premises a few minutes after it began. Neji said he was not allowed to attend, only the potential partners could experience the formality, with a few exceptions- he said this in a deep cautioning tone. " It's to observe the way you adapt to unfamiliar surroundings. Only your skills can impress the Heir-" or something like that. Well, it didn't matter now, I walked to the gates and handed the guards my invitation, they did a quick body scan for weapons, I guess, and then invited me in. "No one will use their byakugan at this time- as a sign of respect. You will be judged by what you do alone. Use this to your advantage." Upon arriving at the front steps, I could already sense the heavy atmosphere floating thickly through the air.
"Who will it be? I heard that…yes, I'm sure, he's a certain candidate...Oh no, not him~!" some laughter followed. I hear a couple of conversations as I leave the huge main doors.
Upon entering, the first thing to catch my attention was the enormous chandelier hanging brilliantly at the center top, it carried hundreds of shining small ornaments and illuminated more than half the room. They were the only thing separating the double stairs at the top, leading to a second floor. The walls took turns between black and white paints, every now and then hung flower sets with vibrant colors.
"She's not fit then? No wonder they were in a hurry...well it can't be helped…" more chattering. I caught bits and pieces of every conversation- these people, its as if they want everyone to hear what they're saying.
"...She won't come out...they'll have to force her…" I turned for further intel on the subject- but couldn't tell who was speaking. It was the sound of a lady- odd, Neji didn't mention other women would be attending.
"Lady Hinata...I never really…" not it. " Well, mine was sewed from the finest material…" not it either. " I have tons of money- she's used to the rich life, it'll be an easy move!" Tch!, I've lost it. I listened a bit more on the conversations, then quickly lost interest as they only whispered loud rumors.
In my search for Hinata, I caught the scents of delicious aromas, following it, I came to find a table full of delicious untouched meals, as if pieces of art- like someone put more effort into placing it so it embellished the table as decorations, rather than the actual taste. Strange...there's no one going near it...and it looks like its been out for a while now. Why aren't they eating any of it? Is it because of the masks? I pondered, my taste buds begging for a taste. What a waste.
"Don't bother with that." I felt someone's hand at my shoulder. "That's just for show, might as well be fake." I turned to see a mask with racoon features.
"Is this some type of symbol too?" I pointed with my head.
"Bingo!" he swings his hand in the air " That's right. Though I would kill for some right now. I was told not to eat before coming here. Honestly these arrangements- I don't know why I still bother with them." He crosses his arms, and shakes his head disapprovingly.
"Then, why are you here?".
"The benefits? You get to meet all types of people in these things. Though recently there's been an increase in rich young men, and old men looking for young brides. Not the same man~". he chuckled a little, and then I heard it- a switch went off. "You know...Lady Hinata...is not so bad, is she? I mean we're all here for the same reason, no? If only…" This guy... what does he want? "If only she would give in."
"A-ha...have you met her before?" I asked as calm and collected as I could. The fact that his appearance and attitude could change completely in a matter of seconds immediately made me cautious of him.
"Once, in a garden. A failed arranged meeting- from the start she made her intentions clear. Said her heart belonged to someone else, and would deny any marriage plans. Similar to now, actually. Though, through the whole process she never gave a sign of annoyance, anger or hatred. She smiled and laughed, as if the meeting was a play-date, my guess was it was all an act. Of course, I wasn't the one she was meeting that day, it was someone I vaguely recognized from another village. Poor fellow, after he left I believe he actually fell for her. " he slowly twists his head. "but that's not what you're asking for, is it?". I didn't respond, it wasn't a question meant to be answered. "Well, I can't really say we've met, but the way she appeared after he left. It was beautiful- a rare species about to go extinct, like a fragile exotic bird- though her wings broken, she still used her beak to attempt an escape from her cage." I feel my blood suddenly boil at his voice. "At least that's how it looked for me." I can hear his tone shifting to a higher disturbing pitch. " Do you know why they stopped having private arranged meetings? That's because the last time they did something terrible happened."
"Okay, that's enough." he laughs.
"Oh, don't tell me you've met before as well, has she stolen your heart too? Have you come here to claim her as your own- put her away for display.?" his laugh grows sickening.
"No" I reply louder. "I'm here to take her's, she took mine long before she was imprisoned here. Besides, I'm here now, she won't be needing anymore marriage arrangements!" I must have surprised him, or lost his interest, because he stood there for a minutes before abruptly turning around and leaving.
"Attention everyone! Hinata-sama will arrive in less than five minutes, I advise to prepare yourself as you see fit." She's finally coming out?! I turn to the scratchy voice.
"I'm not...any longer. This is foolish...making them wait like this." I hear it- her voice. It must be her! "Everyone, I apologize for my tardiness- it was rude of me to make you all wait." I hear her approaching us from the top of the double staircase. Her footsteps get louder and nearer until I see the top of her navy ocean blue hair. Finally, coming into full view I breathe out air I seemed to have been holding in. She stands at the top with such beautiful grace- I can't help but wonder if she's the same Hinata I played around with as a child. Her gaze- still gentle, though her makeup brings out something I've never seen before in her eyes. The kimono she wears is pure, sewed on with violet petals and twirls here and there. Her hair is held up in a long ponytail with a feathery pin- it's certainly grown. "Everyone please, enjoy your stay" she bows politely and is escorted down by a guard wearing an all black kimono. Hinata... it's really her. It almost looks like she's in a whole different dimension. Men, and women bow as she passes by. The raccoon masked man I met earlier included, he takes her hand- pretends to kiss it. I feel the urge to punch him as his words echo in my mind. After a while he removes himself and camouflages back into the crowd.
I observe her from afar as she welcomes and greets everyone. She's matured. I smile through the fox mask.
"Attention everyone, please grab a partner, we will commence the dance now." Dancing? Well it is a dance party- don't know why the thought of actually dancing ever crossed my mind before...I should dance with her.
It takes a while for my turn to arrive, the background music adding to the time swinging by. I approach her before a new song begins, a gentle one-.
"May I have this dance?" I play the part and ask for her hand with mine. I can already see her eyes questioning me, looks like her ears remember fragments of my voice.
"May I?" I ask again when she doesn't take my hand. She looks shocked and apologizes.
"Sorry, for a moment you reminded me of someone. Ah- Of course you can." I laugh a little at how her composure is easily affected. Her hand feels small in mine. We continue towards the middle of the dancing crowd. As we walk, I feel multiple pairs of eyes stabbing my back.
The music continues- her hand reaches up to my shoulder, mine rests on her small waist. She stares intently at the mask. " Are you a fox today?" she takes the initiative as we glide around the dance floor.
"For today, i'll be anything you want me to." I wonder whether it was too much, but am satisfied at the results when she begins to blush.
She looks at my mask again- we lock eyes, though she wouldn't be able to tell. Right? "I-is that so…" her gaze turns away, and I feel an absence linger. I find a better subject to keep up her interest.
"Why do we have to wear masks, and you don't?" she immediately perks up and quickly retorts.
"-I told them it wasn't necessary. I said if I had to, I would wear one instead!... in the end they said it was foolish…" she pouts a little and I feel like patting her head.
"-but then we wouldn't be able to see your face, and how would I be able to tell whether you were happy or not?" she looks confused again. Her brows furrow and I feel her hand holding my shoulder grasp the cloth from the borrowed kimono. Then, for a moment her eyes show me that glint I've long forgotten about.
I think my heart skips a beat and quickly add, "Well it'd be bad if I sucked at dancing, and made you bored. Y'know?" she doesn't remove her perplexed gaze.
"You...really remind me of him…" the song comes to an abrupt ends. She lets her hand drop to my chest, her other one following suit. I feel the heat from her head against my chest, my breathing becoming heavy due to her movements. "Sorry, let me stay like this for a while." her voice vibrates to my chest, sends shivers up my spine. I take a glance at the crowd who's slowly taking notice.
"-ah…" I can't speak, she seriously took my breath away. I wasn't expecting her to do this...not at all. Should I let her know it's me? How? My name is taboo here, and someone might overhear if I whisper. I look at the pin in her hair, it's carrying a few light colored feathers. I stare at them a bit more- an idea pops into my head. "H-hey", she murmurs a response from beneath me. Bending my head to her ear I ask, "Have you been able to fly yet?" she swings her head up, knocking mine back in a swirl of pain.
"...it...it is you." she grins from ear to ear, her hands pressing me after secretly making their way around my back. I grip the throbbing pain with a hand and nod agreeingly. Then, without warning she jumps back and removes herself all at once, leaving a forgotten warmth behind. "I'm sorry! I got too close…must've made you uncomfortable." Everyone is looking now.
"Not at all." I bow and thank her for the dance. Shortly afterwards the raccoon weirdo appears and asks her for a dance. It'd be suspicious if she refused now- so we both play along and go our separate ways.
She remembers me. I can't help but smile at the fact. Come to think of it, She's shorter than I recall, and her voice has changed with age, mature yet soft and pleasing. I find myself wondering towards the food again and wish I was back home eating some fresh Ramen noodles. Not good… I might druel.
"Everyone, Hinata-Sama will now hold private meetings. Come when your mask type is called." an old man with completely white glazed eyes announces in the middle of the dance room. The first to be called is a cat- a man with a rather slender figure and long pitch black hair. Next, an eagle- a guy dressed in a brown, golden kimono. His mask has a small pointy beak coming out. Afterwards, a monkey- you could tell his attitude was humic by the way he greeted and high fived others on his trip up the long stairs. A few more were called, a swan, turtle, snail, cow, wolf… etc. Even the racoon guy had gone before me, it seemed I would be the last one to speak with her.
I began to worry. Was this planned? Do they know exactly who Neji decided to invite? Or is this all coincidence? I even questioned whether I would be called at all when I heard a muffled "x", I listened again. "fox." that's it, they're calling me! I walk towards the man announcing the next party. He doesn't greet or acknowledge my presence, the man only points up the stairs and remains put. I bow slightly, and begin to travel up the long staircase.
At the top, I can see how small the crowd actually is. Couldn't be more than fifty people. It looks way different up here, actually isn't this where Hinata was at, just a few moments ago? Could she see me from here? Wait a second! What am I thinking about this for, I'm about to meet with her in a room, by ourselves. I-I don't even know what I'll say to her. I start panicking. Suddenly, a strong force begins to drag me from behind. "Gah! " I choke out. I turn to see a tall figure, like a shadow dragging me into the darkness. "M-mate, mate! I'm not ready yet! I need to mentally prepare my-!" he doesn't listen, instead he continues to drag me a few halls down and violently throws me into a room. I turn irritated and yell, "I told you to wait!" he shuts the door in my face. I'm about to open it and yell some more when I hear her.
"Naruto-kun? " I turn to her, she's sitting down next to a small brown coffee table. She doesn't look surprised.
I can't speak again. All I can do is watch her.
"Please, have a seat." kindly smiling, she points with her hand towards the other end of the table. I do as I'm told.
"Tea? " she asks. I hesitate before replying.
"The mask… " I point with my finger. She glances at the door and closes her eyes for two, maybe five seconds.
"Don't worry about that. There's no one near here to hear our conversation, let alone see you." she smiles again. My heart skips a beat.
I begin to reach for the mask, when she stops me.
"Wait! Just to make sure, I'll take it off. The rules say you can't remove it. They don't say anything about me. "
I quickly nod. "okay". She raises herself from the other side and approaches me in a painfully slow pace. As she kneels besides me, I sense the sweat beading down my back. She looks at the mask, then at me.
"I-if you don't mind." her hands travel to the edges of the wooden fox, and slowly, I feel the breeze from the outside air hit the bottom portion of my face. I presume an open window is responsible for that. I wait for the rest of the mask to come off when she doesn't move her hands. Is something wrong?
"Naruto!... - kun… " she yells my name and whispers 'kun'. I'm caught off guard and send a lagged reply.
"H-hai?". I can't see her, the eye sockets of the mask are too far up. I feel blinded. Only her pleading voice reaches my ears.
"Can I do something?" her voice-sounds vulnerable, as if it shedd years of her life, back into our childhood. Something?
"like what?" I ask casually.
"I can't say... Please, or I won't be able to do it later when your mask comes off… " she tugs at the kimono laying on my chest. I feel her shaking a little. Is it that urgent?
"Okay, I guess. If it's that important to you." maybe she's getting something? And wants it to be a surprise? Or maybe messed up her makeup? I don't know anymore.
"Ahh- then please stay very still." her voice trembles, while her shaking increases. Is she really okay? It seems like me agreeing has only made it worse…
I feel her breathing on my neck. I can smell her fresh scent too- she's closer than before. A lot, a lot closer. A memory flashes, I remember us under the Sakura tree. She walked up to me until I was pinned to the tree's large bark. She smelled the same back then… she was as close as she is now. And then...Does that mean?!
"O-oy!" I begin to protest.
I'm right. Her lips gently press against my unmasked ones. In shock, I can't move. Hinata is doing this? The shy Hinata I-? No, this is her but… damn, I can't...think straight.
"Naruto. " she murmurs my name in a breathy tone. I can't think at all anymore. She kisses me again, this time deeper- I'm kissing back now too, though she remains dominant. My hands carrying my weight behind me began to fall weak and spread apart, driving my back closer to the ground. We're falling...and I'm afraid I won't be able to stop.
