A/N: Finally got around to post this! This chapter is more about Hinata's past and her life as a member of the Hyuga clan, so more of a background to her and her home. :) The chapter is practically one big flashback, but since there are also parts from the present, the flahbacks are in italics. Hope you like it although not all that much actually happens! Also, I'm really sorry for making almost all of the Hyugas the bad guys, I actually like them a lot. ;; And as usual, I don't own Naruto.

"Dad, he's… thinking about branding you."

Hanabi's words rang through Hinata's mind, accompanied by her memories of the mentioned family member of hers. He had never been much of a father to her, yet even so she couldn't see how he'd come to such a drastic solution. She had for the longest time acknowledged that she didn't quite fit in her clan, but to brand her… wasn't that too cruel?

As much as he had dismissed her as the less talented child of his, Hinata had never imagined that one day he'd want to go to such extreme.

She had simply not seen it coming.

"Hinata-chan, slow down!"

The four-year-old Hinata stopped her skips and turned around to look at her mother. It was October and she was expecting her second child, much to Hinata's dismay. Having been able to enjoy her mother's undivided attention for nearly five years, it just didn't settle well with her stomach that soon she'd have to share her with another child.

The pregnancy wasn't that far yet; Hyuga Sachiko was only three months in, and her condition wasn't all that visible due to her yukata, which hid a lot of her body build in general. She finally approached Hinata, who then grabbed her hand and started walking beside her.

"Now that I can't run after you, you should always be where I can see you, alright?" the fair-skinned woman said with the soothing voice of hers, smiling gently at her pouting daughter. Hinata nodded, although she really wanted to protest to this. The baby wasn't even born yet it was affecting her life already, and she didn't quite like it.

"When is it born?" Hinata asked, changing her steps to leaps. Her mother did the math in her head.

"Early March, I believe. You'll be five by then, Hinata-chan."

The indigo-haired girl stopped her leaps and gazed at the ground. She'd soon turn five, and she was somewhat excited about it. Being as young as she was, every birthday was a thrill. However, she couldn't help but think of how there would only be three months after her birthday that she would be able to enjoy the somewhat undivided attention of her mother.

"What if it's a boy? I don't want to live with a boy," Hinata whined and stopped moving, tugging at her mother's arm. She sighed softly and knelt down by her daughter.

"If it's a boy, it's a boy. You already live with Neji-chan, don't you?" Hinata nodded with a pout and bit her lip. "Boy or girl, I'll love you two equally. However, you will always be my first-born, and no baby will take that title away from you."

Hinata's face lit up a bit and she smiled at her mother, hugging her tightly. "Never leave me?"

Her mother returned the hug and let out a soft laugh. "Why would I ever leave you?"

That was enough of an assurance to appease Hinata for the time being. She still had a good six months with her mother before the sibling would join, right?

The Hyuga main family had grown with a baby girl, Hanabi, in March. By June Hinata had finally accepted the baby as her sibling, which was a relief to everyone around her – it had been everything but pleasant when the young heir constantly avoided the infant or tried to get all the attention to herself.

Everyone knew that the progress was mostly thanks to the mother of the two girls, as she was virtually the only one capable of affecting Hinata in any way. Even Hiashi, with all of his authority, didn't have anything on his daughter. She just wouldn't bend to his will. But when it came to her mother, she could easily be brought to her senses.

Even though everyone was rejoicing over the birth of Hanabi, there was an unmentioned ghost flying over the clan – after delivering the healthy baby, the first mother's health had gradually began to worsen. First it had only been occasional dizziness that she would only dismiss as dehydration, but then the coughing and weakening muscles had stepped into the picture as well.

Hiashi wasn't sure if he had ever felt as worried and anxious as he did when he watched his wife slowly wither away, unable to do anything about it. He'd spend hours sitting next to her bed, where she would sleep for most of the days.

Sometimes Hinata would stop by, asking her father if her mother could come out to play with her. Time after time, Hiashi would tell her no, saying that her mother was too exhausted.

And time after time, Hinata would pout and draw circles on the sand with the tips of her toes. "Mother only sleeps these days."

"She needs the rest, Hinata," Hiashi would reply with a sad look in his eyes, caressing his wife's cold hand. It wasn't anything unusual, really; his wife had had cold hands for as long as he could remember. She tended to be cold in general for most of the time, which had always worried Hiashi a bit, but he had grown used to it. That's just the way she was - warm at heart, but cold to touch.

Hiashi had never been the father to spend a lot of time with Hinata. It had always been Sachiko, his beloved one. Now that she was bedridden, there was no one to play around with the exceptionally active and rash heir, and Hiashi felt no need to do so either.

Hinata didn't learn about the seriousness of her mother's condition until the whole clan radiated depression in early December, right around her birthday. Her baby sister had grown into a healthy 9-month-old who already resembled her father a lot, and so far she had been very calm for a baby. Hiashi had several times noted that this one was completely different from Hinata. From the moment she had been born, she had already resembled a Hyuga.

Hinata turned six. She was barely celebrated – a cake was shared, candles blown, and a few congratulations passed, but in every other way it was just another day in her life. No special treatment, no company; only a few presents were given to her, and she did her best to treasure those small memories of her birthday.

"Father, why isn't mother here?" Hinata had asked that day before blowing off the candles. Hiashi had swallowed hard and held his other hand in a tight grip to control his voice.

"She isn't feeling too well today."

Hinata lowered her eyes to the candles, shut her lids and blew.

'Please let mother get better.'

Five days and three hours later Hyuga Sachiko had passed away. Hiashi was there to hear her last words and last breaths, and to hold her in his arms until the very last second.

"Please… please take care of Hinata-chan."

A rare tear escaped from the clan head's pale eye as his wife exhaled heavily and fell limp in his arms.

"You always ask for too much, dear…" he whispered and caressed her dark violet locks lovingly. During the nine months that her health had been an issue, it had never been discovered what was wrong. It gnawed at his heart that he couldn't do anything, and it made him even more desperate when he knew that he couldn't fulfill her last wish.

He just didn't have what it would take to take care of such a child. He had been raised differently.

Hanabi stood by the training field with a handful of flowers. Her mouth was open in awe as she observed her sister training with Kiba. Hanabi was only five, and even though her father was already coaching her with full determination and she had gotten pretty good already, she was still heavily amazed by her sister's abilities, partially because she never got to see them.

Yet there she was, effectively defending herself against the gatsuuga Kiba and Akamaru launched at her. The two members of the Inuzuka clan ended up standing behind Hinata, who was panting heavily as she noticed her younger sister behind a tree.

"Hanabi?" she asked as an invitation, and the young brunette walked to the two.

"Nee-chan, you're… you're amazing," Hanabi said, her voice and eyes full of admiration, and broke into a wide smile. "I could never do that."

Hinata scratched behind her head and eyed Kiba quickly. "Nah, I'm sure Kiba didn't come at me with full force, so…"

"Hey, I never go easy on you!"

Hinata rolled her eyes and smiled at her sister. "What are you doing here anyway, Hanabi?"

The younger Hyuga gazed down at the flowers she had picked from their garden and offered them to Hinata. Poppies, orchids and sunflowers, all that Hinata liked.

"I picked them for you," Hanabi said quietly as the flowers were taken by Hinata. "I hope you like the—"

"Hanabi-sama!"

Four heads were turned to the direction the voice came from, where they saw Hyuga Kou. Hanabi frowned as the older clan member approached her and took her hand into his, beginning to pull away.

"You've got training," Kou said strictly to the five-year-old, who helplessly looked at her sister, who was holding the flowers in her hands.

"But—nee-chan—"

"If Hiashi-sama hasn't told this to you before, I will do it now; you should infinitely prefer Neji's company before Hinata-sama's. He's got the Hyuga strength, whereas your sister is merely a distraction from your training."

Hanabi's pale eyes had grown larger during the short speech, and she was now staring at Kou's face in disbelief. "But she's my big sister!"

"Well, she doesn't really act like one, does she? When she could be with you, she's out instead, leaving you alone when you don't have training. Does that sound like something that good big sisters do?"

The five-year-old gave up on any resistance she had held and gazed at the ground as she let Kou drag her to the Hyuga compound.

Hinata couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene, and was startled when Akamaru poked her knee with his nose. Kiba put her hand on her shoulder.

"Everything okay?" he asked in concern, trying to read the mixed expression on Hinata's pale face. She frowned and nodded.

"I… suppose," she said hesitantly and shook her head. She smelled the flowers, smiled in delight and put them on a nearby rock before turning to face Kiba so fast that her short locks swung in the air.

"Where were we?"

Kiba grinned deviously at his best friend and gave Akamaru a meaningful look. "Akamaru, dynamic—"

"We didn't agree on any of that, idiot!" Hinata exclaimed nearly in panic as she quickly performed gentle fist on Kiba, then jumped behind a tree right in time - the only one suffering from Akamaru's dynamic marking was Kiba himself.

He stood silently, drenched and smelly, and stared at Hinata. The Hyuga giggled and stepped back to the field.

"You should know by now that I don't like that kind of surprises."

Kiba clicked his tongue.

"I'll show you surprises…"

Before Hinata could react, Kiba had tackled her to the ground and was doing his best to give her some of the remnants of Akamaru's marking as well. Hinata squealed and tried to fight the brunet off, which was futile.

Oh well, it wasn't like it was the first time.

Hinata, now twelve, walked to her father, who was enjoying his morning tea. With a determined mindset and expression, she cleared her throat and bowed. Hiashi turned around.

"Father, I would like to show you my progress with the gentle fist. I believe I have improved quite a bit," she said with such formality that never had and never would feel natural to her. Hiashi didn't reply, but stood up with his cup of tea anyway, following Hinata to the training field.

The young heir performed her improved technique, and although Hiashi had to admit that the girl had gotten pretty good at it despite training without help from any other Hyuga, he concealed it wholly. He merely stared at Hinata when she finished, slightly out of breath, waiting for a comment.

"Where's the progress?" Hiashi inquired. Hinata had progressed greatly, but she didn't need to know that. Only that way she would get even better, even stronger, and in Hiashi's wishes, one day she would be strong enough to bring honor to her clan. However, just in case that didn't happen (and he was quite sure it wouldn't), he did have a plan that included Hanabi.

Hinata opened her mouth in shock. For the past four years she had trained relentlessly with Kiba, Shino and her other friends, and even Kurenai, to get better; to get her father to finally take pride in her. Yet this was what she got.

"I—I believe it's gotten a lot better—"

"Keep training, Hinata. Come back when you've truly mastered the gentle fist; that was merely a toddler stumbling with her first steps."

Hiashi turned on his heels and returned to his study, where he sat down with a sigh. It truly wore him off to do the role of the bad guy, but in the end he didn't have the gentleness his wife had had, and wasn't able to force it out anyway. He couldn't offer Hinata the comfort Sachiko could, nor could he pretend to take pride in a child who was so unlike her clan, so unlike her mother.

What kept him attached to the child were the eyes and the striking resemblance to her mother. Although Sachiko had tamed remarkably after their marriage, Hiashi remembered her being quite a bit like Hinata in her childhood. They shared the determined expression when they wanted to show someone what they were made of.

Now alone, Hinata clenched her hands into fists and cursed under her breath.

One day she'd get a praise from him. One day.

At fourteen, Hinata had become close friends with Ino and Sakura, and with that, calmed down remarkably. She had become graceful to the point where she occasionally reminded the older clan members of her late mother, which especially Hiashi held close to his heart. As little as he could show his affection to his daughter, he felt a wave of gentleness surge through him when he saw her. The fact that she was now behaving more like she was expected to only added to Hiashi's content.

On occasion Hinata would bring Ino over and the two would press flowers. Hanabi would join them every now and then, which was now accepted. The more Hinata hung out with Ino and Sakura, the less bad influence she was considered to have; she was seen more as a Hyuga, a dear clan member.

Hinata was walking back home from Ino's place one day in August. She had spent the whole day with her two friends, gossiping a bit, talking about both things that mattered and that were irrelevant, and also training. As much as all of them wished to just take it easy, they were also driven by the desire to get stronger and better – and what would be better than to combine the two? All of them felt like they had gotten stronger, and they had even learnt a few new techniques with the help of Kurenai and Tsunade. Hinata couldn't have felt more content with the day.

She reached the gate to her home and saw Neji training with her father. She thought about just waiting for them to stop and leave, but after a quick reconsideration, she decided to just go. The two stopped the training immediately, following Hinata with their eyes.

To Hinata's surprise, her father cleared his throat and called her name. "How was your day?"

She was startled for a fraction of a second, before smiling a bit nervously at her father. "It was great, father. We trained a lot, like always, and I feel like I have improved. How… how is your training going?" She still didn't feel natural at home or with her relatives, which was quite sad. The discomfort had only increased with her age, as she had gotten softer. She had grown sensitive to how she was seen, and now that she felt in her spine what her clan members thought of her, she was feeling as bad as ever whenever she was home. Earlier she could've shrugged it off, but now it bothered her greatly, haunted even.

This time, again to Hinata's surprise, Neji was the one to talk. "It has gone very well. We just finished mastering the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Wall Palm, finally. I would like to see your progress at some point, if it's okay."

Hinata wanted to frown at the sudden friendly feeling she got from her father and cousin. They weren't being straight-out nice to her, but this was more than she'd gotten in the past. Knowing that she couldn't quite frown in front of them, she only smiled. "Sure, Neji-nii-san. Whenever you're free."

Neji nodded, and the two assigned a session for the next day.

Hinata still felt like everything was terribly off. Even though the situation at the Hyuga compound had gotten remarkably better after her acquaintance with Ino and Sakura, she had yet to get used to it. She probably never would. It also didn't help that she missed her dear friend Kiba a whole lot - whereas her father was only glad that she didn't see the boy too much anymore, she was a lot less satisfied with that. She could still easily recall how easy it was to talk to him, and she missed that. While she enjoyed talking with Ino and Sakura (who else would she talk about girly things?), it was so different with Kiba.

And, well, she missed the dog, too.

Shortly after Hanabi had turned ten, the fifteen-year-old Hinata accidentally eavesdropped on a conversation between her father and the Hyuga elder. She had only been on her way out with Sakura and Ino, regardless that it was getting late, but instead she froze close to her father's study.

"Are you sure you wish to make Hanabi the heir, Hiashi?" were the words that immediately caused Hinata to stop moving. Her heart skipped a beat as the sentence slowly registered in her brain. What exactly was going on? Everything had gone so well… was this really what it sounded like?

"Yes, honorable elder. Hinata has had fifteen years to prove her worth as an heir, but she has continuously failed to do so. Not only is she weaker than Hanabi, despite the age difference, I simply cannot see her as the heir. She's not suitable to become one; she lacks the calm, steady nature that being the clan head requires. I have thought this through several times by now."

Hinata brought her hand to her chest in an attempt to calm herself down. Her heart was beating at a rapid speed, and she couldn't deny that she was a bit scared. The Hyuga elder coughed, and Hinata heard him sigh.

"So you're determined to go against your wife's will?" the elder asked, with a bit more of an interrogative tone. Hinata could sense that while he wasn't ready to restrict her father, he wasn't completely against the suggestion. "I cannot disagree with you, but should you not think it over one more time? For Sachiko's sake."

Hinata heard her father stand up, and immediately took a few steps away from the thin wall, but only so that she could still hear.

"I will think it over once more. However, if I do come to the same conclusion, do I have your approval?"

Another sigh from the elder. By now he seemed to have given up.

"Do as you please, Hiashi."

With that, the elder left the room, Hiashi soon after him. Hinata had already walked farther away, and was now by the gate. She was shaking a bit, but she had to shrug it off for the time being – she'd be able to get it off her chest when she saw Sakura and Ino. And she did. The two comforted her as she explained what she had heard, and even cried a little, much to her own surprise.

"Shh, maybe he'll change his mind. Just do your best, train harder than ever. Show him that you're worth the title!"

Hinata truly admired the fighting spirit that her friends had, and merely smiled weakly at Sakura. She nodded – she definitely would show her father. If even that wasn't enough, then she would just have to admit the fact that Hanabi is a better choice.

'What would Kiba-kun do in this situation?' a small voice in the back of her head was asking. She shook her head; she didn't know and she didn't need to. She did acknowledge that the boy occasionally had some very good solutions to different situations... even though this one would be too difficult for him to fix, a small part of her was wishing for his advice.

But as they were in no terms with each other, she had to ignore the voices in her head and focus on Sakura and Ino instead. They had to be enough.

However, it was very quiet on the topic of the heir after that. Hinata had, as she had decided, tried to show her father that she would be able to lead the clan. Hiashi dismissed most of the attempts, as he had, for the time being, decided to just keep Hinata as the heir. Should the situation change, he'd see about it again.

Therefore, Hinata had felt safe. She'd thought that her father had finally deemed her as a suitable heir; that he'd finally seen her potential.

Yet there she was, in Hanabi's arms, taken aback by how the situation was suddenly upside down. Things had been so calm at home, too – she couldn't think of anything that would give a reason to the sudden news.

"A-are you completely sure?" she asked quietly from her sister. She was still rather still, and she didn't seem to be able to move her body. She felt so powerless, as if she had just been sentenced to death. And, well, that's what it practically was – with the possibility to destroy her brain cells at their will, wouldn't the head family take advantage of it? She almost laughed. It was ridiculous.

Hanabi nodded sadly, burying her face in her sister's shoulder. Even though they hadn't spent much time together throughout the years, they still had a bond between them. They got along quite well and cared for each other, which was more than could be said for the rest of the clan – they didn't care much for Hinata and vice versa. Hanabi knew that early on, Hinata had had difficulties accepting the existence of a sibling, but since she had never experienced any of that herself, she didn't mind.

Despite everything, she was her big sister.

"I don't want them to brand you, nee-chan. I… I don't want to become the heir, I'm not suitable for it—"

Hinata silenced her sister with a tight hug, caressing her brown hair and soothing her with a soft voice.

"Shh, Hanabi… Listen to me," Hinata said, swallowing her own tears. She pushed Hanabi a bit farther and put her hands gently on her shoulders, locking their eyes together. "You'll make a better heir than I ever would. You're strong and skilled, level-headed and stable. You think things through and know how to behave in whatever situation you come across. I'm none of that. I come and go and rush into things. Just think of how the clan would be if I was its leader." Hinata chuckled softly.

Hanabi bit her lip and looked into her sister's pale, sad orbs. She was about to open her mouth, but Hinata pressed her forefinger on her lips. "Not a word, dear. You shouldn't be the one worrying about this." Hanabi's lips trembled as she broke into fresh tears and clung onto Hinata's neck.

All Hinata could do was to repeat that it would be okay, as little as she believed in her own words. She knew that it wasn't the end of the world, but it sure felt like it was.

As much as she got comfort from Hanabi, she couldn't help but wish for only one thing – to see Kiba. She would've done anything just to be in his strong arms, hearing his comforting words and inhaling his safe, familiar scent.

The thought of the brunet only caused her heart to ache more. She'd have to survive a day without him, and truth to be told, she wasn't sure of how she would manage, surrounded by all of the more or less hateful Hyugas. She only had one person to take comfort in, and that very person was sobbing in her arms. No light to be seen.

Thirty minutes after the breaking news, Kiba was training with his sister, but he was extremely absent-minded, and Hana noticed it. She ended their training and approached her brother.

"Everything okay?" she asked gently. She knew what had happened, but she didn't to bring the topic up herself. Akamaru pushed his nose against Kiba's leg sadly and received a small pat from him.

Kiba sneered. "Hyuga is such a messed-up clan," he said and hit his forehead with his hand. "How do they have have the heart to only bring misery to one of their own clan members? I don't get it, I could never imagine any of us harming another Inuzuka."

Hana stroked Kiba's arm comfortingly, a sympathetic look on her face. "That's the Hyuga for you. Do you think you could try to change Hiashi's mind?"

Kiba shook his head and winced. "I haven't spoken with him, ever, and from what I've heard, boyfriends aren't too popular within the main family…" Hana sighed and chewed on the insides of her cheeks. There had to be a way…

"Would trying kill you? I don't know much about him, but I want to believe that he's not made out of stone."

Kiba shrugged. To him the Hyuga sure did come off as a stone man. From what he knew, he didn't seem humane in the least. He was so upset that such a thing would happen – he knew how the things were between the main and the branch families, and for Hinata to end up in the branch family broke his heart. She'd have to carry the cursed seal and be at the mercy of the main family, and well, Kiba didn't trust them.

"Try it, Kiba," Hana said, this time with such determination that for a moment Kiba was startled. Where was that coming from? As if reading his mind, Hana smirked at him. "I refuse to acknowledge you as my brother; as an Inuzuka; if you just let shit happen."

Kiba couldn't help but chuckle. Maybe she was right, and trying wouldn't kill him. Hiashi could easily kill him, but trying itself wouldn't. Slowly, the determination began to build inside of him. If he didn't try, he wouldn't qualify as an Inuzuka, he'd merely be scum. And to himself, he wouldn't even qualify as a man in that case – no proper man would let their love meet misery if they could help it. The least he could do was to try.

He refused to believe that the game was lost. Surely there would be a way to keep Hinata safe, to keep the smile on her lips. That's all he wanted, really – a happy Hinata, smiling warmly at him. At the moment he didn't quite feel like that was what she was doing.

"I'll do it."

A/N: Hope you liked it! If there's something you'd like to say about the fic or just comment on it, please do review! Constructive criticism is welcome, too. :)