Chapter Two: Conversion
Something was wrong with Hyuuga Hinata. This, in and of itself, was not special- she had been told all her life that she was broken, sub-par, wrong. She was weak, worthless, unsuited to be heir. She was a pushover, a weirdo, a crybaby, a wimp. These were all words used so frequently to describe her that they had become a part of her and lost all meaning. She had become used to feeling a general state of unhappiness that numbed everything from her heart outwards.
But this was different.
It was not depression or sadness or angst. It was almost like restlessness, as if ants were crawling around inside her skin, and sometimes she wonders if this is what Shino feels like. Still, it came and went, varying in intensity. Some days it was a gentle tickle, barely felt, and at other times, it was fire ants viciously biting wherever they could reach, making it impossible to sleep or rest. She spent those nights restlessly prowling Konoha like a wraith, less even than the ghost of a shadow. Even when she could sleep, it was not restful in the least- she roused frequently, startled at imagined noises, waking up sandy-eyed and shaking.
People were beginning to notice. Her father had been even more disgusted than usual- if she had been clumsy before, it was now multiplied exponentially. Her sensei, Kurenai, frowned at her every time she came into view- could it be she too, was finally giving up on her? She rarely saw Shino or Kiba these days. They had all been made chuunin, and they were often gone on missions without her.
She had been particularly cold that morning- fall was nibbling greedily along the edges of summer- and had donned a jacket that was a deep royal purple of thick cloth instead of her usual lavender. Somehow, this detail is stuck in her mind as important, that she had done something out of character on that day. The jacket held her warm and snug as she slid open the shoji. No one ever visited her, and she hadn't bothered to use her byakugan, so she jumped in surprise as Neji appeared from behind the rice paper door.
He sneered.
Hinata tried for a smile, but it quavered and fell. Today was a bad day; the restlessness was clawing at her insides and nipping at her throat. She really just wanted to try and go back to sleep…
"Hiashi-sama requires your presence."
"Hai."
She bowed her head in respect, and when she lifted her gaze, he was gone.
The housing complex of the main family was intricate and complicated. Originally its purpose was to make it impassable for intruders, but it eventually became another point of pride for the Hyuuga, to brag that even their houses were superior to those of others. To be able to find your way was a necessity within the clan, and it was nearly impossible to learn without the Byakugan. Hinata had been born and raised here, and it was one of the few ways in which she was not a failure. She was never lost, could find her way around with no light, and seldom failed to be on time.
So it was only a matter of minutes before she arrived at her father's study. It looked cold and austere, the stiff formality thick in the air and making it stifling. Her father sat, upright and poised, white eyes glinting in the meager light like moonstones.
"Sit."
Hinata sat, making sure to fold herself gracefully and wincing a bit as her knees thumped the floor. She sent a quick, shamed, glance to her father only to find blank neutrality resting on his face.
Her heart leapt- but her skin crawled.
"Father, I-"
"-be silent."
Dark, thick quiet.
Hinata felt her heart beat hard in her chest, fear jittering along her nerves. Her breath shuddered out of her lungs. Her father's voice chilled her like an arctic wind.
"The council has decided- you are not only a shame to the clan, you are a liability. They have requested that you be banished and never allowed to return."
She froze.
"I have granted this request."
Her breath stopped.
Her world stopped.
He was lying- he would take it back, any second now, say this was her last chance, say she had to improve….
"You will leave now. All your possessions belong to the clan."
Hiashi motioned toward a white bundle on the low desk.
"This is the only thing you own. Leave your current attire here."
And he left.
He left.
Her lungs were hitching in fits and starts, short gasping sobs without tears. The silence hissed vile things in her ears.
She changed.
The thin, torn yukata was bone white- a mourning color. At first, her father was the only one taking her to the gate, but after a few turns in the labyrinth of the main house, others came. Hanabi first, making her heart hurt, then Neji, and others- Shinonji, an aging council member who had given her a sweet once; Nayumi, the wife of a prominent jyuuken user- all silent, blank faces and cool stares that went right through her.
It was an eternity and the shortest of moments before she reached the main gate. The dark wooden panels were already open, peering out into the bright, quiet street.
Hinata looked back.
The whole clan was there, pale eyes drowning her. Her father stood at the front of the crowd, his cold gaze holding hers. He spoke.
"The eyes of the clan no longer see you."
They spoke.
"The eyes of the clan are blind to you."
"The ways of the clan are no longer yours."
"The ways of the clan can no longer be yours."
"The home of the clan is not your home."
"Our home is not for you!"
And they walked away, not looking back, for there was nothing to see- she no longer existed, less than a ghost. Her father…
….her father….
Hinata's voice leapt back into her and she cried-
"Father!"
He did not slow or change his stride.
Something dark bloomed in her, roughening her voice and tainting it low and dark. There was something in it of a wail, and she said-
"Daddy!"
He stopped- but only for a moment.
A cloud passed over the sun.
The courtyard was empty.
A/N: Don't kill me please! The next chapter will definitely be in this month. I'm open to suggestions: where do you want it to go?