Pictureless Locket
Chapter 3
"Ha! Ha! Ha!"

With every shout Hinata hit the tree trunk with chakra unit the trunks bark started to break. Hinata wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. The day was so hot, this was the second time a Konoha was having such a hot weather, and most people would be heading for a lake or a nearby beach but not her.

Hinata sighed as she unzipped her jacket and tied the sleeves around her waist; it was way too hot for even her to be in a jacket right now. Hinata looked at the tree trunk and ran her fingers along the broken bark.

Not enough force Neji-nii-san would have broken the whole tree in half, Hinata sighed as she continued to run her finger tips along the ridged tree trunk, somehow she felt sorry for the damage that she caused the tree. Somehow her mind starts to drift to the smiling blonde Shinobi. Naruto finally did it, he finally proved people wrong and made his dreams come true, Hinata smiled at the thought now it was her turn to prove people wrong, but she knew that like Naruto she would have course have to work for it.

"I promise I'll get stronger ... Naruto – ku"

Before Hinata could finish her sentence she heard her name being called, Hinata recognizing the voice quickly turned round and look at her cousin. Neji was standing right in the middle of the training looking straight at Hinata.

"Hinata- sama" he said again this time a bit lower than before realizing that he has already caught the Huyga girl's attention.

"Hai Neji-nii-san" answered Hinata politely as always.

She has always consider Neji her brother even after the incident at the chunin exam, it just felt right especially because of the fact that he always protect her, it makes her wonder if he still felt as though he was still obligated to the main family or maybe he somehow started to care for her other than clan matters.

"Hiashi–sama would like you to attend the clan meeting that is being held right away", said Neji emotionless as usual.

Hinata nodded. Her father wanted to her to attended a clan meeting these events were actually rare were he would actually request for her to be a part of the meeting, he thought it wasn't in her place to be in serious clan matters since she was no longer the heir of the clan. Hiashi himself was surprised that Hinata was now at the chunin level, but that didn't change his views on Hinata she was still weak in his eyes and would rather spend time perfecting Hanabi into becoming the ideal heir than actually paying attention to Hinata's improvements.

"Hai Neji –nii- san", said Hinata as she untied her jacket from around her waist and put it back on.

Both she and Neji continued towards the Huyga meeting room. She could tell by the mumbling coming from the room that both the branch and main family were present at the meeting this meant it had to be something very important, last time a meeting was kept like this it was for the Fourth Shinobi War. They both enter into the room to be greeted by her father.

"Hinata, good that you've finally decided to join us", said Hiashi causing everyone's attention to fall on Hinata.

This made Hinata blush at the sudden attention, it was strange how Hiashi said this but his facial expression was still stone hard and didn't display any emotion just to show how strict and empty he actually was towards his daughter.

Hinata nodded her head in respect to her father as both she and Neji found their rightful seats, his over the branch family and she at the main family, Hinata was not seated beside her father like Hanabi but around the other main family members. That's when Hinata notice the other person sitting on the right to her father; she raised an eyebrow at the Uchiha sitting beside her father. What was Sasuke doing at a Huyga meeting? Does it mean that Naruto- kun would be here too? "Naruto –kun in her house". The thought made Hinata turn a light shade of red.

"We'll let us begin" said Hiashi as he folds his arms across his chest.

Hinata quickly snapped out of the thoughts of Naruto and paid attention, knowing that this meeting seems to be about something really important, since everyone including Sasuke is here.

"As you all can see, Sasuke Uchiha has returned to the village and being the only Uchiha left out of the whole clan, it's only suitable that he would want to rebuild it."

There were murmuring come from people of both branches.

"The elders, Sasuke and I have come to an agreement that since the Uchiha's Kekkei Genkai the sharingan is derived from our Byakugan so it would be only reasonable that it was a Huyga that would be used to help him rebuild the Uchiha clan".

Hinata looked at Sasuke did he really agree to this. He was so serious the whole time he didn't budge but kept staring straight ahead without saying a word to anyone, not even a hint of emotion on his face.

"A Huyga and Uchiha that's blasphemy!" shouted a Huyga from the main family this caused even louder murmuring from the crowd.

Hanabi raised an eyebrow at the crowd. Hinata looked over to her cousin but he only avoided her eyes, "Neji- nii- san"

"Silence all of you" said Hiashi plainly, even though he didn't shout and his facial expression didn't change everyone feared him and there was silence in the room without hesitation.

You could hear the sound of a light breeze rustling the trees outside, it was finally cooling down outside.

"The Uchiha and Huyga clan has always been allies from time itself started", Sasuke's voice cut through the silence like a knife.

Everyone turned their attention to the Uchiha sitting beside their leader; it was the first time he spoke since he came into the room.

"The Uchiha and Huyga clan has a strong bond that has helped to make konoha the village it is today, but sadly the members of the Uchiha clan has fallen, because of Madera"

No one interrupted the Uchiha boy.

"But now that I'm the only Uchiha left it it's only my duty to rebuild my clan and a Huyga is the only clan that I find worthy of rebuilding it with.'

"As allies another clan will raise a clan that will be much better than before with both Huyga and Uchiha blood running through their veins"

The crowd murmured a bit, but fell silent to avoid a next lashing from Hiashi.

"Hn now that were are informed of that it has come to my discussion to inform you that the female Huyga that would be doing this is actually one of my daughters"

Hinata's heart started to race as she looked at her little sister, was her father actually going to let Hanabi be the one to rebuild the clan, of course she was the Huyga clan heir

I'm sure Sasuke only wants the best of the best to rebuild his clan.

"Hinata" said Hiashi as he turned to his eldest daughter

"Hai Otousan?" answered Hinata unaware of what just happened.

Hinata bit on her bottom lip from the attention she was getting from everyone else. "How embarrassing" she thought to herself.

"Hinata you have been chosen to be the female to rebuild the Uchiha clan" stated her father.

Hinata eyes grew wide.

"Wh... what?" the poor girl stuttered softly forgetting all her manners and the proper brought up she had.

She … Hinata was going to be the one to bring back the Uchiha clan; she was going to be the wife of Sasuke Uchiha. A huge lump grew In Hinata's throat as she tried hard to swallow the emotions that were growing in her stomach. She could feel the eyes of everyone boring through her skin. So this is what Neji-nii-san was hiding from her, he knew that she was the one that was chosen, even when he knew how she felt towards Naruto. Hinata tried to swallow the lump she felt as though the walls of emotions were closing in on her.

She quickly piched the skin on her thigh hoping that the pain in her leg would over power, the pain she felt in her heart, she couldn't show how she really felt, she can't embarrass her father anymore than she has already has.

"The date of the wedding would be in the next two weeks until then Hinata you are to stay with Sasuke at the Uchiha compound residence the day before the Wedding were has, you will return to the Huyga compound to go throw the normal wedding ritual"

Every word her father said, made it even harder for Hinata to hold all the emotions she felt, how could her father do that without her consent, what about how she felt, what about how this would affect her, was he really that ashamed of her that he wanted her to be of another clan?

"You would be leaving today, do you understand me Hinata?" her father stern voice made shivers run down the poor girls spine.

"H- Hai Otousan "choked out Hinata

"Very well then meeting end" said Hiashi as he got up and exist the room without even looking back on the now pale looking Huyga girl. Sasuke stood up next, their eyes made contact for a split second before he too left along with Hanabi behind him.

Hinata seeing this quickly got up and ran out of the room through the same door she entered, not being to hold back the tears any longer. Tears clouded her eyes causing her to hardly see where it was that she was going. Before she knew it she was in the training field again almost falling over a rock, she stumbled onto the same tree she was training with from before. Tears streaming down her cheeks as she began to hit the tree with all the range and over whelming emotions that were inside her.

"Naruto-kun what am I going to do now?"

She hit the trunk again causing the bark to break again. She hit the tree harder, tears dripping from her chin and onto the ground, how could she marry someone she doesn't love yet alone know that well , she was just going to be a tool to Sasuke, she was going to be used in such a cruel way. Hinata was no longer using gentle fist on the tree but was actually punching the tree trunk, she could hear the tree breaking form the hard core punched she was giving it.

"I wish I could have said no, I wish I had the courage to stand up to my father" Hinata kept repeating in her head as bloods began to seep from her now busted up knuckles as she hit the tree even harder.

"I wish, I ..."

Before she could punch the tree again a hand gripped onto hers, still crying Hinata looked up at her intruder.

"Neji-nii-san" whispered Hinata softly.

Neji looked down on his cousin; he could see the pain that she was feeling he has never seen his cousin this mad before it was though he was seeing an all new side of her. He looked at her bloody knuckles and ran his thumb over the scrapes and bruises.

"Hinata –sama gomennasai" he whispered as he pulled her in an embrace.

Hinata's eyes widen by her cousins actions.

"Neji-nii-san" thought Hinata mentally, the last time Neji has shown such emotions towards her was when she was much younger and never knew anything about clan affairs, and they were just innocent kids and never cared about anything but having fun.

Neji warm embraced made her stopped crying for a while but there were still sniffles.

"Neji-nii-san did you knew of this?" she asked wanting to ensure that she didn't just assume that about him.

Neji hesitated before answering but after a few seconds nodded his head, Neji could have told Hinata but that would have been betraying Hiashi's trust.

"Gomen Hin..."

Before Neji could finish apologizing Hinata jerked out of his embrace.

"You are …all … the same! Such selfish and cold hearted people, none of you considered how
I would feel or how I would be affected by this!" shouted Hinata angrily

Before Neji could say anything to his cousin she quickly ran off to her room and locked herself inside in.

This was the second time she has ever said anything so disrespectful to Neji, it wasn't his fault but- but he knew about it.