Dreamcatcher
By Airyo
House of Glass - 6
Hinata had a difficult time keeping the smile from her face as she reviewed her plans for dinner at the Hyuuga estate. It really shouldn't be that big of a deal, but she got the sense that Itachi's teasing was how he showed his affection. To think that he thought so well of her...
Hinata was a deficient shinobi, but she wasn't dumb. She saw the careful way the Hyuuga (and in parallel, Konoha) treated their geniuses. Hanabi and Neji were isolated by walls of everyone else's idea of them, and were held to the standards of small adults. Their peers shied away from them, enclosing them in a wide circle of space. Any attempts to broach this distance was met with shocked, almost disgusted, stares from everyone else.
Hinata had no doubts it was just as lonely as her own status - pariah or prodigy, the perceptions of everyone else corralled them.
Itachi's only tie to a normal childhood was likely a petulant little brother who didn't give a damn what or who his big brother was if he wouldn't play with him.
The contrast between the Uchiha brothers' relationship and her own with Hanabi was jarring. For the Uchiha, the younger struggled to escape the shadow of the elder, and yet they were able to remain close due to the stubborn personality of the little brother. For the Hyuuga, it was the eldest that was caught in the shadow of the younger, and for that tragedy, the sisters only drifted further and further apart due to the stubborn personality of the elder sister.
Hinata was well aware that Hanabi was still trying to cling a long-lost ideal of sisterhood, but self-consciousness always made it impossible for her to return the gesture. Just being the same room with the younger girl and knowing that someone could find out made Hinata nervous. Wouldn't want to corrupt Hanabi, after all.
The disheartening turn of her thoughts made Hinata sigh, though it didn't detract from the warm glow of her memories.
"Hinata. My office." Hiashi stood at the door to the kitchen, the beginnings of a frown on his features.
"H-Hyuuga-sama," she muttered in deference. She shuffled after him, almost running to keep up with the elegant strides of her father's much longer legs, and followed him into his office. The urgency in his tone prompted her to slide the door shut behind her. She leaned back against the frame for a moment, before she gathered her courage and stepped forward with a bow. "What did you require me for?"
Hiashi seated himself at his desk, pale eyes measuring her with harsh honesty.
"It has been brought to my attention that Hanabi has been visiting the Branch wing many times in the recent weeks. People take notice."
"I'm sorry, Hyuuga-sama. I will make sure to warn her to-"
"And where has she been going?" Hiashi raised an eyebrow questioningly, though both of them knew where Hanabi went. But to word it out loud was an admission of guilt. Hinata bit the inside of her mouth until she tasted blood, bright and coppery.
"I can't tell you."
"Can't?" Hiashi echoed. "That is an unacceptable answer. Tell me where."
Hinata shook her head, fear suddenly gripping her with icy claws.
Hiashi's pale eyes began to glow crimson, and when he opened his mouth to speak, his teeth had transformed into fangs.
The room went dark.
AN: Double chapter upload because I know you hate cliffies and I am a nice person. ;) (Okay, I write stuff out of the order and had the next one mostly prewritten already...but shhh).