Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and its characters; I also don't own His Stand in Bride by Michelle Styles which is the inspiration for this story. M rated scenes and proofreading credits goes to Shirahane Aikawa, thanks a lot to her help and kindly read her stories here in this site as well.
Chapter XXXIII:
"The clan elders and I had talked about this while you are on your holiday…since you are married to Sasuke the last of the Uchiha's the elders had decided that you are not qualified as the Hyuuga heiress anymore…"
"…" Hinata remained still from where she's standing after hearing her father's words.
"Hinata" Hiashi called to his eldest daughter.
"Yes…"
"Are you alright with this?" He asked with concern a rarity from him.
Hinata nodded and asked looking into her father's opal eyes, "Does this mean I will be marked with the cage bird seal?"
"I don't know it all depends on the next clan leader." He answered truthfully. "Not because you are not the heiress anymore it doesn't mean you cannot master our family advance jutsu's I can still teach you if the elders allow it of course."
"How can I be strong enough for Sasuke if I will not advance my ninjutsu?" She asked herself worriedly.
"Forgive me for interrupting Hiashi-sama, Hinata-sama but the elders would like to have an audience with you both." Kou said who appeared at the garden where Hinata and Hiashi are talking.
The Hyuga council room seats are filled with the clan elders, the main family and surprisingly Neji from the branch family. Everyone is served with tea and biscuits by the servants.
Hiashi being the clan leader started the meeting, "I welcome everyone present at this meeting, and I have talked to my daughter Hinata about her current status in the clan. Do the elders have anything more to say?"
One male elder said his opinion, "No, I think Hinata knows what it's like to be in her shoes already."
Neji tightly clenched his fist under the table for the insult the elder throw at Hinata. Hanabi worriedly looked at her sister but saw her remain still without even flinching from the words the elder said.
"Anything else?" Hiashi asked.
"How about we move on to the real topic of this meeting, choosing the next heir to the clan." A female elder suggested
"Yes of course, since my youngest is Hanabi she is eligible for clan heiress."
"So is Neji." An elder said earning gasp and questions from the other elders.
"Neji? But he is a branch member!"
"He has the cage bird seal for kami's sake how can he be eligible?"
"He's a prodigy and no one can argue with that." The elder who suggested Neji said.
Hinata who had been silently observing the family elders banter, glance a look at her sister Hanabi and cousin Neji who only quietly listens to the banters with a worried look on their faces.
"Enough!" Hiashi roared loud enough to silence the elders. "We shall decide who will be the next clan leader with a match between Neji and Hanabi to be held next week at noon in the Hyuga training grounds. This meeting is concluded." Hiashi said standing up leaving the Hyuga council room.
"A fight that will decide who will be the next leader of the clan…"
Inside Hinata's Room
"Are you really ok with it Hinata-nee?" Hanabi asked.
"Yes…I am…I'm only disappointed about the special training attached on being the heiress but not the title itself." Hinata answered honestly.
"But you worked hard for it and now just because you married Uchiha Sasuke they stripped your title off." Hanabi said with bitterness, she witnessed firsthand how her elder sister worked hard to receive the title of heiress and now they easily took it again away from her.
Hinata placed her hands on Hanabi's shoulders, "Hanabi, I don't want the title you know it I just want our family to notice me that's why I worked hard to receive the title of heiress and now that it is stripped away from me again I have no regrets because I know that you or Neji-niisan will be great leaders."
Hanabi just hugged her sister.
"Hinata sama…" Neji said to himself as he heard everything Hinata and Hanabi talked about from a tree adjacent to Hinata's window where he's hiding.
It was past dinner when Hinata returned home, she saw Team Taka drinking sake except Sasuke who just boringly listens to his team's stories. Sasuke looked up to her upon feeling her chakra presence.
"I'll go ahead, enjoy your night." She said and retreated back to her room.
Hinata's sad look upon arriving didn't miss Sasuke's eyes, that look was familiar it was the same look of disappointment she had when he told her about Naruto's betrayal.
He followed her back to their room where she silently stares outside the window.
"Hinata" He called calling her attention.
"Gomen." She said looking down to her toes as if they were more interesting than his handsome face.
"Why what are you sorry for? Did anything happen at your meeting with your father?"
"I am not heiress anymore." She said looking up to his face.
Five words, Sasuke knew how much the title meant to her for she worked hard just to have the right to be called an heiress and now it is taken again from her. But why would she say sorry for it when it doesn't matter to him if she's heiress or not?
Sasuke opened and closed his fists thinking of the right words to say to her, "Why are you saying sorry for that when it wouldn't matter to me if you are Hyuga's next in line or not. Besides as my wife you are technically the Uchiha matriarch."
"I know but it was not losing the title I am sorry for, it is that I wouldn't reach the highest skill level of a Hyuga I am sorry for. I don't want to be a burden to you Sasuke…I can't let you be hurt again just because I am weak. " She said with hurt in her voice, the memory of Sasuke bleeding to death from protecting her from his enemies pains her heart whenever she remembers it and now…
"You are not weak, you never were." He said with certainty in his voice.
"But-"
"You just need to release your full potential and as your husband I will personally attend to your training. You will not only be the best Hyuga but best Uchiha matriarch as well."
"Sasuke…" Hinata embraced Sasuke and released the tears she had been holding up since his father told her the news of her not being heiress anymore and the meeting with the elders.
"Hinata san you are holding your wakisazhi wrong." Suigetsu reprimanded and again demonstrated the proper way to hold her sword.
"Gomen." Hinata said apologizing for her mistake.
"It is alright. Let's start again." Suigetsu huffed and went into attack stance with a katana he's holding.
Hinata prepared to attack and lunged herself towards Suigetsu.
"Your kenjutsu are advanced from Suigetsu's level why ask him to train her." Jugo asked as he watches Suigetsu and Hinata parry each other's attacks.
"I want to see Hinata learn basic kenjutsu from Suigetsu first." He simply answered hiding a grimace whenever Suigetsu's blade cuts her skin.
"Karin will take care of her cuts." Jugo said casually as if reading his mind.
"Hn."
Suigetsu easily defeats Hinata in their every match without much effort on his part.
"Come on Hinata san you can do it stand up." Suigetsu said coaxing Hinata to not give up despite the look of exhaustion and cuts she received.
"Hai." Hinata said and stands up although she can't stand properly for her calves are already hurting from the complicated footwork Suigetsu teaches her.
"That's enough I'll take it from here." Sasuke said unsheathing his katana.
"Sasuke?" Suigetsu asked but nonetheless followed.
"Hinata show me everything you've learned, this time attack me as if you want to kill me."
"What? But Sasuke-" HInata said while catching her breath.
"Do it." He said with coldness in his voice.
Juugo and Suigetsu's eyes light in amusement with Sasuke's unorthodox teaching style.
"Afraid?" Sasuke taunted and appeared directly in front of Hinata lightly scrapping her neck with his sword.
Hinata blinked and leaped a few steps behind raising her sword.
"Better." Sasuke muttered and started attacking Hinata.
Sounds of swords clashing and sparks emitting from the contact between swords are prominent throughout the training grounds of the Hyuga summer house with neither wanting to give the other the upper hand.
"Is that really Hinata-san?" Suigetsu asked upon seeing Hinata managing to successfully defend herself and attack Sasuke.
"Sasuke wanted you to teach her first so she'll get the hang of the footwork in kenjutsu."
"I know but in just a day she does that?" Suigetsu said pointing his finger to Hinata's footwork.
"Maybe that's the reason he married her." Juugo said smirking.
However, Hinata's adrenaline are all used up that she just dropped her sword to the ground and Sasuke was fast enough to catch her in his arms.
"Call Karin from the center and bring her here immediately." Sasuke commanded as he carried Hinata in his arms. Well done hime you are learning fast.
Juugo instantly disappeared with a loud poof.
There are no words to describe the absolute devastation occurred in one tiny village. Everything is on fire. Blood and dead bodies are everywhere and the smoke from the burning houses become even bigger.
"No it's not here either…"
"Damn! That betrayer wouldn't just disappear!" the leader said to his retainers.
"Yes sir!"
"What's next to look for…" the leader demanded his subordinate.
"The Hidden Waterfall Village sir and the Hidden Leaf…"
"Then we shall go we don't have time to waste you cannot hide from us any longer and we will find you that's a promise…"
A few days later
"Hokage-sama…" Three anbu appeared inside the room with Kakashi looking up from reading some document on his hand while Iruka standing beside the lazy Hokage with a stun look on his face.
"What is it?" Kakashi said looking up lazily to the group of Anbu in front of him.
"Whaaaat? Mission to find the thugs that attacked the nearby village…" Naruto repeated what the lazy genius said with a complaining tone on his voice. He Naruto Uzumaki the hero of the shinobi world stuck on a C-rank mission!
Kiba knotted his eyebrows annoyed by Naruto's antics about their mission but at the same time thankful to the blonde since he has the same sentiment about the mission.
"Oh Naruto…" Hinata thought to herself worriedly while looking at the complaining blonde.
Currently the eight of them (Shikamaru, Sasuke, Hinata, Naruto, Ino, Sakura, Choji and Kiba) are assigned to investigate the nearby village that had suffered an attacked by an unknown group of people.
"Anyway where are Shino, Tenten, Sai and Lee?" Naruto asked noticing the other four are missing.
"They left already they are scouting the surrounding village looking for some clues…" Shikamaru answered the blonde's question.
"Oh…"
"So what are we going to do Shikamaru?" Hinata asked their team leader.
"Get on with it…" Sasuke said impatiently.
Shikamaru sighed, "Right as what you've heard from the Hokage we are to find out who attacked the nearby villages, eliminate those responsible on the attack and by doing so help the wounded recover so that's where Sakura, Ino and Hinata will come…" he said turning to the three girls.
"You want us to help them heal the injured…" Sakura said who's standing close to Ino.
"Yes…you lead the two girls I trust how you work…"
"Leave it to me…"
"Hinata your work is more than healing people use your byakugan too for recon…"
"I'll work my hardest Shikamaru…" Hinata said timidly but has determined look on her eyes.
"Kiba you do the same…"
"Yeah Akamaru and I can handle this…" Kiba said gruffly while Akamaru barked in agreement. "Team up with Shino when they join us later in the mission…"
"Got that…"
"While Naruto and Sasuke will handle the grunt work…"
"Hn…" Sasuke smirked happy at his part in the mission.
"Oh yeah! This is my very first mission since the war it felt awesome!" Naruto said excitedly.
Shikamaru sighed, "Hold your horses use that enthusiasm of yours on the actual mission…"
"Yeah I know I know!"
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites and to those reading SH. You make me and my beta reader happy reading your wonderful reviews so just keep them coming. Second part of SH officially starts at next week's chapter 34 update watch out for it and everyone.