Hello, everyone! :D
This is a story I have written for a fanfiction exchange on ao3. I have also drawn an image to go with it (the background lacks detail as I ran out of time, lol), here is the link to it if you want to check it out: 02geggee21k2
Special thanks go out to Pinaka, for helping me figure out what it was that I wanted to say in this story, and to my awesome beta, doublebigmac (ao3 handle).
Prompt:
In an alternate universe, Hiashi Hyuga fails to stop his daughter's kidnapping. I'm leaving things wide open in terms of what happens to Hinata in Kumo, how the Hyuga clan's dynamics change back home and how the kages handle this international crisis. The characters I've included are just suggestions (except Hinata, obviously).
Please enjoy the read!
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Say, should you wake someone from a tranquil dream, even if they are blissfully unaware? Could you take it upon yourself to tell them the truth? Doesn't it feel like dragging someone feet first, while they're desperately clawing at the ground? Is it your duty?
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Maybe it was the lack of oxygen finally getting to his brain. It must be. His feet had seemingly grown roots and he was unable to command them, yet he struggled for balance, his knees barely holding out. Being stuck and unsteady was a strange feeling for him, like a new spice hitting his tongue. He had been trained his whole life to remain collected and show little emotion in such situations – but this … Was there anything that could prepare someone for an encounter like this?
It was absurd that such a thing might have happened out of something so innocent. If he weren't so preoccupied with trying to regain command over his body, he might have laughed. He had been looking for gifts to bring back home, to shake off Hanabi's pestering, so he had reluctantly ventured to the market in town. His feet took him to a lone vendor's stand, away from the over the top pieces he had browsed through all morning. The display of plain red beaded jewellery made his chest contract. It brought back a memory he thought long lost, of a bracelet a little girl had once worn. The feeling had been so intense, that he didn't examine the vendor herself for a while. But when he did–
"Sorry pal, can I help 'ya?" a gruff voice asked. His tone was flat, but the words had such bite, Neji couldn't mistake the hostility behind them. The air felt charged – as if lightning was going to strike him and stop his heart at any moment.
And even though he felt the danger coiling around his neck like a snake, he couldn't stop staring the woman next to him down. Hinata-chan . For nearly two decades he had seen her in strangers, flowers, perfumes and sweet treats; she had chased him in his dreams even long after he was certain that he had forgotten what she had actually looked like.
But this woman with scars around the eyes he knew she lacked, sunglasses to mask the gore underneath, dark hair with a mauve shimmer… she still had that serene smile on her face she did the day they met. She had been three years old and to his four. She had blushed prettily and had hidden herself behind the sleeve of her father's yukata. They had sparred in front of their fathers. She had called him strong, admiration for him clear in her big eyes. She had even called him 'nii-san' and his chest had felt all fuzzy. He had then vowed to protect her, like he knows he should have. Like he had been born to do. And then she disappeared that same night.
A powerful gust of wind smelling like the ocean, surrounding the cliffs tussled her hair and made the beads in her red earrings chime. It was freezing and not at all gentle, tangling his even his own hair. It was then that she spoke.
"Darui, p-please be nice to our customer."
She still had her gentle voice, that awful stutter and… a thick Kumo accent, which served as a reminder that his dear cousin was now a stranger.
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The next morning, he had been awakened by his father. His face had an odd expression Neji did not yet know how to place. His eyes looked down at him gravely and his mouth tightened. He had known better than to protest being woken up earlier than usual and hurried through his morning routine: washing his face, brushing his hair, and getting dressed.
His father was seated in a seiza, face angled away. The wooden frame of the shōji casted a cage-like shadow upon the room. Neji gulped nervously.
"Your sealing ceremony has been delayed, son." Neji resisted the urge to smile, although happiness coursed through his veins at hearing the news. He couldn't wait to share it with Hinata-chan, although wondered if she knew of the practice. Would she? A strange sense of bitterness filled him. She would. She was Main Branch and he–
His musings were interrupted by his father. "...because Hinata-sama died in an accident last night."
He gasped and his tiny hands had covered his mouth, to shield this display of emotion away from his father. It was unbecoming of a Hyūga . The blood in his veins froze and he felt guilt sticking into him like burs for his earlier delight.
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The unusual moisture of the wind made the breeze feel harsh, like it could split his skin open. He forced his eyes away from the cousin he had finally found and faced the man she had addressed – Darui, the official successor of the Raikage.
They had met during the war and the peace treaties that followed, they even took on some missions together, but had never warmed up to each other. Or rather, the blond was never inclined to and he now felt a creeping suspicion as to why that might be. His gaze flickered back to his cousin, but not for too long. Darui's one visible eye looked less bored than usual, gaze pinning him down.
His reaction must have been transparent, because the future Raikage sighed and relaxed his shoulders. His tan, muscular hand guided Neji with authority down the path exiting the market, leaving no room for disagreement.
"I guess you don't know anything, do you?"
"Having Hinata-sama as a hostage for–"
Darui raised a pale eyebrow. "Does she look like she's being forcefully held here? I'll give you a suggestion, pack your things and leave. This whole affair is messy."
Neji was taken aback, as an ugly thought wormed its way through his mind. There was no way she was alive without the Hyūga knowing. No way his clan could own her eyes if this had been a real kidnapping. It wasn't the first time his mind had spun such treacherous tales, but he had always suppressed them, or they would have consumed him. Just what had his family done? With determined eyes, he looked at Darui who sighed again and leaned against the railing meant to protect civilians from taking a nasty fall straight into the sea.
"Your clan wanted to get rid of her."
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The Hyūgas had said that there was no body to bury, but that her eyes had been secured. Years later he learned that what they meant by that, was stored away underneath the Main House, floating in a jar of cloudy liquid, like many others. Just in case. How someone managed to secure the eyes, without the body had remained an open question in his mind.
Soon after, Father had looked younger, uncle Hiashi more at peace and even the Elders seemed oddly fast in letting his cousin's memory fade. Something akin to a collective sigh of relief had floated in the air.
Two years later, Hanabi-sama was born. The last person to remind everyone of the previous heir had died in the process. Aunt Hitomi, the only Hyūga who let her eyes crinkle when she smiled, was gone and forgotten just as easily as her first daughter.
Hanabi-sama looked like father, like uncle Hiashi, like himself and so blatantly unlike Hinata-chan. Though less shy, she was nothing short of mediocre in skills when compared to him.
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Neji rubbed his face as he felt his blood boil. It was pure fury coursing through him, now that all the dots had finally been connected. He felt as if he wanted to wipe the smirk off everyone's face in that clan of smug bastards. But with scarce details, accountability was impossible. Who had been involved? Father lay six feet under, just like most of the Elders who had sat on the Council two decades ago. Hiashi might be the only one able to provide answers. But would he?
He was taunting himself. The Hyūga were absolute in their secrecy and if anything Neji would have his brain fried by his uncle before the question could fully leave his mouth. He would have regretfully been found the next day with a suicide note on his desk. Or drowned in the koi pond, just like clumsy little Hinata-chan . He felt powerless and nothing fanned his anger as bright.
Darui's touch grounded him yet again. "Me too."
He could feel the choking intensity of chakra rolling off him and understood they both needed to calm down. Minutes passed in silence, as they did their best to dissipate their killing intent.
"Does she know?"
"I've asked her if she wanted to. I have told her she has no dull story behind her." He then leaned his head back, facing the sun directly. Darui closed his eyes and let the silence linger for a moment, before he continued. "She said she doesn't want to know. I think it's better that way, too."
Neji then wondered about what Kumo wanted out of her, he was certain they didn't decide to host her from the generosity of their hearts. With no eyes to claw out, courtesy of his family, he wondered what they could have wanted from a little girl, a novice in the art of Jūken. Neji was anything but naive and his mind quickly focussed on the most probable scenario – arranged marriage. How convenient. Good enough deal for Kumo, good enough pretext for the Hyūga.
He started to grind his teeth.. What was Darui doing, watching a lone jewellery stand? He must have had more important tasks to attend to. Neji started wondering if she was maybe betrothed to him . Could he ask that? Instead, he searched for a band on his left hand and when the other shinobi caught him staring, he smiled.
"Yeah, sorry… she's my wife."
Neji felt pathetic mouth left open like a fish. This encounter made his mask of carefully practised indifference crumble more than he would have liked. A slap landed on his shoulder as the other man started laughing wholeheartedly at him… or with him.
Was his cousin happy? She might be. To his dismay, he had nothing negative to say about Darui. He had always proven to be sharp, reliable, and fair. A strong shinobi. Did they give her new eyes? Was she still blind? Was it any of his business anymore?
He didn't understand why, but he felt the urge to explain himself. "I am her cousin. The day she disappeared I made an oath to protect her. The clan appointed me… it was my destiny. It still is."
Dark eyes scanned his face for any sign of dishonesty, but Neji didn't shy away. "If I'm ever needed, I can help."
At the puzzled look he received, he tried to be more direct. He felt tongue tied, what he was about to say would be treason to his clan. But he felt like he still had to do good on that oath to protect her, even if it was from her own family. That clan he had mentally declared war upon years ago and was forcefully tied to until his death. He'd gladly rot in hell if it meant all of them would join him. It was one thing to screw over his life, forbid him from marrying the woman he loved, but what they did to Hinata… "I know where they stored her eyes."
Neji did take some satisfaction in seeing the smile melt from Darui's lips and his jaw falling slack. He did well to recollect himself and his voice sounded even as he spoke.
"It's her choice."
Darui's lips pressed into a thin line and all playfulness seemed gone from his face as he was deep in thought. He sighed yet again, resolution clear in his eyes.
"Go buy that necklace you wanted and next time you visit, maybe she'll have an answer."
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Over time, he found that he had forgotten what his cousin looked like. He didn't have any pictures of her and the memories in his mind's eye were washing away like chalk in the rain, colours and contours swimming together. He saw her everywhere, from the girl selling sweets at the fair, to the flowers in the Hyūga garden and a stray cat, tucking herself into an alley, desperate to get away from an Inuzuka dog.
He had understood that her disappearance had been strange, an episode no one talked about and even her sister didn't have much knowledge of, other than it being used to hold her on a tight leash.
At first, he had been harsh towards Hanabi. He had always compared her to the ghost of one shy and happy girl, one who seemed blind to the division in Main and Branch families. The younger sibling didn't seem to struggle with this concept until much later on in her life. Neji had no such luxury. This is because, despite Father's protests, he had finally gotten the seal on her third birthday.
He had quickly learned that with it, his life was in Uncle's hands. But not even the Hyūga leader was free, for he still had to be held accountable in front of the Elders. Needless to say, his relationship with Tenten was frowned upon and barely tolerated. He wouldn't be coerced into an arranged marriage for as long as he served the clan and kept his head bowed. After all, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.
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She seemed awfully happy. She was hanging laundry, barefoot in the grass, her swelling belly rounding more by each month. She caressed it with such gentleness that Neji felt a knot in his chest because he thought this might be how Aunt Hitomi had once looked. No, it wasn't just that. Maybe he wanted her to be curious, to be angry, to fight the clan. Seeing her living like a peasant, giggly and carefree had spurred complicated emotions. Tenten must have followed his course of thought, because her hand tightened around his.
He stepped forward, Tenten close to his side. They made sure to make their presence known to Hinata. He ruffled the grass audibly, while she let her weapons clink against each other. They both saw how Hinata's face morphed into genuine delight as she perceived their arrival. She laid the laundry basket down and faced their general direction.
"Cousin, Tenten-san," she greeted, leading them towards the hut they had already visited multiple times before. A hut well beneath the means of Darui, isolated and surrounded by beautiful scenery, adapted to suit Hinata's lack of vision.
Among the spirited chatter and laughter in the dimly lit hut, Neji wondered if he'd ever know what had happened. Who and why had they decided that Hinata needed to disappear? Was it Father who had hoped to save him from being chained to the clan, buying him years of staying unsealed? Had it been Hiashi, who had wanted to cast his inadequate daughter aside? Was it the Council who feared that in handing over a sealed Hyūga, they might enable Kumogakure to find loopholes around it? It was probably all of the above factors combined.
He despised his bastard clan, their cruelty, the binds you could never cut loose, that dragged you under like wet robes when trying to escape a fast stream. And he had almost come to hate her for not hating them. Yet she was living a happy simple life next to a man who loved her and Neji understood that he needed to let go. This fight against fate, against chains and cages was his own.
The light in the hut seemed to shine brighter. The indistinct chatter morphed back into words he could understand, into stories he could follow. Hinata was just finishing a tale on one of her eccentric clients and he found his own chest rumbling with laughter as she described their last encounter. Tenten smiled brightly in his direction. Darui's eyelids seem to lower a little, as if he was finally at ease.
Dinner was over and Darui and Tenten had already started cleaning up. A gentle touch on his forearm and a tilt of her head let him know that his cousin wanted to go to the engawa. He adjusted his pace to hers, as she paddled with heavy steps, touching her belly fondly. They both took a seat. It was the first time she had invited him to talk in private.
Although she always seemed happy to have them, she had been slippery like an eel around questions that probed too deep. He looked at her and thought that he didn't want to rip the bandaid off. Not if she hadn't consented to it. He felt like a dick for trying to push her. The minutes of silence had stretched on anyway and he pondered that maybe he had read too much into it. Perhaps she had wanted to just take a breath of fresh air and enjoy his company.
'I'm sorry' were the words he wanted to break the thick silence with, but decided against it, uncertain whether Hinata would understand.
"It's okay," she whispered, smiling at him, as though she knew. A heavy weight lifted off Neji's chest.
They sat next to each other until the warmth of the afternoon seeped away, talking about her pregnancy, Tenten's weapon business and teas from Konoha he would bring on his next visit. Only when he felt himself shiver in the humid, unrelenting breeze had he realised the passage of time. It was dark outside, but the engawa was well illuminated from the inside.
He stood up and offered his hand to her. "Hinata, it's getting chilly outside. Darui might worry."
She hummed her approval and grasped his forearm. As she stood up, she finally addressed him.
"Neji-nii," she said barely above a whisper, but his chest constricted in recognition of an old nickname, now said in that thick Kumo accent.
Hinata linked her arm with his. She looked at him and smiled one of her soft smiles, which made the tips of his ears burn in shame. He had never considered that she did remember, but chose not to. The chilly mountain air, pungent like the sea, flooded his lungs.
He placed his other hand over hers, in acceptance and to signal her to follow back inside.
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I do realise that I have taken some liberties with the prompt, because in my mind, a successful kidnapping of Hinata without complicity would have been hard to imagine. I do hope that the person I have written this one-shot for still finds the read to be acceptable. XD
Thank you to everyone who read my story, I would appreciate hearing your thoughts.