Note: This chapter diverts from where the first left off to establish a secondary plot. We'll return to the twins in the following chapter.
It was shortly after he'd turned four when his father had begun teaching him the art of meditation. At first, he'd been rather impatient. Being the young boy he was, his attention was drawn more towards physical activities. In particular, he enjoyed the sparring sessions he had with his father. An enjoyment which only grew once his brother had been deemed ready to join them. Despite his initial expectations, in the six months of diligent instruction he'd received from his father, he had come to find considerable enjoyment in the regular practice of meditation.
At present, he was sitting in a half lotus on a cushion in the centre of the room he shared with his brother. He was trying to focus on his breathing, but unlike previous sessions, he was only succeeding in frustrating himself. Focus on your posture, focus on your breath. Silence your thoughts, just sit and breathe. 'In silence, words are forgotten and replaced by clarity'.
His mind began to wander.
Earlier that day, his father had taken him and his brother to observe their cousin Hinata's rudimentary Gentle Fist lessons. His brother had been quietly supportive, much as he was in their own lessons. Their father however, had other things on his mind.
Afterwards, their father sat them down and explained to them the divide between the main and branch families of their clan. In particular, he explained to them about what they called the 'Caged Bird Seal'. Officially, its purpose was to prevent others from obtaining their clan's special abilities inherent in their Byakugan eyes. This was done upon the event of the seal bearers' death, though they weren't given any further explanation as to how it did this.
However, there was a sinister undercurrent to the seal. Only branch clan members bore the seal, whilst those of the main house did not. If a member of the main house wished it, they could activate the seal to cause immense mental and psychological damage to a member of the branch clan simply by forming a single hand sign and focusing their ill intent towards them. That a member of the main house would wish it was seen by many of the branch clan as a matter of course.
He would get that seal placed on him that very evening, while his brother would be branded the following day.
The sound of the door opening broke him out of his musings. Opening his eyes, he saw his brother Hiroki's head poking into the room. Hiroki looked very similar to himself. The main difference was his hair, which was a couple of shades lighter as it hung around a slightly more rounded face. He was also a head shorter, in part because he was younger, but also the result of a premature birth.
"Hey, Touchan says we're about to leave," he said, before slipping back out.
They were going to the Hyuuga main family compound. While there, he was going to receive the seal, then spend the night recovering in the clan infirmary. At the same time, his brother would be spending time with Hinata, in what was effectively a sleepover. Hiroki had wanted to be with him while he got the seal, but while he appreciated the gesture, he'd been adamant that he didn't want Hiroki to see him getting the seal.
A few minutes later, he arrived in the entryway to find his brother in the process of putting on his shoes.
"You forgot this," he said, handing him a small bundle that was being held together with a string. It was a jinbei set.
"Ah, thanks Niisan" he chirped, taking the set, and leaning it up against the wall.
"You're welcome. Just try to remember next time, okay."
"Okay," Hiroki replied, hanging his head. His subdued expression morphed into a scowl when he'd ruffled his hair as he'd dropped down to put his own shoes on.
As he did so, he observed his brother. Hiroki, like himself, was more than a little apprehensive about the upcoming ritual. Hiroki was also quite the boisterous kid, at least by Hyuuga standards. So, when he started swaying from side to side, he couldn't be sure if it was just nerves, or if his brother was just being his usual energetic self, or if he was making some attempt to distract himself, much as he'd been doing himself.
Whatever the case, he'd hopefully benefit from an evening's play with Hinata, something he himself couldn't for a couple of reasons.
First, as he would be undergoing the seal, he wouldn't be with them for most of the time anyway. Then, even if he was, he was rather resentful towards the main house, which included Hinata. Sure, he knew she wasn't any more to blame than he was for the actions of the main house, but even so, he couldn't ignore the bitterness he felt towards her position in the clan, contrasted with his own. Especially when it had all come about because of a simple quirk of fate. Her father, twin brother to his own, had been born just a few minutes earlier. As a result, his father had been relegated to the branch clan. His father had once informed him it was his duty to protect her, and he would do so gladly, were it not for one problem. Having to watch little Hinata as she pranced around enjoying all the privileges being the heiress afforded her, whilst they got branded with a metaphorical albatross.
A short time later
In Hiroki's opinion, arriving at the Hyuuga main family compound was always a tedious affair. Taking off their shoes at the entrance and placing them in the shoe cupboard was fine. They did that at their own house, minus the cupboard. What made the experience so awful were the unnecessary and overdone greetings shared by all present. On arrival, they would be greeted by some other member of the branch clan serving as an aide to the main house. Some greetings would be shared as they rid themselves of their footwear, then they would be shepherded towards the back of the compound where the living quarters were located, and it was there that their uncle, aunt and sometimes cousin would greet them. If they came across another member of the main house, the expectation was for them to bow and offer salutations. Why they bothered when the same never happened in return was beyond him.
Today was different. It seemed like every member of the clan was present. Dozens of people crowded into the compound. Thankfully, they didn't have to stop and talk to all of them, but all the people standing around mingling made it difficult to manoeuvre around. After what felt like an age, they reached the back of the compound and exchanged greetings with their uncle, aunt, & cousin.
Words were shared between the three adults, while they stood to the side in an awkward manner that would've surely attracted criticism had there been anyone from outside the clan present. His attention was on Hinata, whose contemplative gaze was shifting between himself and Neji. When their eyes met, he arched a brow, curious as to what was on her mind. She glanced warily towards her father before returning to her prior contemplations.
She wasn't one for crowded social gatherings, something they had in common. For him, it was the formal way their clan went about such things. In her case, she was just shy around crowds. To her credit, she gave no overt indication of such, but then she and Neji had natural poise. He was sure his impatience was clear for all to see.
After a few more minutes, a girl was summoned to take them to Hinata's room and keep them occupied while the adults got the evening's affairs underway. She introduced herself to him and Neji as Mifuyu and, according to Hinata, was her official caretaker whenever her mother couldn't do so herself. In an interesting contrast to Hinata's dark blue, she had dark green hair. So dark, in fact, that it was more accurate to call it black with a green tint to it. She appeared to be in her early teens. He was certain she had a younger sister who was academy age, going by their unique hair colour.
Moments later, they found themselves in Hinata's room, which was sparse, containing a couple of futons, one at the back and the other mid-room, along with a small table. Once they were all inside, Mifuyu cleared her throat to draw their attention.
"Neji-san, your father will be back shortly to escort you and myself to the meeting room," she said briskly. "Once this occurs," she continued, turning to look at him and Hinata, "you'll be here on your own. Understood?"
They nodded, and she allowed herself a small smile.
"I'm leaving to get us some tea. When I get back, I know a game we can play," she told them, then after giving them all a quick once-over, she left.
As soon as the door had finished closing, Neji went over and sat down on the futon that had been set out for Hiroki and, turning to face the wall, assumed the lotus position.
Hinata stood watching him for a moment, the same pensive look from earlier on her face, before turning to look at Hiroki.
"Is he okay?" she asked.
"No", he replied, shaking his head. He noticed that Neji had tensed at the question.
Hinata's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, what's wrong? It's not anything serious, is it?"
"Eh…"
"If he's feeling unhappy, maybe I could help. Is there a way I could help?"
"No…" he said, shaking his head, before heaving a sigh. "I wish there was a way you could, but this… It sucks, but there's nothing we can do about it," he said, giving her a lukewarm smile.
He started idly running a finger over a spot just behind his earlobe. "it's just…" he began before stopping himself. He knew she'd be a sympathetic ear to their plight, but how was he supposed to explain the awful reality that the branch clan had to contend with to her in a way which didn't further aggravate Neji?
A few moments passed in silence.
"Sorry," she said, looking down at the floor.
Hiroki frowned.
"For what?"
Hinata blinked like she hadn't expected his response, but before she could say anything else, the door slid open and Mifuyu walked back in.
She was carrying a tray laden with four small cups of tea, which she placed on the small table near the door. She handed a cup to himself, Hinata and Neji, who'd reluctantly turned back around to face them, keeping the last for herself.
Once they had all been given their tea, which was Kukicha and very tasty, she had them sit in a circle on the floor.
"Have you ever played 'Shiritori'?" she asked. They shook their heads.
"Okay, then let me explain the rules. I will start us off by saying a word. Once I've done so, the next person, Neji-san in this case, will respond with a word of his own. But he must choose a word that starts with the same kana as the word I used ended. Let me give you an example. If I said 'Natsu' (summer), then he might respond with 'tsuki' (moon). Then, after Neji-san, Hinata-sama could respond with 'kiri' (mist). Any questions?"
They all shook their heads.
"Good, then I'll start us off. 'Shiritori'. Okay, Neji-san."
They turned their heads expectantly towards Neji, who regarded his tea in thought.
"'Rikai' (understanding)," he offered tersely.
They then turned their attention to Hinata, who briefly tensed under their collective gaze. After a quick pause, she quietly supplied her word.
"'Aiiku' (tender nurture)."
"That's a lovely choice, Hinata-sama, very nice," Mifuyu said, smiling warmly. "Hiroki-san, you're up."
Hiroki thought for a moment, taking a few sips of tea to buy some time.
"Kunai."
"Excellent, now it's back to me so… I'll say 'Naiju' (domestic demand)." Mifuyu said brightly.
At that moment they heard a knock on the door and, turning towards it, saw it open to reveal Hizashi.
"Neji, it's time."
Hiroki reached out and grabbed his brother's hand, giving it a squeeze. Neji, who'd let out a long breath, gave a squeeze in return, then got to his feet and walked mechanically to the door. When he was halfway through it, he stopped, and without turning around, said one word.
"'Junansha' (Martyr)."
Then he disappeared from their sight, followed by Mifuyu.
After the door closed, they sat in the ensuing silence. Hinata, whose eyes had followed Neji as he'd left, was now frowning into her cup. Meanwhile, Hiroki stepped out for a moment to change into his jinbei set.
When he came back from doing so, he saw Hinata still hadn't moved.
He was about to ask her what was wrong when she spoke up.
"Why do people hurt each other?"
Well, that was a question he had been asking himself quite a bit as of late and had yet to find an answer. Not wanting to give an unhelpful 'I don't know', he answered with a question.
"Who's hurting who?"
She sighed and began swirling her tea, which he noticed she had hardly touched. After a moment, she began speaking.
"You remember earlier, when I was training with Tousama?"
He nodded.
"Well, you see, lately, he's been getting upset with me. He says I'm not adequately performing the moves he has me working on," she said, turning her gaze from the cup onto him. "But the thing is, I do know how to do them, but when I'm practicing with Tousama, I just think about how I'm being taught how to hurt people. If I were to do it properly, I'd be hurting Tousama."
She paused and took a couple gulps of tea. When she was finished, she handed him the cup, which was still about two-thirds full, then brought her knees to her chest, resting her arms on top of them. After placing her cup with the rest on the tray, he went over and sat next to her.
"I don't think anything we could do would be able to hurt him, so..."
She twisted slightly to look at him.
"I know, but that doesn't make it right. Besides, I'm supposed to be learning the Gentle Fist. Tousama expects me to do better. When I don't, he gets upset and I feel bad because I upset him. But even if I did, I know I'd just feel bad for attacking him."
"If he wants you to hit him, isn't that different from an attack? I mean, it's not like you're ambushing him as he's walking out of the bathroom or anything like that."
He saw her mouth twitch briefly into a small smile. Little victories.
"Okay, but I already know he wants me to hit him. That doesn't really help."
Littler victories.
"Hmm… you could pretend he's a training dummy."
Hinata seemed to consider this.
"I don't think that'll work," she said, "but it's worth a try."
He sent her a grin. Not so little victories.
Then he remembered something.
"Earlier, when we first arrived, you were looking between me and Niisan. What was that about?"
"Well," she began after a pause, "it's just… everyone in our clan is related in some way or another, right?"
"I believe so."
"So why is it so hard for us to act like it? I've been out in the village with Mifuyu-san, and I've seen other families, girls like me with their parents, and the way they seem to care for each other. Then we come back here, and everyone acts as if their closest family is a total stranger. Our fathers are twin brothers, but if they didn't look like each other, how would you know that?"
At this, Hiroki nodded in agreement.
"You wouldn't. I swear, if I didn't know any better, I'd say the only thing our clan has in common are our eyes." He shrugged. "I can't speak for the others, but I try to be open with Niisan. You as well."
She gave a strained smile at this, which quickly morphed back into a frown.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that. But still… What's wrong with the others?"
Hiroki shrugged, not knowing how else to respond.
Hinata unfurled herself and assumed a more upright position, leaning slightly into him.
"You said you're open with Neji-niisan. How is he?"
"He's good with me. He really tries with Touchan, I'm just not sure if he notices. Touchan that is."
Hinata cocked her head to the side as she mulled over what he'd said. Hiroki took the opportunity to ask a question of his own.
"Your father doesn't spend time with you outside of training, does he?"
"We have meals together."
"So do we, but no one talks. The only time we really get with Touchan is in training. Wait, that's not quite true. It's the only time I get with Touchan. Niisan spent a lot of extra time with him over the last few months. When I asked him what they were doing, he said I'd find out in a few months, and that he looks forward to when I do. I believe him, but why do I have to wait?"
Something he said seemed to have caught Hinata's attention. Just as well, he'd been starting to babble.
"You make it sound like the two of you are close, which is great, but if that's the case, what was the matter with him earlier?"
He winced at this as he'd been hoping to avoid the topic of Neji's as well as his own animus towards the elder members of the main branch. Still, she deserved an answer.
"Has your father started showing you how to be heiress yet?"
She blinked.
"Uh, no. Tousama says I won't start learning how to be clan head until I'm six."
"Oh, well… I see," he said, nodding before refocusing himself.
"Do you know what's going on out there, right now?" he said, gesturing with his head towards the door.
Her frown turned pensive.
"Tousama said that tonight was a special ceremony to 'preserve our clan's heritage', but I don't know what he meant by that," she said, shaking her head.
"I can tell you if you want. It's pretty bad though," he offered darkly.
She looked uncertain for a moment before giving him a hesitant nod.
He closed his eyes, recalling what their father had told them when he'd set them down that afternoon and explained with lurid detail the horrible truth about the Caged Bird Seal.
"It's a sealing ceremony." He began. "The clan elders are placing the… I don't know what its actual name is, but we call it the Caged Bird Seal, onto every member of the branch clan who was lucky enough to have been born since the last ceremony. Touchan said that was around thirty years ago."
"The Caged Bird Seal?"
"It seals the Byakugan when you die, keeping our enemies from getting their hands on it." He said plainly, before adopting a much more bitter tone. "Or so they say. But really, it's used by the main house to control the branch clan."
"What?" she exclaimed.
"If one of the clan elders wants to, they can use it to attack us, make us feel pain so that we 'know our place'," he said, clenching his fists.
Hinata was now looking at him, aghast.
"But why… that's horrible. How… What makes you so sure?"
He grimaced.
"I've seen it," he admitted.
"When? And who?"
"Many times, and by everyone in the main house except you and your mother. Jiisama uses it most."
He stopped to stifle a yawn before continuing.
"Me and Niisan, once were branded with this seal, we know that at any time, they can use it to hurt us. Niisan won't admit it, but… it terrifies us," he finished.
Hinata remained silent for a few minutes, then turned to envelop him in a hug. He returned the gesture appreciatively. After a few moments, he withdrew. Almost immediately, he found himself stifling another yawn, this time unsuccessfully.
Hinata saw it and giggled at him behind her hand before letting out a small yawn of her own. She had the grace to blush afterwards.
Recognising the need for sleep, they helped each other up and made their way to their respective futons. It had been a long day, so it was not long before he fell into an uneasy slumber.
Later that night
He awoke suddenly and was immediately tense. Something wasn't right. He sat up slowly and looked about the room. He couldn't make out much in the near total darkness before him. The only thing visible to him was Hinata, who was sound asleep in the pool of moonlight filtering softly through the window. He relaxed slightly at the sight, but remained tense. Something told him they were being watched. He squinted, trying to make his eyes adjust to the darkness. He'd never wished more than at that moment that he could activate his Byakugan. Slowly, shapes began to coalesce in the gloom. Then he froze when the silhouette of an unknown man became visible in the shadows between him and Hinata. The man didn't appear to have noticed him.
He held his breath as he kept his gaze fixed on the intruder. The man was standing motionless, with his attention trained on the slumbering form of Hinata.
His pounding heart went into overdrive when he saw the man reach down and pluck Hinata from her futon and sling her over his shoulder. 'Oh man, this is bad.'
Some distant part of his mind noted how Hinata made no fuss over being moved around so abruptly. Perhaps the man had done something to her, though he didn't know what that could be.
It didn't matter right now, in any case. His cousin was being kidnapped, and he was the only one who was aware of it. That needed changing. He'd never make it if he tried for the door. The intruder would notice and stop him. What he needed to do was make a lot of noise. If he truly hadn't been noticed, perhaps he could stall the guy long enough to give someone within earshot a head start.
He leapt to his feet and charged at the man with a shout. He had just enough time to feel some satisfaction at having startled the intruder before he was met with a blur of motion. Something impacted him on his side, and he was briefly aware of the sensation of moving through the air before pain erupted in his head and shoulder. The sound of shattering porcelain, and the feeling of something wet on the side of his head, were the last things he knew before everything went dark.
The following day
Waking up, he was greeted by an itchy stinging sensation on the side of his face and an accompanying low heaviness to his head; not painful, but certainly uncomfortable. Running a hand over his face told him that the weight came from a small bandage that covered half of his left cheek.
Casting his gaze about, he found himself lying on a bed in the Hyuuga clan infirmary. There were three beds, if you could call them that, but his was the only one currently in use.
He recalled the strange man who had found his way into the room he and Hinata were sleeping in. The man had knocked him out, but not before he'd witnessed him grab Hinata and prepare to make off with her. Now he was here in the infirmary. Someone must have found him and then brought him here. Perhaps someone had heard his shout or else the subsequent commotion. Though if they had, wouldn't their priority have been Hinata, and yet, where was she?
Panicked thoughts lead to sudden action and the next thing he knew, he was crossing the room with fevered steps. But before he reached the door, it opened and his eyes were met with the sight of Hinata, who to his relief bore no signs of injury or distress.
"Hinata-chan."
She jumped back as if she were under attack, lost her balance and fell over.
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you there?" he said, helping her back to her feet.
"Hiroki-niisan, you're awake," she said once she caught her breath.
"Yeah, how are you? The last thing I remember is that man running off with you."
"Oh, I'm alright… um, I was asleep so… but from what I've heard, he didn't get very far. Tousama caught him before he could even leave the compound."
"Really? Well, that's good then," he said with a grin.
She nodded, then motioned for him to wait before running off. A few minutes later, she reappeared with a harried looking Mifuyu in tow who immediately directed him back onto the bed he'd just vacated.
From her grumblings, he learned that Hinata's father had woken her up once he'd subdued the kidnapper, sometime in the wee hours of that morning. Apparently, the man had placed Hinata in a genjutsu to keep her from stirring and she was monitoring her in case there were any aftereffects. While this certainly helped to explain why she'd been unresponsive last night despite actively being kidnapped, he was left feeling more than a little confused. His understanding was that genjutsu were illusions. How do you place someone in an illusion if they aren't awake to see it?
While she told him all this, she gave him a thorough inspection. His head was a little banged up, and he had some nasty cuts on the left side of his face. He didn't know what could have caused them, so he asked her about it.
"I was told you got them from the porcelain teacups we used last night," she stated. "You must have been thrown into the table they were on. Speaking of which, you'll want to take a bath soon. You've got dried tea in your hair."
Hinata cut in at this.
"Sorry, I should have fin-."
He held up a hand to silence her.
"Don't apologise, it's just tea."
When she didn't appear convinced, he changed the subject.
"Where's Niisan? Something didn't go wrong last night, did it?"
"Neji-niisan should be back soon. He just went to get a change of clothes for you."
"How is he?"
"He's doing fine, all things considered," Mifuyu answered. "Natsu seemed okay as well last I checked. I'd be with her, but after what happened last night, they have me on assignment until further notice."
At that moment, Neji walked into the room. His eyes were immediately drawn to the bandage he had wrapped over his forehead as if it were a headband. He shuddered at the knowledge of what was hidden behind it.
Neji handed him the clothes he was carrying while Hinata and Mifuyu quietly slipped from the room to give them privacy.
"It's madness out there," Neji stated as soon as they were alone.
"What do you mean?" he asked, gesturing to Neji to turn around while he changed.
"Most of the Main house are gathered in the meeting room," he stated.
Hiroki froze midway through removing his shirt.
"Already. I thought they weren't starting until this afternoon?" he asked, alarmed. Then another thought occurred to him.
"Hold on, what time is it right now? It's not afternoon, is it?"
Neji shook his head.
"No, it's only mid-morning. Besides, that's been put off."
Hiroki blinked, considering this. On the one hand, he was much relieved to not have to go through the sealing yet. But on the other hand, he wished they'd just get the entire thing over with instead of cruelly dragging it out.
"Why, what's going on?" he asked as he resumed removing his shirt.
"After Hiashi-sama prevented Hinata-sama from being kidnapped last night, he went to see who it was. But there was a problem."
"Why, who was it?" Hiroki asked, pulling on a pair of trousers.
"You know how there was a group of shinobi from Kumo in the village this week?" Neji asked.
"Yeah… but what does that have to do with this?" he asked, a little taken aback at the change in topic.
"Because the one who tried to kidnap Hinata-sama was their leader."
Hiroki finished changing and tapped Neji on the shoulder, letting him know he could turn back around.
"So, the Kumo Shinobi leader tried to kidnap Hinata," he said, sitting back down on the bed. "I get that's serious, but since Hiashi-sama caught the guy, wouldn't that mean it's now the village's problem?"
"It would… except that Hiashi-sama didn't catch him," Neji said, spinning around and taking a seat next to him.
"What? You mean he got away?"
Neji shook his head.
"But-."
"He killed him."
Hiroki sat still for a moment, turning it all over in his head.
"This is starting to sound complicated," he said, a feeling of unease overtaking him.
"Exactly. Right now, most of the main house, several of the more prominent members of the branch house, including Tousan and the Hokage, have gathered in the meeting room. Hiashi-sama killed the Lead Kumo-nin, so I'd imagine that Kumo will want something, possibly Hiashi-sama's head in return."
"What do you think is going to happen?" Hiroki asked, leaning forward a little.
"I don't know," he said pensively, "and I don't want to speculate."
They sat silently for a moment before Neji stood up.
"Before I let the others back in, I need to warn you," he said, placing his hands on Hiroki's shoulders.
"About what?", Hiroki asked, tilting his head.
Neji pointed his thumb at his forehead.
"Last night, when I received this," he said, "Jiisama was performing 'seal checks' on everyone afterwards. I see no reason to believe he won't do the same when it's your turn."
Hiroki took a shaky breath, then asked the question he'd wanted to ask, but didn't want the answer to.
"How bad was it?"
Neji closed his eyes in a tight-lipped grimace.
"I don't have the words to describe it, but suffice it to say, it was bad. Very bad."
Cold terror ran through him at this.
Neji saw this and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"Remember Hiroki, we're in this together. I'll do everything in my power to make sure this seal has as little impact on you as possible."
Hiroki gave him a small but heartfelt smile.
"Thanks, niisan."
Neji pulled him into a quick embrace, which he reciprocated. After a couple of seconds, Neji went and opened the door, letting Hinata & Mifuyu back into the room.
Hiroki steeled himself for what he figured would be an eventful next few days.
-Slev-
As it turned out, the next few days were rather uneventful. For them at least, as they were kept isolated from the goings on of the rest of the clan. They, being himself, Hinata, Neji and occasionally a girl named Natsu.
She was the little sister of Mifuyu and was about halfway between her and them in age. Mifuyu presented herself as approachable and dependable, with an air of joviality, though at times this seemed forced. By contrast, Natsu was of a rather sullen disposition. Admittedly, this could have just been because of recent events. Hinata's kidnapping and associated drama had nearly the entire clan on edge, and like Neji, she'd had the seal placed on her as well. But as he had only seen her in passing before now, he couldn't be sure.
Over the better part of a week, he and Neji were shuffled between a handful of points around the compound. Most of the day was spent in the confines of a small library, where their time was filled with academics. This consisted mainly of kana practice and maths.
At intervals and for brief periods, they were allowed to visit an interior garden, wherein they were occasionally joined by Hinata's mother, though never for more than a few minutes at a time. While there, they were made to do basic Gentle Fist preparatory exercises and stretches, routines they were familiar with in lieu of further advancement. This was to ensure that they didn't suffer regression while their fathers were occupied by the ongoing Kumo business and thus unable to advance their training.
In the evenings, they would retire to Hinata's room, where they would unwind in various ways. Neji by meditating, Hinata by pressing flowers she'd collected from the garden, or else arranging them in vases and Hiroki by either aiding Hinata or reading a book he'd taken from the library, with some help from Neji. During meals, they ate with Hinata and her parents. Afterwards, they would sleep in Hinata's room, where a third futon set had been laid out for Neji to use.
This was oddly pleasant at first, but the charm quickly wore off and it began to feel like they were being kept prisoner. They weren't allowed to leave the compound, they were escorted everywhere and the few times they tried asking what was going on, they were flatly ignored. Since Mifuyu was directly assigned to oversee Hinata's wellbeing, and Hinata was usually with them, she was usually the one who accompanied them around the compound.
Clan drama aside, the first night felt much like previous occasions when their aunt and uncle had invited them to dinner. Following this was another night spent in Hinata's room. All things considered; it was actually quite enjoyable.
On the second night, their father and uncle were absent, which Neji found alarming. This left Hinata, her mother and themselves as the only ones at the table. Hinata's mother was likely the only adult in the clan who was imminently approachable. She was well liked by main and branch alike, and to such an extent that she was regularly addressed simply as Kaasama by almost everyone in the clan, unless the situation was expressly demanding of formality. Seeing this as an opportunity, they wasted no time in asking her a series of questions. Questions such as where their father was and why they were staying at the main house when they had their own home to get back to. They were quickly disappointed however, as she was under strict orders not to discuss ongoing events. Still, at least she'd been kind enough to explain that to them, unlike others.
After dinner, Neji and Hiroki had a quick discussion where they agreed that something wasn't right. Either something was happening or had already happened that involved their father, and they were intentionally being kept in the dark on whatever that may be.
Their suspicions were further aroused by a pair of developments that occurred the following night. The first was their father's conspicuous absence from dinner, even as Hiashi had rejoined them . They didn't dare to ask.
The second thing to garner their misgivings happened afterwards. They had been heading back towards Hinata's room, intending to make an early night of it, but before they could even go in, they were pulled back and redirected to the room beside it. It had been one of the many empty and unused rooms that could be found throughout the compound and thus had been of little interest to them beforehand. When they stepped inside, they found the room had been turned into a bedroom of similar size and appearance to Hinata's. According to Hiashi, this was going to be their new bedroom. This struck them as rather odd. Why were they being given their own bedroom when they had been perfectly fine staying with Hinata, and as guests, would presumably be going back to their own home at some point.
After Hiashi left, they had a discussion about the events of the evening. They continued to agree that something was amiss, but whereas Hiroki was at a loss as to what that could be, Neji seemed to have reached a conclusion on the matter. However, when Hiroki pressed him for details, Neji had kept mum, simply saying that he hoped he was wrong. This had the effect of stalling any further discussion, so they called it a night.
Another two days would go by before they would receive any explanation for what was going on.
They were coming back from dinner when they saw that someone was already in their room.
"Jiisama," said Neji, executing a stiff bow. Hiroki quickly copied him.
The old man gave them an inscrutable look before beginning to speak.
"We will be resuming the bloodline preservation ritual at noon tomorrow." He said, giving Hiroki an expectant look.
"I understand," Hiroki said, suppressing a shudder.
The old man kept his gaze on him for a few seconds before he turned away, adopting a sombre expression that failed to reach his eyes.
"It is with considerable regret that I must inform you that as of yesterday morning, your father gave his life in place of your uncle in order to prevent the Byakugan from getting into the hands of our enemies."
Hiroki's eyes bugged out as hot tears quickly began making their way down his cheeks, even as he maintained his bow.
The old man's gaze lingered on them for a moment before his face broke into a small smile.
"That's all. Enjoy the rest of your evening," he said, as he exited the room at a saunter.
Once he'd left, Hiroki dropped to his knees, his vision blurring with tears. All the odd things that had been happening he now had an explanation for. Their father was dead. This would make it rather difficult for him to be at dinner, to say the least. New bedroom. No father at home meant no home to return to.
A sudden bang made him jump. Looking over, he saw an ashen faced Neji with his hands fisted at his sides. The knuckles on his right hand were slightly red, telling him he'd just punched the wall.
He made his way over to his futon, all the while watching as Neji paced the width of the room by the door. Curling himself into a ball, he watched through his tears as his brother left the room, saying something about a shower. Normally, he would consider this odd, as he was sure that Neji had taken a shower earlier, before dinner. Why take two showers in one evening. But instead, he paid it no mind, as his tears lulled him into a fitful slumber.
-Slev-
At breakfast the next morning, things were notably subdued. Hiroki was sitting next to him, sniffing occasionally as he picked at his rice. His red eyes were half-lidded, and he was insistent that some part of himself should be in contact with him. Whenever he'd shift in his seat, his brother would immediately adjust alongside him.
He bit back a snarl. Not at Hiroki, he was benefitting from the contact just as much as his brother was. No, what drew his ire was his uncle, who had the gall to appear mournful. Not once had he ever seen his uncle show even the vaguest indication that he cared one bit about his father. Why bother to start pretending now? It would just be better if he were honest and showed his true colours as a fratricidal monster.
Gritting his teeth, he turned his attention to the other occupants of the room. His aunt too was showing grief, though in her case, he saw it as genuine. Hinata, meanwhile, was keeping her gaze locked onto her plate as she slowly ate in the same modest manner she usually did. He wondered just how aware she was of recent events. Probably not too aware, he reckoned. After all, why should the little princess have to deal with harsh reality like the rest of them?
The haze of bitter thoughts stayed with him as they finished breakfast and moved to the small library they'd frequented over the past few days. Once inside, Mifuyu gave them various assignments. Hiroki and Hinata were made to read a stack of simple books. When they got stuck, Natsu was supposed to help. Natsu also had homework from the Academy. Neji was tasked with writing practice, though what he really needed to do was meditate. Even knowing this, however, he made no effort to do so, as he figured he wasn't in the right frame of mind. The calligraphy didn't write itself either.
Before he knew it, mid-day had arrived and with it came a knock at the door. As Mifuyu went to answer it, Neji looked over at Hiroki, who was stiffly nodding ashen faced at something Hinata was saying to him. A moment later, Mifuyu came back towards them from the door, looking a little pale herself.
"Hiroki-san. I'm sorry, but it's time," she said with an apologetic frown.
He watched as Hiroki got shakily to his feet and make for the door, but stopped when Hinata caught him by the arm. She murmured something but her voice was too low for him to make out what was said. Whatever she said was followed by a quick hug, which Hiroki very half-heartedly returned.
As Hiroki was walking past, he made to stand and accompany him. He had only gone about two steps when he was stopped in his tracks by Mifuyu.
"Neji-san, I know you want to be there for your brother, but Hiashi-sama has forbidden it."
"What!? Why?"
"He didn't say, and I didn't ask," she said, sounding a bit apologetic. "It's not just you if that helps."
"Not just me? Who else then?" he asked, struggling to keep his frustrations in check.
Instead of responding, she just turned her head towards something behind him. Exhaling through his nostrils, he reeled around to follow her gaze. Instantly, he understood her meaning.
"Natsu-san?"
Mifuyu nodded, while the girl in question gave them an annoyed look over her schoolwork.
"Hiashi-sama said that attendance is mandatory for every member of the clan who has graduated from the academy but that those not yet old enough or who've chosen not to become shinobi should only be there if they haven't yet. In the case of Natsu-chan and yourself, since you've already gone, well…" she gestured at her own forehead. "The rest of us aren't so lucky."
Neji scowled but didn't argue her point.
"Alright, now that's settled, we have to go. Natsu, you're the oldest, so you're in charge. Don't let that go to your head."
Natsu rolled her eyes at this, but nodded in understanding all the same.
While that was going on, Neji gave Hiroki an apologetic look, to which he responded with a watery smile. A smile that did nothing to mask the apprehension visible in his eyes.
Then he was gone, and Neji was alone with a girl he didn't know and Hinata, whose very presence was like sitting in a quiet room with a constant water drip. Exponentially more annoying, the more he thought about it.
Over the next few hours, they kept mostly to themselves. Hinata continued to read with occasional assistance from Natsu. Neji, meanwhile, was ruminating on the events of the past week. A frenetic mélange of images and fraught thoughts circling in his head.
The Caged Bird Seal. Hinata's near kidnapping. Hiroki had been far too close. Hiashi's rash response. Understandable, loathe as he was to admit it. His father being sacrificed for his uncle's shortsightedness. Being kept in the dark, especially on something that was so important and close to heart for them. Being made to live with his murderous uncle. His uncle's faux bereavement. The injustice of not being allowed to be there for Hiroki. On and on it went, in a vicious cycle of malice and spite.
Neji was just finishing his writing assignment when it happened. A high-pitched, happy sounding giggle that came from behind him. It only lasted half a second, but to his ears, it echoed for several seconds into the silence that followed.
"What's so funny?" he ground out through hard clenched teeth.
"It's nothing, Niisan."
Neji whipped around in his seat to look at her. She wasn't smiling now; he was pleased to note.
"It must have been something quite funny for you to laugh like that," he said in a low voice.
She shook her head.
"No."
"Of course," he said before jumping to his feet and crossing the distance between them.
"Because I can't think of a single thing that's funny right now," he snarled. "I know. How about I give you something to laugh at. It'll be hilarious."
He reached forward and pulled her roughly towards him by her shirt.
Tears began welling up in her eyes. Whether from fear or pain, he didn't know, nor did he much care.
"How about we start with that forehead," he began, "I think a nice green manji would look lovely on it. Once that's done, we'll use it to torture you for no reason at all. Isn't that funny?"
She shook her head slowly as tears cascaded down her cheeks.
"Here's another one. How about we have your father killed? After all, who would miss him when his life is so obviously meaningless? I'll even be generous. We can have a failed attempt to kidnap Hiroki to justify it. Oh, wait I forgot. You can't laugh at that one because no one will even tell you until several days after the fact. Silly me, maybe we can all laugh while you spend an hour in the shower crying over it. At least someone's happy."
He took a moment to catch his breath. While he did so, a hand shot from nowhere and grabbed him by the wrist. With a quick motion, it broke his grip on Hinata. She threw herself back in her seat, bringing her knees up to her chest. Operating on instinct, he struck out blindly and was met with a gasp of pain. When he looked over, he saw Natsu glaring at him while holding her side. He didn't realise it, but he had placed a fair bit of chakra for his age into the wild strike and, by sheer luck, had managed to hit one of her chakra points.
"Stay out of this," he spat at her before turning his attention back to Hinata.
"Where was I? Oh, that's right. Life is a barrel of laughs, isn't it?"
Hinata whimpered in response.
"Speak girl!"
-Slev-
Hiroki groaned as he made his way back from the sealing. His head was throbbing underneath the bandage wrapped around it, but it was a far cry from the white-hot agony he'd experienced earlier. Neji had been right. Their grandfather was performing 'seal checks' afterwards. What a load. As if he didn't already know whether their seals were functional or not. He had already been crying before the 'check'. From the moment of activation, in fact. Between last night and this afternoon, he figured he had to be running out of tears.
As he neared the library they had been in earlier, he heard a commotion coming from within. Then someone speaking, but too low for him to make out. There was a pause as he opened the door, then just as he was walking in, there came the familiar voice of his brother, full of unfamiliar anger.
"Speak girl!"
Hiroki froze where he stood and took the scene in. Neji was standing over the table he and Hinata had been sharing, his slightly pink face full of fury. Hinata herself was curled into a quivering ball, her eyes freely leaking tears. Nearby stood Natsu who seemed to be clutching her side as if she'd been injured, though he couldn't see any other sign she'd been hurt.
"What's going on here?"
Neji reeled around at his question, but his expression didn't soften.
"Hinata-sama here thought something was so funny that she had a nice little laugh over it," he said, putting venom behind the honorific. "But when I asked her what was so funny, she seemed to forget what that was, so I've been trying to help jog her memory."
"That's interesting. Tell me again why that requires screaming in her face," he said, walking up to where Neji was standing, passing Natsu as she made her way out of the room.
"Princess-chan here thinks life is peachy," Neji said, hooking a thumb in her direction. "I figured she needed a reality check."
"So, you decided to take your anger out on her? How is that fair?"
"How is it fair that when she's the one who's almost kidnapped, it's Tousan who has to pay for it?"
"Of course that's not fair. Why would I not think that?"
By this point, they were full on yelling at each other, their faces bright red.
"I never said you wouldn't. Don't put words in my mouth."
"So, that's not okay, but somehow, it's okay for you to blame her for something that wasn't her fault?"
"I'm not blaming her. I'm giving her a reality check. I'm letting her know that the real world isn't a laughing matter."
"Who are you to decide she needs a so-called reality check, because if you're not blaming her, then you're just using her to vent. How come you chose to vent your anger, which I feel too, by the way, on the person least likely to fight back?"
Neji narrowed his eyes, but before he could offer a retort, Hiroki held up a hand to forestall him.
"Let me ask you something." Hiroki continued. "How would things be if it was me who was almost kidnapped and Touchan was the one to prevent it?"
Some of Neji's anger left him, but he didn't respond.
"I'll tell you. Touchan would be dead."
Neji gaped at him.
"Yeah, that whole being sacrificed for the main house. Pretty sure that doesn't go both ways. But maybe everything is still the same, and you'd be blaming me. Or maybe not and you'd still go after Hinata-sama. This clan does prefer its low-risk battles, after all."
By now, Neji's anger had fully dissipated, and he was silent for a moment.
"Sorry Hiroki," he said, his voice now much softer.
"Accepted, but I'm not the one you should be apologising to."
He nodded and went over to Hinata, who was no longer curled into a ball, though her eyes were still leaden with tears. Stopping in front of her, he bowed his head.
"I apologise for my behaviour just now. I should not have gone off on you as I just did."
Hinata nodded in response, seemingly unable to speak.
Neji straightened and turned to Hiroki.
"I'll be in our room."
Hiroki nodded and watched as Neji left before turning to Hinata.
"You okay?"
She shook her head.
"Will you be okay?"
She hesitated for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. She wasn't sure.
Heaving a sigh, he walked around the table and sat next to her. She immediately turned and buried her head in his shoulder while he wrapped an arm around her back. They stayed that way for a long while before Hinata voiced her desire to return to her room. Hiroki agreed as he wanted to check on Neji, and so they left the library together. Reaching the corridor where their rooms were located, they separated, and he watched as she entered her room before entering his own.
When he entered, the first thing he saw was Neji, who was sitting in the lotus position on his futon, facing the wall. After sliding the door shut with a soft click, he walked over and sat next to his brother, placing a hand on shoulder. Neji placed his hand over it and leaned into him. They sat in silence for a while before Neji spoke up.
"I'll make it up to you and Hinata. From here on out, I'll be a better brother to you, and I'll make sure to be the cousin I always should've been for Hinata."
Hiroki smiled.
"You've a great brother, Niisan. I've never thought otherwise."
"Even still."
It was silent again for a moment before Neji spoke up again.
"I want to show you something."
"What's that?"
"You know the extra training that Tousan and I had been doing?"
"You mean the one I couldn't join you in?"
"Yes, that one."
"What about it?"
"How would you like to have your first lesson?"
Hiroki thought about it before nodding.
"Okay, what do we do?"
Neji gave him a warm smile.
"You see how I'm sitting?"
Hiroki nodded.
"I need you to sit in the same exact way. Think you can do that?"
Hiroki nodded again before doing exactly that.
"Very good. Now close your eyes and focus only on your posture. On how you are sitting. Think of nothing else. Once you can do so for fifteen minutes, we will move on to the next phase."
Hiroki slumped forward.
"Is this really what you and Touchan were doing?"
"Yes."
Hiroki blinked before getting back into the correct position.
"Then I'll give it my best."
Neji smiled at him.
"I know you will Hiroki, I know you will."
Note: Alright, that's a wrap. Hope you enjoyed, Up next we return to the twins.
Any thoughts, comments, questions or concerns. Leave a review and let me know.
Thanks for reading and have a good day. Peace.