Chapter Text
When Hanabi had a cursed seal implanted into her brain, her first reaction was to scream. Too bad she was bonded top to bottom and nearly suffocating.
At first she couldn't believe what was happening to her. She was the potential successor of the clan leader, her entire life spoiled with luxury, expensive tea, and the utmost respect one could give to a princess.
Until Hinata stole all the attention.
At first it started small, and Hanabi attributed it to her own screwups and a few flukes. But Hinata had started taking her training seriously, and not just training but clan politics too. Hinata had requested to attend every council meeting, and stood behind her father's side, watching quietly with those all-seeing eyes of hers. The eyes that stopped showing fear, gentleness, or any emotion at all.
Hanabi had never requested that; she was young and naive. What could possibly be so interesting about old goons sitting in a tight room arguing? She never knew how necessary it was. How if Hanabi had tried harder, or even if Hinata had remained weak and timid, that she wouldn't receive this cursed seal, that she'd be the clan heir. But by that time it was too late.
Those elders had taken a liking to Hinata. The quiet one who revealed nothing but sound judgment at the correct intervals. The one whose ideas everyone accepted obsequiously. She knew Hinata gave comments she personally did not agree with, only to gain approval points. By the time Hanabi had caught up in prowess by sheer willpower, Hinata was already everyone's favorite.
When the council elders started coming over for Hinata's birthday, and not a single one for Hanabi's, she knew her fate was sealed.
She didn't actually think they'd continue the Caged Bird Seal tradition, though. Turns out it wasn't a tradition, it was the law. And Neji, who was quite young himself, should've been an example enough to foreshadow her fate.
Hanabi resigned herself. It was only natural for the firstborn of the Hyuuga's leader to be a once-in-a-generation genius, Even the Uchiha had one of their own.
Hanabi couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy for Sasuke, who would no doubt live a better life than she'd ever get because she was the one with her clan expectations solidified by a mere seal. Sasuke, along with Itachi, was, according to her father, someone very important to get close to in order to prevent a civil war in Leaf.Whatever the hell that means. It doesn't matter now. That was when she was too young to comprehend things and too strong in comparison to her older sister. Those times are long gone.
Because Hinata would always hate her just like how uncle hated father. Because Hinata would treat her like a servant or worse, ignore her for the rest of her life because she was a bad reminder of their past.
It's been how many hours, how many days in this confined room?
Hanabi stared blankly at the wall and liquid veiled up in her milky eyes.
She made no expression as waterfalls streaked down her face.
Then the door knocked, indicating a visitor.
Hanabi looked up, hoping it was who she thought it was, but...
..
It was Neji.
.
.
.
.
To her absolute relief, signs indicated her little sister was not being chained against a jail cell tortured out her wits and brainwashed.
The fact that the clan heir considered this a possibility says a lot.
Hinata smiled in relief as she headed down the dungeon corridors, which were actually clean walls and streaky floor tiles. Each room she passed was a guest room or a bedroom and she'd even passed a kitchen where they cooked multi-served portions of food. Housewives were rare in the branch families. Every person, male or female, with the byakugan was used for combat purposes or special missions decked out by the Main House. The council had authority in deciding whether a branch member were to accept or decline a mission. The only exception to this rule were the genin under an authoritative Jounin-sensei.
This was why the Hyuuga held so much power in influencing the Hokage's decisions.
Hinata smiled, knowing that power would be hers in the future.
And she'd be a Hokage candidate.
That was too far off in the future. Right now she had immediate matters to deal with now. But when Hinata reached cell #22, she hesitated at the door.
What should she say to her? How should she act? Should she show her how she's feeling or should she put on the mask she reserved for the adults? Hinata trembled, but forced herself to push open the door.
What was there she didn't expect.
Hanabi was laughing with Neji. Her little sister was laughing with the boy who hated her.
Her little sister waslaughing. She'dneverlaughed before, she, she...How? It was impossible. She'd never been this happy.
Neji had a smug, almost satisfied smirk on his face. He was sat on his knees facing Hanabi, and facing Hinata's direction.
Neji wasn't wearing bandages on his head. His caged bird seal stood prominently on his forehead, his seal matching the one she gave her little sister.
Suddenly, Hinata's blood went cold at the implications.
Slowly, Neji's head raised. Those white eyes landed onto the large crack at the door, onto Hinata's shaking form.
Neji let out a low, almost sad*stic chuckle.
He reached over to Hanabi, and ruffled her hair almost fondly.An action Hinata had stopped doing years ago.
His eyes were on Hinata's frozen form, on the face that lost all color, on eyes that revealed so much fear and sadness and agony. He watched her legs tremble and felt a sinister glee that branch member hadsomethingover the main house.
He always hated that Hinata was stronger than him, but look what that did for him.
Neji gained a new sister.
None other than the oneshelost.
Perhapsfatewasn't as cruel as he thought, or better yet, it was cruel. Very cruel.
For good measure, he pulled Hanabi into a tight hug before she could turn to see who was standing at the door.
But that was it: the Hyuuga Heir vanished in the jounin-level body flicker technique. A soundless one that left no trace of her presence.
It was time for her to move on.
If love and affection could make her feel this way, she'd rather kill her feelings.
But she knew she couldn't. She was emotionally shackled to her sister, to that blonde kid she admired, and probably even to that Uchiha heir who she could understand so very well as they were in the same political position...
And nothing could break her free.
Funny that she could swear she was more caged than a branch member.
Hinata smiled..She deserved this..for thinking she could have happiness.
At this moment Hinata no longer cared what others would think.
As she stood before the door of a run-down apartment building in the ghetto, she raised her fist and knocked three times. Hearing the fastest thumps of running, she tensed her feet, ready to take off. Ready to run away. Can't believe she's actually doing this.
But when the door opened, she tackled the Kyuubi container to the floor and sobbed.
"WaAH?! Can't-breathe! You're-You'ree-"Choking me.
"Hinata." The girl trembled in the deadlock hug she was giving the blonde cushion on the floor. "Hyuuga Hinata."
Recognition dawned in his face as he realized that was his classmate and not someone totally dangerous. Naruto tried to remove himself from the vice-like grip, but gave up after two seconds. Because hugs meant friendship and Naruto always wanted a friend! But why was this girl crying? Was it because everyone hated him and she hated him but she wanted to be his friend but she hated him like everyone else and that was making her cry? Naruto's head buzzed and his eyes formed into question marks. This was all so confusing! He rubbed at his head trying to make sense of all this but realized that girl clinging atop of him was still crying so he moved his hands to work on her head and began scuffling at her head instead of his and realized that might be hurting her because hair was coming out and was she-was she-red? She was redder than Naruto even though he was the one being choked! Naruto quickly pushed her off and grabbed her hand- Naruto pulled her to the couch and pushed her butt down onto the couch.
She was frozen stock still.
Okay! That meant his new friend wouldn't be leaving. Naruto shot her a suspicious look before opening a ramen cup and boiling a big pot of hot water. (It was big because he was going to share and he was going to eat extra to celebrate his first friend.) He tapped his foot before bouncing on feet to feet. Hurry up water! Boil! Boil! Boil!
"BOIL! BOIL! BOIL!"
But then the pot's lid opened and expensive and fresh vegetables were dumped into the pot. Naruto spun to point accusingly at Hinata who had left the couch and was currently removing groceries off a little plastic bag she brought with her-Where did that come from?
Half an hour later they were sitting on stools at the corner of a kitchen table with all the trash shoved aside or to the floor. The meal that matched the one Hinata was normally served each day at home, but with extra aristocratic food.
Naruto had the most fulfilling meal his entire life. He even hadlobster!
The ramen laid forgotten.
His stomach protruded as he sighed blissfully. Hinata looked surprised and reached over to poke his stomach. Naruto shrieked but that was covered by a burp and he laughed.
Hinata smiled, her shoulders sagging in relief. It had been a long time since she felt so relaxed, all her stresses locked outside the door. There were no consequences of showing her weak side to the one person with zero political influence. For once she was glad Naruto was hated as he was. It meant he was all hers. She still had someone to care about, and this one wouldn't be taken from her. Ever.
"Friends?"
"Yes."
Hinata wasn't sure how she ended up in the position of sitting on Naruto's bed with Naruto right across from her. But between them were all kinds of action figures Hinata had constructed from chakra.
"Do a Sasuke-teme next!"
Sasuke? That's easy. Having met him just days ago, she remembered him as a shy, timid but ambitious boy who desired to prove himself. Much like she used to be. Hinata formed her hands into a cross seal and instantly shifted it into the simplified seals for transform. A doll-sized Sasuke popped out.
"SUUGOOOII! I DON'T WANNA PUNCHBAG IT ANYMORE!" Amazement gleamed in his eyes as he tossed the chakra construct up and down and hugged it tight, jumping around.
Hinata laughed. Then laughed some more. Naruto started making amused noises himself, and before they knew it they were already telling each other about their lives. Most of it came from Naruto, though.
"I always take the long way because there's less people there! Because they hate me," He crossed his arms in a puzzled frown.
"N-Naruto-kun, is that why you always eat ramen? Because Aomine-san doesn't let you buy her groceries?"
"Or anyone else!" Naruto turned it into a rant. "I dunno what I did wrong! Everyone hates me before I started doing awesome pranks and after that they looked less-less like I killed their-frogs but-" He smiled. "Then I met some nice old people like the old man and Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei and you!" His grin almost split his face. "I mean-you're not old, 'ttebayo! But anyways, everyone will acknowledge me once I become Hokage! Dattebayo!"
Hinata didn't respond, only nodding along in contentment with just hearing his enthusiasm. Naruto was obviously an orphan and a hated one at that. She remembered earlier when she poked his extremely full belly before he burped. There were black markings that darkened upon her finger. A seal.
As a member of the Main House, Hinata was very proficient with seals, especially containment seals, designed to restrain chakra and cause physical or spiritual torture. From the glimpse she got of Naruto's, it was similar to that of the storage scrolls and a few of the kanji matched some of those symbols condensed into a green X and exposed nothing of the seal's properties, which made it impossible for the seal to break. Better men than the Hokage have tried and failed.
Regardless, it confirmed her father's confirmation about Naruto's fox. The problem was...Should she tell him?
No, or at least not yet. It would gain nothing for the Hyuuga and this boy didn't even know how to seal a kunai...he was completely open and vulnerable...which could also mean...
"Hina-chan? Hina-chan? Hina-"
"Naruto-kun." Hinata shut him up. "I know how to make people acknowledge you before that." She raised a hand to stop a gaping Naruto from interrupting her.
"You're a very good boy. You're honest and kind, and you never go back on your word even when things look impossible. You always get back up after being knocked down. You're the type to stand up for the weak too."
At this point Hinata was pulling out her clan successor charisma, and she doubted she could've manipulated her words so well if she hadn't participated in the council meetings with the eventual approval of the clan elders. "That's why I've always watched you, from the beginning, always wanting to be close to you, but never finding the courage to face you."
Hinata looked down, her cheeks reddened. This time she wasn't faking it. Her last line lost the flowing eloquence in her speech, but it won him over nonetheless. "W-We're finally together."
Naruto was motionless in shock and disbelief. His breath had stopped too.
Hinata waited patiently for him to digest her words. But that was short-lived because two minutes flew by and her eyebrow twitched. Reaching over to grip his shoulders, Hinata shook him out of his trance only to feel orange-clad arms wrap around her tight and a sobbing mess on her shoulder.
This felt eerily like from before with reversed positions.
Well, she could tell the boy desperately sought companionship and she wasn't going to deny him, and it fit into her future plans anyway, so Inner Hinata shouted Go Wild and she slid her hands behind the blonde's back and pushed him tight against her chest, stroking his back and the back of his head at the right intervals just as her mother had taught her.
It worked wonders.
Naruto had melted in her arms and fifteen minutes of that-wait what?
Hinata groaned, blinking groggily the sleep from her eyes. Daylight was flowing through the window and Hinata realized with shock that they'd fallen asleep together like little kids going to sleep in the middle of playtime. Wtf?
She spared a glance at her locations and watched Naruto sleeping soundly hugging her leg tightly. Hinata shook his stupid face awake.
"Wh-Wh?" The Kyuubi boy woke up and jumped and shouted, but then he realized who she was and relaxed. Then he tensed up immediately and his face went red. "You slept with me?!"
Hinata resisted the urge to facepalm.
As Hinata stood at the exit, Naruto waved wistfully, tears popping out of his eyes almost comically-because it was like waking from a really good dream!
But Hinata smiled, gestured Naruto over, and...poked his forehead,exactly the waythat mandid. And a little too hard; it landed him on his butt. Whoops?
"Well...Bye-bye!" She turned around, returning a wave of her hand as she departed with her hands in her pockets. "Don't forget," she added as an after-note, "we meet next week."
うずまきナルト
"Itachi-chaaaan!"
Itachi turned around, his guard down at the intimate suffix only Shisui used, but instantly recoiled too late as a 4-feet-tall girl barraged into his lower form, his hips buckled too tightly as he was tackled to the floor. Paying no mind to the crowd surrounding the Mission Assignment building.
"H-..Hinata-san?" Itachi managed to cough out, his muscles relaxing as he attempted to remove person's vice-like hug..to no avail. "Please refrain from doing that."
At her watery eyes, Itachi awkwardly explained. "You might activate my ingrained shinobi instincts and get seriously injured or worse."
He was obviously grasping at strings, but Hinata smiled softly. "Yep, itwouldlook bad for us if Uchiha's prodigy one-upped Hyuuga's prodigy, but not foryou." Her smile widened and her tone gained a playful crack. "Not that it's guaranteed you can inflict much damage. I'm almost jounin-in skill."
Itachi raised an eyebrow. He imagined someone of Sasuke's age keeping up with him. Was this how the older shinobi felt about him? He spared another deep look at Hinata, and noticed those mirthful eyes weren't really there, and that childish demeanor wasn't really as deep as his little brother's.
Moments ago he had thought the Hyuuga girl was openly emotional, but it seemed she wasacting. If that's the game she was playing at, Itachi had no problem playing along.
He faked a smile, "Is that so? Then it should be no problem for you to hold on...Perhaps we could even befriends."
Before Hinata could open her mouth, Itachi vanished in a body flicker...ever before she could get a tighter grip or release him.
日
Poof.
Hinata's hair was frizzled and her byakugan was wide and activated, her legs locked with his, fingers digging into the older boy like a lifeline, drawing blood onto her knuckles. She was shaking and placid.
Itachi frowned. He intended a reaction like that, but not to this extent, and they were too close and he was bleeding.
Suddenly, the girl in question released the grip on his back and fell backwards against the forest floor. "Saaah, this feels nice!" Her head tilted further back to just barely see part of the flow of the Naka river. "Is this your favorite place-or something?"
The Uchiha boy was taken aback by her sudden change in attitude, even though it was clearly false. He ignored the query. "I'm impressed you didn't fall along the way." He smirked and sat down, crossing his legs. "Now, my littlefriend, we have much to discuss."
Hinata sat up, alarmed, byakugan still activated, glad she'd done so beforehand. She hesitated. "Are you questioning why I hugged you in public?"
..."Yes."
"Dad said so."
Itachi sat silently. Comprehension dawned on his face. He tried. "Otou-san also wanted me to get along with you. He plans for a political marriage. And that is okay with you?"
"Yep!"
Itachi sighed. "You're still a child."
Hinata's face turned serious. "Do you really want a war to break out?"
Itachi stilled. There'd been hints of it in the clan, but nothing decided. Just who is this child?
"The Military Police had been increasing arrests of the Hyuuga and their allies and the Hokage has done nothing to rebuke. Did you really think father would sit back and let you guys step all over him, or try to decrease the extent? Direct action to has led to decreased arrests, your clan no longer has voice in the Konoha Council, but at what price?" Hinata was bluffing for information. She analyzed his stoic face breaking, not missing a single detail, but there was no need.
"I suspect we're planning a coup," he confessed. He stammered. "So that's your plan...A secure alliance and the potential influence for both parties."
At Hinata's nod, Itachi thought over his plans. It was still early. He could still snuff out their tensions. Perhaps this was the path to the least violence. But it sounded too good to be true-what would the consequences be? Nonetheless, he'd make sure neither one took over the other. "I will speak with my father-in a circuitous way," he reassured her. "Actually, why don't you come over?"
"Yaay!" Hinata cheered uncharacteristically. "So is this where we meet secretly? SO COOL!"Who'd have thought all this Naruto-watching would pay off in the end...Not that it would work when I'm older..unless I henge.
Perturbed, Itachi took Hinata's hand and pulled her along to the compound.
日
"Hi, Sasuke!" Hinata had to force a smile, because this was no Naruto. "Check out these eyes!"Byakugan!With that, Hinata proceeded to lip-read Fugaku and Itachi's discussion a room away from them, not that anyone realized it.
Innocent Sasuke stared impressed. Nothing much changed aside from the tightening of her temples. "Wait 'til I get MY Sharingan!" He suddenly looked crestfallen.
"Eh? What's wrong?"..."You can tell me, we'rebest friends."
Hesitate. "And we're the same age."
Oh. "Red eyes are harder to get than white eyes, but that also means they're stronger."
"Really?! Just you wait! I'll be as strong as nii-san!"
He was too easy. Scratch that, Sasuke reminded her of Naruto. He wanted attention in the same way, just to a less extent. Hinata allowed a genuine laugh. "I'm sure you will," she replied easily, and ruffled his hair, earning a pout that unwillingly transfigured into a grin.
"One day I'll be your-older-sister." His black eyes widened and Hinata affirmed it. "You should start calling me Onee-chan, for practice."
"But nee-san is easier."
"Well, sure!"
日
"The village does have its dark side and its inconsistencies, but we're still Konoha's Uchiha. Fugaku has agreed this will be the best course for our clans, and we will be making the announcement tomorrow."
As robotic as ever...Is it just me or does Itachi look more relaxed?
"Y-You're okay with this?"
"Elated. A nameless shinobi who protects peace within its shadow is a true shinobi. What better fiance than someone like that...someone like you?" He moved his hands around her back and embraced her for a few seconds, whispering a dreadful threat as his hand cupped her ear. "You won't be backing out."
Somewhere in the dimension,27 hours 36 minutes later, Tobi threw a tantrum. But that was okay,Tobi had contingency plans.
Somewhere in Hinata's sanity, a crack formed. It was too small to be noticeable or significant, so don't worry.
日向
