Chapter Text
A sharp pain erupted from her third eyes point as she frowned pinching slightly between her index finger and her thumb the bridge of her nose. The pain persisted amplified by the loud voices around her. This meeting was unnecessary long she thought as she listened an another tirade from one of the Elders about traditions and protections of their eyes.
She wasn’t the first one to show signs of tiredness or irritation as most of the elderly people in the room were getting restless and were seriously going on her nerve. To her left, her father has been calm as always, looking at the meeting room with a deep stare, assessing with attention every thoughts pronounced and silent. To her right Hanabi was trying as best as she could to not show any sign of the underlying fury boiling in her veins as she was listening quietly. Really, this meeting was way too long.
The young woman restrained a deep sight, letting her mind wander for a second. She could have been in the garden tending to the flower or training with her teammates or even better, maybe she would have found a certain blond ninja around a bowl of ramen. But no. She was there trying to not show her uttermost disgust of the people in the room trying to decipher if her little sister should be the heiress. A non-issue that had been already addressed months ago. But those old men were looking at them with wary and anger refusing with vehemence to just accept what was happening to that family: change.
A subtle movement caught her eyes, refocusing her attention to the room. Three servants just came in the room to refill their cup of tea. Almost immediately, her eyes zeroed to there banded forehead, feeling instantly a violent and cruel pang in her chest. She could feel her Byakuguan wanting to flare at the sight, but she kept it under control. This meeting didn’t need to escalate more than it already had. She discreetly watched the three Branch member gracefully passed through the Elders filling their cup as none of them even bothered to acknowledge them as they continued to scream and shout about everything and anything. They were invisible in this room, insignificant to the conversation, even if it was their future that was being discussed right now. That thought angered the young woman. They all had the same blood, the same eyes. They all looked alike, but it was her voice that mattered more. She stutters and hushes that covered their screams. It was unfair. This had to change.
She moved slightly to the side, facilitating the way to her cup as she turned her head to thanks the young girl who served her. She had her age maybe a year or two younger. Her expression was as neutral as any other Hyuga would have been but her eyes were betraying her. Like any other member of the clan they where the same shade of pale if not more on the gray side but they had that unique sparks in them that shined as she heard the breathed « thank you » of the eldest of the two heiresses. Her slender cheeks turned a pale pink as she bowed her head and filled the young maiden’s cup.
« I refuse to ear any other words » suddenly a voice rose above the other. Looking up, she watched Hisato Hyuga, her own grandfather stood up from the crowd and planting his silver eyes on her before pointing an accusatory finger at Hanabi. She restrained her arm to move to shield her sister trying to remember that she wasn’t in immediate danger even if she would have preferred to keep her precious little sibling out of his cruel stares.
« I will not let a unbranded Byakugan wander around as long as I am alive. If we in fact decide to let a child become our heiress and let a Branch member unseal it is the end of the clan. » he decreed. « One of them got to be sealed. Hiashi you already chose Hinata. Why coming back on your decision? » His voice silent all the rest of them as twenty paired of identical silver eyes turned toward the main family. Dread rose in the young woman’s veins as she quickly gained back her composure. Her father wasn’t against her she had to remember. He wouldn’t agree to that, it wouldn’t be reasonable.
« Hinata is too old to have such a heavy procedure done to her. It is too dangerous. » He reminded them calmly once again for the fourth time since the meeting had started. They wouldn’t listen to it. They were no such thing as ‘’too old’’ in their books. Hinata felt herself vibrating having enough as her voice bloomed in her throats.
« Pardon my interruption, but it has been decided months ago that Hanabi will take the role of heiress. Why the sudden change of heart when I recall the vote to this decision was unanimous? Yourself praised the call Elder Hisato. And if I may add before the war, it was you who proposed my cousin Neji to become the next heir encouraging my father to give him the lead in the Hyuga force. He was a Branch member and at that point in time you were eager to make a change. »
His cold stare intensified as she felt herself shrink back on herself a little. He had always frightened her with his sharp jabs that could cut directly to her heart.
« Your incompetences had proven again that even a Branch member was better suited than you, Child. We all thought that Neji was a valuable heir, but his weakness at heart proved all of us wrong. »
A sudden pic of chakra flared in the room, making her violently turned her head toward her sister. She was angry leaking a vile sentiment in her chakra system, but she wasn’t the one who had profusely leaked the killing intend. It was the maiden next to her who was serving tea. Fortunately for her, the young lady hadn’t been physically trained and the intensity wasn’t that high. Hinata was probably the only one who sensed it. However the twitch in the young lady’s hand wasn’t lying.
“Hanabi, keep your feeling in check.” She whispered addressing both the girls next to her. Where her sister immediately masked her revealing chakra, the servant deflected, looking momentarily scared for what she had just done, hurrying to finish her task before leaving the now silent room.
Hinata looked at her grandfather trying not to pay attention to the remarked. She could wallow in her feelings later when it wouldn’t be about her sister and her future. The tension upped once more. As a silent war passed between the two generations. She was strong, she kept telling herself. It was for her sister. For everyone in her family. It was for the better.
“The meeting is dismissed.” Finally decided Hiashi feeling the tension in the room going more out of hand eying at the same time his daughters and the door where the servant just went ahead a few second ago. A low angry grumbles passed through the room as they all bowed to Hiashi before getting up to leave. They all one by one left under the strict eyes of the head.
“Hinata a word.” He finally added as he saw his eldest getting up. Both the Hyūga sisters halt, looking at each other a slight tension passing through their clear eyes. Nodding, the oldest send a look at her cadet ordering her to go to her room before turning toward her father.
Now alone, she let her posture slack off a bit. Still straight the tension in her shoulder left a little. Still she looked at the tall man somewhat clenched. Seeing the wariness in her eyes, he couldn’t help but silently sight.
He didn’t want to admit that he knew where this was coming from. Even if this past two year he had tried to repair his strained relationship with his eldest daughter, years of neglect couldn’t be that easily forgave. This common ground on changing laws and politics of the Clan had eased certain things between them as they both mourn the death of his nephew and worked hard hand in hand to change mind and mentality. However the young woman had her reserves. She wasn’t overly warm like she used to be or wouldn’t engage in conversation with him, keeping their exchange short and purposeful. If in the past, he would have praised it, now it was hurting him as he would realised the non existent relationship he had with his own daughter. She didn’t trust him fully of at all, bracing herself at every exchange, they were fearing he would hurt her in any kind of way. He hated this, knowing fully well it was his fault and her upbringing. He was working on getting her true back and the process was long and strained, but in all worth the pain.
“Hinata you can’t fall in their trap.” He gently warned her. She bowed her head. She knew. They were leading the consul to work on their nerves and for one of them to commit an error. They almost succeeded. That servant did prevent a young Hanabi to unleash her cruel mouth and worsen their already complicated predicament. Hinata herself got almost carried away as she saw herself, letting her anger almost influence her talking.
“I understand Father. I just... I wish they weren’t so stubborn.” She managed to answer. The Clan Head nodded, understanding. It had taken him years to finally be able to control his emotion and not let the Elders go under his skin. He had to admit, his daughter was better at this part of the job wielding her emotion as a motor. But she had her weaknesses and one of them particularly easy for her detractor in the clan was the death of her dear cousin.
It had been acknowledged that he had died a hero, many members of the clan being able to testify his prowess during the war and his ultimate sacrifice for the greater good. His name had been celebrated in and out of the wall of the compound as he has been declared a war hero just as Naruto, Shikamaru and most of the Rookie 11.
Yet, the circumstance around his sacrifice was now questioned by certain anonymous voices on the Branch side of the Hyuga. Rumors were circulating, reigniting flaming tensions that the war and the collective effort to rebuild their home had for a time forgotten. Now that Konoha and the Compound was finished, they were building up faster than before under the desperate eyes of the two heiresses. They all feared an insurrection that could cause a massive murder. Elders and distant member of the Main family would not hesitate to activate the seal killing hundreds of Branch members and that, Hinata would die before it happened. She had promised herself. They would have to kill her before anyone would hurt one of the Branch members with that damn seal.
A deep tiredness washed over her features as she looked outside the open window. She hadn’t realized the sun was already setting. She had spent the entirety of the day inside she contemplated. Something that had been more and more occurring as her father had her taking more responsibility with the clan’s affairs. She had accepted, wanting to gain as much knowledge she could of the mechanism that was the Clan to better assist Hanabi when she would take the Head one day and also to be able to understand better the politics of the Branch. She needed to know the in and out of those dark schemes to free them all. It was her purpose. It always had been her dream. To not have this distance anymore, this chasm. It had already hurt to many generations. It had to stop.
A firm hand on her shoulder brought her back to the present. Her father was already up and was about to leave. She reflects silently this strong hand on her. Rarely he had touched her without violence. She could barely remember a time before the war when he had reached her in the sole purpose to bring her comfort. After Neji’s death, they had been more intended, rarely realized. He would have longing stares, wanting her to speak about her sentiments, share a grief or a hesitant hand on her shoulder blade or on her back. Flying touches to signify that he was with her. At first those attentions startled her. She often found herself flinching away before being estranged to the tenderness behind those attentions. When she understood his intention, she would measure more her reaction, showing less her discomfort. She didn’t know how to react. Well, now she knew. She had wanted to please him and share her pain, her burden, try to reconnect with him the same way Hanabi had succeeded to.
She had seen how her little sister had become more exuberant, less cold in her attitude, warmer to their father and how they grew closer and affectionate with each other. She had been delighted to see how they seemed to have forgiven each other and were working on growing their new bond. How Hanabi wasn’t afraid anymore to show who she really was and openly love her father and sister. Sharing hugs and sweet gestures.
Hinata couldn’t. Something seemed broken inside her. She knew how she could reconnect. How easy it would be to just lean on them for once in her life. She knew she just had to talk for him to open his arms and let him share her pain. But she couldn’t. She had tried many times, wanting to reach out, but words would die on her lips and a coldness she didn’t know she had would harden her body. Those touches would make her uncomfortable. Her sister’s hugs making her want to crawl back on herself and flee far away. She masked it well to Hanabi at least, pushing far away her coldness, giving the sweet teenager warm embrace, gentle words and proud smiles. But to her father, his eyes were able to pierce through her soul, making it impossible for her to hide it. Every day, she had tried to find the force within herself to just not to push him away but it seemed gone. She was hurting him and she knew it would crush her precious sister if she ever found out and she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself if she ever did that to her.
This found purpose to bring justice and an even more powerful sense of Neji’s sacrifice had been her way to appease the growing discomfort inside her, to feel less cold. It was their common ground, a way for her to work in this shattered bond. She kept it as is They would work hand in hand. She could bring him solace in his father role as she would lean on his support and ask advice on how make a move or how to shift an opinion. He could lead her to make informed decisions, to get closer to the Branch to get to know their suffering and needs of justice. To pin point where she could be the most useful. But it would stop there. They would be no dividing the subject to talk about herself or subsequent effort on her part to reach for him. They would work and it would end there. She thought it was for the best for now. The situation was difficult and maybe when it will be sorted out, she would feel warm again and maybe she would reach out.
‘’I’ll go on a walk’’ She finally breath out as she also stood up making him letting go of her. Hiashi just nodded masking his hurt just flashing a slight melancholic smile. She barely registered his words as he suggested for her to not stay too long outside as the winter weather was getting the air colder. She just bowed her head in respect before slipping out of the room.