Chapter Text
哭
"I want my sister back."
She was admitting defeat, and Neji Hyuuga had a smug smile on his face.
They faced each other, in the middle of an isolated training field, and the skies threatened to rain.
Neji could only laugh sinisterly. "Who says she's still your sister?"
哭
"Oi Iruka-sensei!"
"What is it now, Naruto?" His hand paused at the chalkboard.
"Do you think Hina-chan likes me more than Saku-chan?"
Iruka almost choked on his spit. "GAH-Don't ask something so personal!" he shouted out with a blush, spinning towards Naruto's face.
"C'mon pleaseeeee?" Naruto was tugging Iruka-sensei's pants and drooling on his chuunin vest.
"Alright alright! Stop slobbering over me, we're in class!" Iruka-sensei said, sweatdropping because every student in the classroom was just staring at them. He sighed and pushed Naruto off by his shoulders, and scratched his nose in thought. "Well...I wouldn't say," his eyes trailed to the collar resting on Naruto's neck and he had a bad feeling about this.I'd rather Naruto like Sakura."Actually, Naruto, how about we go for ramen after class?"
"Wha? But I already promised Hina-"
"I've got that settled, Naruto," Iruka-sensei said firmly, shooting a look at Mizuki-sensei who was currently leaning against the end of the chalkboard, monitoring the class.
Mizuki's eyes met with Iruka's, and he got the message.
哭
"Did you hear? Apparently the entire Uchiha clan was murdered."
"Yeah, what's what my dad was telling me."
"They say that Sasuke is the only one who survived."
Sasuke bristled; didn't they realize they were talking about him right behind his back?
哭
Mizuki-sensei leaned comfortably against the door, mulling over the question Naruto asked Iruka. His periwinkle eyes flickered towards the empty seat at the back of the classroom and then towards a seat at the front of the classroom occupied by a dignified pinkette.
Well whaddya know? The Yandere vs Tsundere...
He thought about Iruka-sensei's unspoken request and snorted.
Since when have I become so close to Iruka that we don't need words to communicate?
He wants some alone-time with the Fox, without risking Hinata's wrath on Naruto for having stood up their date. Alright then, I'll start sidetracking Hinata-chan. It will fit with my other plans.
哭
"It's too late, Hinata-chan," Neji Hyuuga's cold eyes and cold tone contrasted against her heated glare. "She's staying here,"with me.
Hinata cracked her knuckles, cracking her neck and shooting him a deadly look. "Not if I kill you,"
Neji relaxed his chokehold over his facial muscles, settling his body into a gentle fist taijutsu stance. His mouth twisted into a vengeful smile. "I've always wanted to fight you,"
Hinata's eyes narrowedGentle Stepshe slid her foot back, positioning for a sprint, as Neji's byakugan activated, readying his 64-Trigrams technique.
Curling a hand into a fist, she sent invasive chakra to form a single lion fist, and sprinted towards him.
Neji's eyes widened, watching the sizable chakra-absorbing flame in Hinata's fist grow larger with their distance closing, and he instantly knew he was outmatched; not even his jyuuken techniques would work without it burning off his hands, but he had to try, or he'd lose hisface, no, his life, instead.
He was the only hope of the Branch division, he wastheirprodigy, their future savior.
Hanabi was too, she was their icon, she had the same potential as Neji, if not evermore from her former heir status…but she wasweak, vulnerable, she needed Neji to protect her. She washislittle sister, not Hinata's…
And no matter what, Neji would protect her from Hinata.
Because he loved Hanabi, more than he hated Hinata.
In other words, he had to run.
Flashback:
Hanabi was crying. She wailed, she'd dropped her glass cup of milk, and it shattered to bits on her bare feet.
She was bleeding, and she was afraid to move or the shards would cut her more, and it hurt.
There would usually be a Hyuuga family servant to take care of it, or catch it before it fell, but, but…
Hanabi cried harder.Father kicked me out of the family, father hates me because I lost to big sister.. Big sister hates me because I lost; big sister put the green thing on my forehead because she hated me. Those adults hate me because I lost; they stopped helping me and washing my clothes and making the bed for me because I lost.Father was so happy that I was stronger than her but I proved him wrong and I want to go home to hug Himawari(that was her stuffed rabbit.)
Everyone forgot about her and assumed she was a branch member and branch members automatically joined the branch families. They figured, if they didn't adopt her, then their neighbor, or someone else, will.
Well, no one wanted a former Main House member.
Except for Neji Hyuuga.
That was weird; Neji hated the Main House more than anyone, so why would he take one in?
Neji lived alone, by the way.
Hanabi was so happy, she thought she was alone for good, but then Neji came and said comforting words and hugged her and said he would be her new big brother.
He also said mean stuff about Hinata but Hanabi didn't care because she'd been alone so long and she appreciated him so much that she'd tolerate his Hinata-bashing.
Neji took her to his home, and cooked food for her. He fed her, let her use his clothes, let her use his bed, and prepared hot water for her to bath in. Neji was so nice.
He had a mean face at first with even more mean smiles. His mean face lasted for two months before it slowly loosened and became utter ease over the course of the years. Every now and then he smiled nicely and he sounded softer and more comfortable. Sometimes, during the rarer times, he sounded desperate for her presence.
He told her his secrets. He told her about his days at the Academy. Occasionally he said something mean about Hinata.
He told her about a loser in his class who couldn't use ninjutsu or genjutsu. He told her the loser was bound to fail. He told her the loser was the dead last of the class, and he was the top student. He said it was fate.
Hanabi had clapped; she was happy Neji was so smart.
He also said it was fate that Hanabi would become his little sister.
Neji talked about fate a lot.
Sometimes he said it was fate for Hinata to die.
Hanabi had been horrified at first because Neji was never wrong and even though she knew Hinata was a bad person, she didn't want Hinata to die!
Instantly Neji said that wasn't fate and that Hinata won't die, she was too stubborn to die properly, she was a cheater and she'd surely find a way to cheat death or have someone else die in her place.
(Somehow, Neji managed to make Hinata sound bad both ways.)
After that, Hanabi doubted Neji's 'fate' was trustworthy.
Neji told her what happened to his dad. When Hanabi asked what happened to his mom, he said she wasn't important and talked about his dad instead. Neji said that his dad was her father's brother. He said they were twins, but his dad was 1 second younger than her father so he became his slave. He told her that later her father got into fatal trouble and 'found a way to cheat death' like he predicted Hinata would in the future. He said that her father substituted himself with his dad, so that his dad died in her father's place. He said her father killed his dad. He said it was fate for the Main House to use the Branch House like sacrificial tools, and he said that one day Hinata will sacrifice her to cheat death. Hinata would kill Hanabi. That would be parallelism with their parents.
Hanabi decided that fate was very mean.
Then Neji told her that he will do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn't happen. Neji willfightfate. Neji will die in Hanabi's place, even if that saved Hinata's life, if needed.
Neji would fight Hinata if she came to take her life for her own selfish gain.
If Hanabi was Hinata's meatshield for a fatal attack, Neji would jump in front of it.
But if there was a way forbothhim and Hanabi to live, he would rather take that instead, even if it meant killing Hinata with his bare hands—In fact, he'd be more than happy to.
Hanabi was a little creeped out by that but she still loved her nii-san so she nodded along and told him so.
They hugged. He ruffled her hair. He was very touchy and affective. He said that's what siblings are for.
Hanabi told him that her old family never condoned touching except for spars.
Neji said that the Main House was full of struck-up-pricks who were too arrogant to understand familial love. Then he forbade her from talking about it.
The next day, he changed his mind and told her she could talk about the Main House as much as she wants, so that he could point out all the errors in their ways. He wanted Hanabi to learn and become as smart as he is, after all.
Neji also tutored Hanabi, on some things he learned when he first started the Academy, on Hyuuga taijutsu techniques, on hand seals, on how to suppress chakra, and all kinds of life lessons. He tried to teach her to write, although she already knew how to write thanks to all those high-class teachers the Main House hired, so she ended up being his teacher for that part.
Neji told her that when she starts the Academy, she would be the top rookie student because of all his teachings. He was a brother she never had. She told him that and he instantly responded that he was 'a brother better than Hinata could ever be.'
Hanabi nodded, by now used to hearing her sister's name every other three sentences.
(Back to present but still inside a flashback)
The tatami door slammed open, and her big brother was there in his white robe and uncovered forehead. He'd just gotten out of the shower, his hair still soaked wetly.
His snowy optics zoomed to the blood at her feet and he was instantly crouched before her, carefully pulling the glass out. He even activated his byakugan for this, and set beside him was a first aid kit. She didn't see him grab it.
Carefully, he lifted her off the ground and placed her on the couch, before crouching down and meticulously removing the shards, with small metal clip tools when he was sure his hands were too large that using them would cause her extra pain. She bled and panicked and sobbed, but Neji kept whispering soothing words about her safety.
He disinfected her fastidiously, and held his breath.
He took her feet and carefully wrapped bandages around them.
In a way, this reminded Hanabi of back when there were branch servants doing this for her. It was nearly the same thing, but different, because it was Neji. He was more careful, much slower, and he wasn't just someone doing his job, he genuinelycared. He was her big brother.
Hanabi grinned and held out her hands.
Neji looked up and smiled, reaching over and giving her the hug she wanted.
哭
Hanabi leapt from her hiding place and ran in front of the attack. Right in between them, facing her sister with her back to her brother, she held out her hands defensively, blocking Hinata's path.
'ttebayo! Too late!Hinata tried to cancel her lethal technique and absorbed half its impact, while a smaller portion landed straight into Hanabi's stomach as Hinata tried to trip herself.
Her chakra system went haywire and she instantly passed out.
Hinata also fell back, flat on her side, gasping for breath. Her body burned all over, it felt like her every cell was dying from dehydration.
Neji's eyes were wide, he had frozen mid-run. Of course, of f*cking course Hinata would be faster than him. She'd have killed him were it not for Hanabi's interference. Hanabi had known that.
He bit his lip, hard.I suspected she would follow me here. I hoped she would, so she could see this for herself...but I never wanted her to do this…if she didn't, however, I wouldn't be alive to watch over her anymore; Hanabi has protected herself.
Neji regained his composure, letting his arms fall to his side as he approached Hanabi, lifting her up with the utmost care and pulling her over his back, her chin on his shoulder and his hands underneath her thighs.
He took a few steps and peered down at Hinata's paralyzed body and wide eyes. He could only smile. "Well, well, you should see yourself, finally learning the concept offate," he kicked her in the ribs, and she gasped.
A feeling of satisfaction welled up in his gut. He knew he'd never get a chance like this again, and if he was going to get in trouble for this already, he might as well go the whole way. So, with sucidial tendencies, his left foot streaked to her chest and he sat his rear to her abdomen, making some use of Hanabi's weight, tittering the edge of the highest amount of pain without death, his byakugan had its uses. She didn't scream in pain as he had hoped, but that was expected of their perfect heiress. Yet, a glob of blood choked out of her throat and he leaned his head to the side, dodging it. His smile widened.
"Don't you see why you cannot take yourformersister back? The Branch House and the Main House can never unite. The same goes for you and Hanabi-imouto. You were destined to hurt her, thus, you don't deserve her, monster."
He was also afraid that as they grew older, their physical appearances would be indistinguishable. They were sisters, after all—their sole countenances differed the most due to their age gap.
It was a fear he had not needed to address immediately, unless on the off-chance an opportunity presented itself.
His other foot was pressed against the ground beside her, balancing the weight and the scene looked like he had won a trophy.
That opportunity was now.
The solution was simple, just kill her off, right now; this was his only chance, it would solve all his problems. It would be so easy, she was so vulnerable. He wouldn't be accused. Her injuries were of her own techniques, if someone investigated, it would be declared a training accident. The worst case scenario would be someone accusing a Main House member, which was even better.
His left heel slid higher and hovered over the windpipe of her neck, and she gasped. Her nails dug into her palms hard enough to draw blood, and she was pulling at the grass.
Neji could see her erratic heartbeat.
To be on the safe side, he could hide her body. Hinata-sama always disappeared at random intervals, sometimes away from weeks to months without a word. No one would be suspicious.
He pressed down slightly, and watched Hinata close her eyes, as if resigned to her fate.
She looked so peaceful. Relieved, satisfied, at ease. She wanted him to do it.
Neji didn't like it.
Hah, she wants me to put her out of her misery?
His eyebrows furrowed as he frowned, infuriated.
You always win.
From the second you were born, you were destined to win. Even now, if I kill you, it would be your victory. I hate you so much.
He stood up, carefully adjusting Hanabi over his back, and glared down at her lifeless eyes as they opened to him in expectation.
I refuse to give you what you want. Heh, maybe I'll give you some responsibility. Guilt would be a better way to keep you away from us, or from retaliating.
"She's barely clinging to life," Neji informed her, voice dripping with vermin, "If you killed her, I will make sure you kill yourself next," he promised.
His tongue stroked the bottom of his mouth, and he spat on her; the saliva slid down her cheek.
He walked the direction towards the Konoha General Hospital, and it started raining.
"Summoning Jutsu: Tsuneko," she whispered, and the ink seals underneath the palm of her undamaged hand streaked out across the glass as a drop of her blood vanished.
A puff of smoke, and a golden cat with tan stripes emerged. The rain battered down on Tsuneko's fur and he hissed, "I hate water!" Tsuneko then peered at his master's condition and instantly set his paws on her belly, a green glow adjusting her bones back into place and closing the worst of her injuries. "I can't heal ya anymore, almost out of chakra. You'll live, but get arealhuman medic nin forrealtreatment."
Hinata tilted her head back to feel the drops of rain wash the blood off her chin and drench her clothes. "It's okay…" she whispered. "You can go back now."
Tsuneko was long accustomed to her eccentricity. No doubt she was going to lie there until the rain stopped. It wasn't wise, regarding her injuries but who was he to talk? Tsuneko scampered over, and licked his sandpaper tongue across her cheek, before he vanished.
Tsuneko didn't realize he shared an indirect kiss with Neji.
哭
