Chapter Text
Hinata didn’t know what she was expecting. Neji joined her for the family’s evening meal, but she began to suspect it was only because she had given him a direct order as a main family member. She didn’t know the significance of Main versus Branch but Neji certainly did, so she trusted that he was acting accordingly, if not overly cautious about the whole thing. She didn’t discount the probability that he was overreacting, as he did with many things, but decided to respect his hesitance and not push the issue further.
The pair entered the dining room to find an extra seat and plate already laid out. Hinata wished she could have been more shocked, but this only confirmed that eyes and ears were everywhere. Hinata occupied her usual spot and instructed Neji to sit beside her, waving her hand at him with undue excitement. He regarded her with a flat expression, unimpressed, and gingerly placed himself to her left. The table was set with dinner already, though she and Neji knew better than to start eating without the rest of the family.
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Neji reiterated. It was likely the seventh time he’d said so in the span of half an hour. It was also the most he’d talked to her in one go without things devolving into bodily harm.
Hinata waved her hand dismissively, as she’d seen Hitomi do many times when she was dismissing stupid remarks. Which she seemed to do a lot, especially when Hinata spoke.
“It’ll be fine,” She reassured. Neji did not look particularly soothed.
Her mother was the first to join them, wearing her usual formal kimono and looking pristine as usual. Hitomi glanced at the two children but elected to say nothing about it, taking it in stride. Hinata noticed the minute change in her mother’s facial expression. She wasn’t smiling, but it was the closest expression to a grin she had seen from the woman thus far. Her lips twitched upward and the crease of her brow lessened. She looked softer, and even a bit mischievous. Hitomi, if anything, was amused. This put Hinata at ease but only seemed to make Neji more tense.
Well, thought Hinata, even if things aren’t entertaining now, they’re about to be. Hitomi was kind, and she was a good judge of character except for having married Hiashi. Hinata was relatively confident that that had been not her choice at all, so she was more inclined to believe her mother was a victim of clan politics just as much as she was.
Hitomi not being worried was a good sign. She only wished Neji could see that.
Hiashi entered the room like he already knew what was happening. He probably did, being able to see through walls and all that, and he wasn’t one to be caught off guard anyway. Hinata watched her father internally struggle to formulate a response, his eyes flickering over the duo as if trying to discern their motives. Hinata noted the small furrow of her father’s brow and gathered that he wasn’t too pleased with the situation. He quickly schooled his expression from his upset frown back to his normal frown. She turned to Neji to see his reaction.
Neji was not having a good time. If he didn’t have such extreme control over his body at all times, Hinata was sure he’d be sweating buckets and shivering like a dog. At the moment, the only sign of his discomfort was the slight twitch of his leg as if he was preparing to leap out the window at any given moment. Hinata didn’t discount it; it was at ground level so the only real damage would be to the window. Which, at the Hyuuga residence, seemed to become more and more common. Hinata passively wondered how long it would be until all their windows were broken, and if she should get ahead of the curve and break a few herself before she missed her opportunity.
Either way, something about her father's presence was intimidating to Neji. This was fair, as Hiashi was an imposing man, but Neji seemed specifically afraid of him as a person and not fearful of the generalized figure of authority. There was something personal laced in with the tension strung through the boy’s body. He didn’t dare look up.
Ironically, her father seemed equally unnerved by the whole situation. He regarded Neji with all the caution one would a live wire, unsure as to how to proceed. It was odd for her father, a grown man, to be wary of a four-year-old, but it was more likely that he was uncomfortable with the social connotations than anything else. In a moment of what Hinata could only assume was panic, he uncharacteristically turned to Hitomi to take control of the situation.
Her mother, blessedly, broke the awkward silence by picking up the teapot, signaling to everyone that dinner would proceed as normally as possible. No one spoke. Instead, they all watched her pour green tea for everyone, starting with Hiashi, as usual, then continuing to herself and Hinata. And then Neji.
Which was odd, as Hitomi had to reach further out and skip over Neji to do so, which Hinata noted, and she was sure Neji did as well.
Then everyone served themselves from the larger family-style plates. In the same order as before, in absolute silence. Normally this is when Hitomi would gently prompt the family to talk about their day, but no one said a word. It was silent as Hiashi served himself, then her mother, and logically, she expected Neji to go next as they were working counterclockwise. He stayed still, hands resting on his lap and staring blankly ahead.
Hitomi offered a strained smile at her and gently nodded. Hinata pointedly looked at Neji and then her mother. Hitomi shook her head.
Reluctantly, Hinata served herself. Then, before anyone could say anything, slid a fillet of salmon onto Neji’s plate as well, since she was sure that even given the chance he wouldn’t even attempt to touch the food on the table.
Her father opened his mouth in protest, but before he could speak, Hinata then quickly scooped a generous amount of rice onto her cousin's plate.
If Neji was anxious before, she was sure he was about to spontaneously combust.
Hinata sat back, satisfied with herself, and Hitomi sighed softly and shook her head. A small snapping sound echoed through the room: the first noise that didn’t organically occur through the routine of a meal.
Hiashi had snapped his very nice bamboo chopsticks. Hinata knew these were special chopsticks as he was very particular about them, making sure they were placed at his spot every meal. Hiashi stood up immediately.
“I’m going to get another pair of chopsticks.” He hissed.
Hinata paused. “Can we eat?” She asked candidly. It was a valid question. Normally everyone waited until he took his first bite, but if he was going to disappear for an extended amount of time then she wanted her dinner. And it was likely the case that it would take Hiashi that long, because Hinata doubted he’d ever been in the kitchen long enough to know what was in their fridge, let alone where the chopsticks were.
Hiashi was not expecting that. His mouth was pressed into a thin line, as if he was worried that if he didn’t seal it shut some obscenities would come flying out.
Instead of answering her question, he responded: “Hinata, why don’t you come with me?”
She wanted to say, No, I want to eat my dinner while it’s still warm, but the look on her mother's face told her that was a very bad idea. So instead she shrugged and got up to follow her father who very confidently led her to the living room.
“This isn’t the kitchen,” Hinata informed him. She wasn’t sure if it was intentional, and didn’t put it past him to not know where the kitchen was in his own home. Yes, it was his house, but she didn’t know to what extent he actually lived there. He didn’t appear to sleep there and rarely ate with them. And dinner was likely only because he was socially obligated to.
She didn’t ever go inside her mother’s bedroom but she was near confident that’s all it was. Her mother’s.
“Hinata, we need to talk about dinner,” He uttered in a low tone. She was almost afraid of him but distantly knew there were no real consequences for her social faux pas aside from embarrassment, which Hinata never concerned herself with.
“I was thinking the same thing. Neji doesn’t like salmon, so next time we should have tuna,” She replied at a normal volume. Hinata didn’t see the point in whispering when two rooms behind them were two trained shinobi. Well, Neji was in training, and Hinata wasn’t sure about her mother, but Hitomi moved with such grace in silence that she believed the woman had at least some training. Especially in a clan where everyone was expected to be combat-ready at all times.
“No, we need to discuss why you invited Neji to dinner,” Hiashi corrected her. His tone was level but Hinata could tell he was losing it internally.
“Well, who else was he going to eat with? His dad’s dead and I haven’t heard anything about a mom.” That was a bit indelicate. Luckily, she was three and would take that excuse as far as she possibly could. Any other social misgivings were filed under the ‘traumatized’ umbrella. They were both great buffers to hide behind.
“Hinata! That is highly inappropriate!”
“Sorry.” She wasn’t, and Hiashi likely knew this as well. The man sighed, bringing up his fingers to press against his temples, no doubt trying to rid himself of a headache. It would probably have been more efficient if he just sent Hinata away instead.
“You can’t just invite people to dinner without telling us,” He tried again, attempting to appeal to whatever rational side his three-year-old had.
“He’s my genetic half-brother,” Hinata helpfully reminded him.
“Yes, but he’s also a branch family member.”
There it was again. She had no idea what it meant, so she could only guess. Every day she grew more and more convinced that she was born into a cult. It was the logical conclusion. Despite his lack of charisma, her dad was the cult leader, and that made Hinata next in line to be a cult leader. It had to have been passed down to him as well because there was no way that many people would willingly follow this man into an isolated compound surrounded by forest. Regardless, she had no idea what elitist nonsense her dad was spouting and decided it was time to try and decipher it. She must have remained quiet for an uncomfortable amount of time because her father continued:
“You are above him, and as such, will not lower yourself to his level. Bringing him to main family meals is unacceptable.”
“But why?” Hinata hoped her father understood this was a genuine question. Hiashi, fortunately, was still operating on the same set of beliefs that his daughter was incompetent. He bent down to her level.
Hinata was face to face with Hiashi for probably the first time in her life. Though her recollection spanned scarcely a week, she knew the gravity of the situation and wisely shut her mouth. Hiashi was probably in his early thirties, with a full head of well-kept hair and the beginnings of wrinkles starting to form. His cheekbones were oddly pronounced and he had a large forehead, accented by his widow's peak.
But the most interesting thing was his eyes. Hinata knew logically something was off about them; something was off about every Hyuuga’s eyes, but she was finally able to put her finger on it now that she stood so close.
They were empty. Milky white and pale purple combined to create an unnerving effect that most could see from afar. She had grown used to the glassy pupiless stare of herself and her kin, but her father was another story entirely. Up close, it was an utter vacancy. It was unlike the familiar gaze of her mother, or even Kenta or Neji; there was no warmth in his eyes. There was no emotion at all. Hinata had never particularly believed the saying that the eyes are a window to one’s soul, but if that were true, Hiashi was soulless.
There was no reflection in his eyes, not a hint of life. It was as if Hinata was looking at a corpse.
And the corpse was looking back, rambling on about something she should have been paying attention to.
“...responsibilities as a Main family member, meaning that trivializing yourself as such is not conducive to maintaining your status,” Hiashi droned on.
“But, what’s the distinction?” Hinata asked. “What makes a family member Branch or Main?”
Silence once more filled the room. Instead of responding, Hiashi stood up and took her hand, which was the most physical contact she’d ever received from him, and gently led her back to the dinner table, dropping her hand in the doorway. While Hinata wasn’t expecting a conversation, she was surprised to see her mother and Neji were locked in an awkward staring match.
Hiashi approached Neji, grabbed him by the head, and began unwrapping the boy’s forehead bandages. Hinata watched in shock from the doorway.
“This is what separates you from him.” He announced. Neji was shaking and on the verge of tears.
A green ‘X’ sat in the middle of his forehead, surrounded by lines spanning the length of it. It looked sensitive to the touch, inflamed, and painful. Angry red skin surrounded the pale green markings that were carved into the skin, not just painted on. Hinata was horrified.
“Hiashi!” Her mother, of all people, pushed herself up from the table in protest.
“This is the caged bird seal, Hinata. It means he is beneath you. It seals away the byakugan after death, and more importantly, ensures loyalty to the main house.”
“Is that why your brother went in your place?” She blurted while hurrying over to Neji, who was crying silently, his hands shaking in his lap. Her father's hand remained on his head, still forcing his forehead up for Hinata to see. Hiashi paused.
“Yes.” His tone was emotionless.
Hinata grabbed the bandages from off the table where her father had discarded them and reached for Neji’s hand with her free one. She gently helped him up from the ground. Hiashi’s hand fell from his head as they both stood.
“I’m going to take him back to his home for the night,” Hinata evenly informed him. Food was gone from both of their plates, so at least he’d had eaten some in her absence. If everything else went to shit, at least Neji had dinner.
“That would be best, yes,” Agreed Hiashi. “We can have Kenta–”
“I’ll walk with him.”
Hiashi blinked, not foreseeing her interruption. While he was carefully cataloging all the changes in her personality since the whole kidnapping incident, he did not ever expect to see her be as rude as to interrupt the clan head, let alone her father.
Hinata stared back at the man, not as devoid of emotion as she’d hoped. Neji was wiping his tears in the background. Hiashi appeared oddly pleased with the turn of events, likely misinterpreting her defiance as obedience.
“Fine. Kenta will guide you both,” He accepted. Hinata nodded sharply and turned on her heel, dragging Neji behind her. The boy didn’t say a word as she led him out of the dining room and out of the main family home.
Kenta was standing outside the doorway by the time Hinata and Neji emerged. They didn’t look surprised but generally weren’t expressive anyway. Kenta let Hinata take the lead by bringing Neji over to a bench and wisely did not speak up about the detour, even if it was a good distance from the bulk of the buildings in the compound.
She finally let go of his hand and took a good look at him. For everything Neji was, proud, confident, and capable, he was barely a shell of himself. This was the most his age she’d ever seen him look, and that was only because he was trying and failing to stop the tears silently running down his face.
“You don’t have to put them back on, but here they are anyways,” Hinata placed the bandages in his lap, as his forehead was still exposed. “Sorry about dinner,”
She waited for Neji to say something; she wanted him to bite back, to snap at her, but he just seemed broken. Hinata began by opening the dialogue.
“I don’t know if he’s watching or listening right now, but what Hiashi did was beyond messed up,” Neji’s head snapped up, and she could feel the sharp gaze of Kenta’s eyes boring into her back. One, because she called her father ‘Hiashi’, and two because she so openly condemned him.
“I can’t… properly formulate it right now, but I’m angry and upset. I don’t think I’m better than you. I don’t think anyone’s inherently better than anyone, and I won’t pretend to uphold that set of values,” She said plainly. “And the whole seal thing is just stupid. Sorry, I don’t mean to trivialize it, but the whole concept of it is stupid.”
“Lady Hinata,” Kenta cautioned slowly. “I’m not offering my own opinion or advice, but know that should your father ask me to report what happened I am required to tell him.”
“Yeah, because if you don’t, he’ll use the seal!” Hinata shot back. “That’s what I’m saying! It’s awful! He’s awful!”
Kenta sighed, realizing their attempt at warning her did little to nothing. They shifted from foot to foot, clearly weighing the pros and cons of stopping her tirade and being on the receiving end of her fury, or letting it spiral and become a bigger issue later on. An issue that they hopefully wouldn’t have to deal with, and would fall to the clan heads.
“That’s a simplistic way of viewing things,” Neji finally spoke up. His voice was quiet, and didn’t hold the same confidence it normally had.
“Sure, but it’s also accurate.” Hinata began pacing. “I don’t need to pretend to have some deeper understanding if even on the surface level it’s already fucked.”
“Lady Hinata!” Kenta interjected. She turned to them, wondering why that was the sticking point.
“Go ahead. Tattle on me to my father. I know you must feel the same.” Hinata pointed a stubby finger at their forehead, covered by the leaf headband. “You can’t honestly say you enjoy being made to feel inferior and living in servitude.”
“Your language,” They sighed. “Speak your mind, but use your words wisely.”
“I think she gets to say ‘fuck’,” Neji commented idly. “I don’t get why you’re choosing that hill to die on.”
“Neji!” Kenta was horrified. Apparently, they took issue with cursing but not with familial insurrection. “Neither you nor Lady Hinata should be using those words!”
“To be fair, I think if my vocabulary is expected to be mature, I should be able to use mature words.” Hinata idly explained. “I also doubt ‘fuck’ is the most offensive thing I’ve said tonight.”
“Regardless, someone of your position–” They tried to appeal to her, bending down and gently placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Fuck my position!” She snapped, removing their hand.
“Yeah, fuck her position,” Neji added, lacking the enthusiasm of someone who truly meant it. He seemed to just want to say more bad words.
Kenta looked from Hinata to Neji, absolutely dumbstruck. They then made up their mind that any level of policing Hinata’s behavior was futile, from spouting revolutionary nonsense to vulgar vocabulary. They felt a headache coming on and sighed.
“Alright, setting that aside… Neji, we need to get you home,” Kenta held their hand out to him, but Neji pointedly hopped off the bench and briskly walked by them, not taking it. Kenta sighed again. They foresaw a lot of that in their future.
“Yeah,” Hinata agreed, doing her best to take control of the situation again. “Neji, where do you live?”
“I haven’t moved,” Neji scowled, pointing south towards the compounds.
“Yeah, but—” Hinata paused, registering what he said and quickly switching from defensive to curious. “So, you’re living alone?”
“I don’t suppose you’ve resurrected my father,” He countered, beginning to walk in the direction of his house. Kenta, in the background, was losing their mind. They had no idea what was going on right now, and how they were meant to survive the next few years of babysitting and training with the level of absurdity occurring regularly.
“No, haven’t figured that one out yet,” Hinata shrugged, following Neji’s lead despite her insistence she would be the one to walk him home. “One day, probably. But a four-year-old shouldn’t be living alone.”
Neji shrugged. “I have my own space, but branch member living is pretty communal. I eat dinner with everyone, usually.”
“What about the rest of the meals?” She asked, trying to assure herself that it was because she was worried for Neji and not just nosy.
“I make them myself.”
“How do you grocery shop?”
“Haven’t had to yet.” Right. His father died pretty recently. Hinata felt bad that she kept forgetting that, even though that was kind of Neji’s whole thing. Perhaps that was a bit cruel, he had other distinguishing features besides being an orphan and a branch member. He was also kind of mean. Probably because he was an orphan and a branch member.
“Why don’t you move in with Kenta?” She continued to interrogate him. Neji paused as if considering it.
“ Them ?” Neji turned his head to scrutinize the shinobi trailing the two.
Kenta froze, clearly not expecting the spotlight to be on them. They were relieved to be dismissed so easily but also insulted.
“Sure, they seem to like you well enough. They spend a lot of time around you.”
“I was directly ordered to.” Kenta corrected.
“See! And they’re responsible, too,” Hinata added, feeling great about her new idea. Plus, I haven’t seen them hanging around anyone, so I don’t think they have any friends. They could use the company.”
Kenta was panicking. They were too young to become someone’s guardian, they still had a whole life to live! Being a young parent wasn’t for them, even if they were already looking after the two brats regularly. Why didn’t they have a say in this? They felt like they should have a say in this.
“I–” Kenta tried to interrupt.
“I’ll think about it,” Neji agreed, speaking over them. “It might be better in the long run if I don’t have to purchase food and do laundry. I could focus more on training.”
“I am not going to do your laundry!” Kenta protested, but the two children ignored them in favor of continuing to make plans about them, in front of them, all the way back to Neji’s house.