Dark Fic #024 Power
Title: No wavering allowed
Fandom: Naruto
Characters: Neji, Hinata
Prompt: #024 Power
Word Count: 935
Rating: T
Summary: Hinata gets a face to face look at the price it costs to take her place in the Head Family of Hyuga.
Author's Notes: Power- possession of control or command of others. Most of the stuff in here about the Cursed Mark Jutsu is pretty much my own imagination, so if it sounds off from the series you'll know why.
Hinata walked slowly, shuffling her feet as she made her way down the hallway to the Hyuga dojo. Ever since she was a child she had dreaded this day when she truly took her place in the Head Family. She opened the door and hesitated for just a moment before stepping inside the vast room.
In the center of the dojo stood her father Hiashi, but her eyes went to the figure standing in front of him. Her eyes trailed down his back following the long black hair that shined and moved as a pelt of alive animal. As if the owner of the hair had eyes in the back of his head, he turned to face her and bowed gracefully.
“Lady Hinata,” the formality of the greeting no matter how many times he used it caused her cheeks to burn and redden.
“N-Neji.” She stammered out his name, but her eyes were drawn back to her father when movement over her cousin drew her attention. She knew what the day meant for her but was confused at his presence and wondered briefly if there was something she must have missed her father telling her.
“As you know, Hinata, today is your sixteenth birthday. Before any celebrations can begin you must display mastery of the Cursed Mark Jutsu. Neji is here for you to practice on.”
She turned her eyes to her cousin, horror stretching across her face as it finally dawned on her what his presence was there for. In response, he reached a hand up to remove the headband over his forehead, bringing it down to his side and reveling the eerie blue-green mark it hid.
“F-father.” She cried out in alarm.
“When I was 16, the very target I learned on was my own brother.” His said it softly but his expression turned into a disappointed frown, she flinched at his disapproval and looked down to the ground. Tears burned in her eyes, she should have been used to the look he gave her but still it cut her deeply to see it on her father's face.
“Y-yes, sir.” She whispered, closing her eyes to force the tears back before bringing herself to look back at Neji.
“Now, watch me. The Cursed Mark will not allow Neji to follow-- anyone who bares the mark cannot see the hand signs used to invoke it.” He somberly brought his hands up and began the movement showing Hinata how the jutsu would work. When he finished, he took a step backwards and put his hands behind his back.
“Try it, Hinata.” He ordered.
She stood before Neji and looked into his face that was an expression of boredom and arrogance. She was learning it was the make he used to hide his own thoughts and emotions, knowing that she was able to read his face even if she didn't know what he was hiding somehow comforted her.
“Do not waiver, daughter. This is no game, his life is in your hands.”
She brought her hands up and closed her eyes for a moment, drawing in a deep breath. I will not fail you, she silently promised to Neji before opening her eyes and going through the hand signs just shown to her minutes before. She smiled as she ended the hand movements. I won't fail.
As soon as she finished, Neji's eyes rolled to the back of his head, he made a small choked noise and feel to the ground. Hinata froze, her eyes widened in terror. She dropped her hands from in front of her.
“You did right, Hinata, you activated the Cursed Mark. Now, deactivate it before you completely liquefy his brains.” His hands remained behind his back, clearly telling Hinata that he would remain unhelpful no matter what the consequences were to be.
Shaken, she brought her hands up and started fumbling through the first part of the hand signs.
“What are you doing, playing Patty Cake with yourself? The hand signs, Hinata! Perform the Cursed Mark Jutsu or bury your cousin.”
I-- I can't... Hinata's eyes widened more. Not Neji... she stared at her hands and felt blind. Quickly, she brought forth chakra to her eyes and called up her own family limit the Byakugan. Wait! I see it now-- her hands stopped wavering and with surety she watched as chakra flowed from her hands to put the Cursed Mark back to rest.
Hiashi stooped down to the unconscious Neji and brought a hand to the young man's neck, feeling for a pulse. “He'll live. Your birthday celebrations will commence later today, you may want to change and prepare for that.” He gracefully returned to his feet and left Neji on the floor and her alone in the dojo.
Hinata stumbled to her crumbled bodyguard and sank down on knees that refused to support her standing weight. How could she celebrate when she nearly killed the one before her? How could Neji even forgive her when he would wake up? She slowly brought his head to her lap, bowing her head as a sob racked her body, opening the floodgate as she cried her heart out. Neji once told her that he was a caged bird, but little did he realize he was not the only one trapped in the gilded cage of the Hyuga clan.
Her tears flowed from her face and landed on his, gravity pulled the liquid down the roundness of his cheek. It looked for all the world like he were crying too.
Fandom: Naruto
Characters: Neji, Hinata
Prompt: #024 Power
Word Count: 935
Rating: T
Summary: Hinata gets a face to face look at the price it costs to take her place in the Head Family of Hyuga.
Author's Notes: Power- possession of control or command of others. Most of the stuff in here about the Cursed Mark Jutsu is pretty much my own imagination, so if it sounds off from the series you'll know why.
Hinata walked slowly, shuffling her feet as she made her way down the hallway to the Hyuga dojo. Ever since she was a child she had dreaded this day when she truly took her place in the Head Family. She opened the door and hesitated for just a moment before stepping inside the vast room.
In the center of the dojo stood her father Hiashi, but her eyes went to the figure standing in front of him. Her eyes trailed down his back following the long black hair that shined and moved as a pelt of alive animal. As if the owner of the hair had eyes in the back of his head, he turned to face her and bowed gracefully.
“Lady Hinata,” the formality of the greeting no matter how many times he used it caused her cheeks to burn and redden.
“N-Neji.” She stammered out his name, but her eyes were drawn back to her father when movement over her cousin drew her attention. She knew what the day meant for her but was confused at his presence and wondered briefly if there was something she must have missed her father telling her.
“As you know, Hinata, today is your sixteenth birthday. Before any celebrations can begin you must display mastery of the Cursed Mark Jutsu. Neji is here for you to practice on.”
She turned her eyes to her cousin, horror stretching across her face as it finally dawned on her what his presence was there for. In response, he reached a hand up to remove the headband over his forehead, bringing it down to his side and reveling the eerie blue-green mark it hid.
“F-father.” She cried out in alarm.
“When I was 16, the very target I learned on was my own brother.” His said it softly but his expression turned into a disappointed frown, she flinched at his disapproval and looked down to the ground. Tears burned in her eyes, she should have been used to the look he gave her but still it cut her deeply to see it on her father's face.
“Y-yes, sir.” She whispered, closing her eyes to force the tears back before bringing herself to look back at Neji.
“Now, watch me. The Cursed Mark will not allow Neji to follow-- anyone who bares the mark cannot see the hand signs used to invoke it.” He somberly brought his hands up and began the movement showing Hinata how the jutsu would work. When he finished, he took a step backwards and put his hands behind his back.
“Try it, Hinata.” He ordered.
She stood before Neji and looked into his face that was an expression of boredom and arrogance. She was learning it was the make he used to hide his own thoughts and emotions, knowing that she was able to read his face even if she didn't know what he was hiding somehow comforted her.
“Do not waiver, daughter. This is no game, his life is in your hands.”
She brought her hands up and closed her eyes for a moment, drawing in a deep breath. I will not fail you, she silently promised to Neji before opening her eyes and going through the hand signs just shown to her minutes before. She smiled as she ended the hand movements. I won't fail.
As soon as she finished, Neji's eyes rolled to the back of his head, he made a small choked noise and feel to the ground. Hinata froze, her eyes widened in terror. She dropped her hands from in front of her.
“You did right, Hinata, you activated the Cursed Mark. Now, deactivate it before you completely liquefy his brains.” His hands remained behind his back, clearly telling Hinata that he would remain unhelpful no matter what the consequences were to be.
Shaken, she brought her hands up and started fumbling through the first part of the hand signs.
“What are you doing, playing Patty Cake with yourself? The hand signs, Hinata! Perform the Cursed Mark Jutsu or bury your cousin.”
I-- I can't... Hinata's eyes widened more. Not Neji... she stared at her hands and felt blind. Quickly, she brought forth chakra to her eyes and called up her own family limit the Byakugan. Wait! I see it now-- her hands stopped wavering and with surety she watched as chakra flowed from her hands to put the Cursed Mark back to rest.
Hiashi stooped down to the unconscious Neji and brought a hand to the young man's neck, feeling for a pulse. “He'll live. Your birthday celebrations will commence later today, you may want to change and prepare for that.” He gracefully returned to his feet and left Neji on the floor and her alone in the dojo.
Hinata stumbled to her crumbled bodyguard and sank down on knees that refused to support her standing weight. How could she celebrate when she nearly killed the one before her? How could Neji even forgive her when he would wake up? She slowly brought his head to her lap, bowing her head as a sob racked her body, opening the floodgate as she cried her heart out. Neji once told her that he was a caged bird, but little did he realize he was not the only one trapped in the gilded cage of the Hyuga clan.
Her tears flowed from her face and landed on his, gravity pulled the liquid down the roundness of his cheek. It looked for all the world like he were crying too.