(no subject)
Title: Marked
Pairings: Naruto/Hinata, Neji/Hinata, Naruto/Hinata/Neji
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine.
The three of them were marked from the beginning.
Naruto was marked first, when he was still an infant. He was transformed from a crying blond-haired baby into a vessel for the Kyuubi. In a matter of minutes, an act that was designed to create a hero out of him became the very thing that would mark him an outcast from society, despised and feared by the very villagers who were supposed to embrace him.
Neji was marked next, when he was born into the branch house. At age four, he received the seal that was traditionally branded upon Hyuuga who didn't belong to the main house. No older than a child, Neji's head was forced roughly to the ground before the Hyuuga heir and his fate was seared permanently across his forehead
Hinata was the third to be marked. Like Neji she was marked from birth, yet unlike Neji her skin remained unmarred for twenty years.
It wasn't until Naruto touched her with the intention of marking her--possessing her--that someone else imprinted their desire for her future upon her skin. They were both twenty and inexperienced. The second time someone touched her, it was Neji, not Naruto, and Hinata was twenty-two. The third time someone touched her, it was the two of them, together, and they were laying in the cool shade of the forest.
Two months later, when her father first proposed the idea of a marriage between herself and Neji, Hinata was silent. She knew why their marriage would be considered valuable. Not only would it join the branch house and the main house, but it would also combine the blood running through Neji's veins and the political power the Hyuuga heir would inherit, and place the future of the Hyuuga clan in capable hands. Hands like Neji's; hands unlike hers.
The next time her father brought up the subject of marriage, Hinata surprised both herself and her father by refusing. When pressed for an explanation immediately, Hinata stammered, "I-I can't choose one."
It wasn't until Hanabi reported that she had seen her sister wrapped in the Jinchuuriki's arms that her father understood what Hinata had been trying to tell him. The sound of him striking his fist into the table caused Hanabi to flinch, but she didn't regret ratting on her sister.
A week later, Hiashi officially disowned his eldest daughter and named Hanabi his new heir.
Hiashi's final blow came soon after the recognition ceremony, when he visited Neji with the intention of discussing his marriage to Hanabi and Neji politely yet firmly declined. When Hiashi reminded Neji of exactly how much power he had over him, Hinata stepped in. Naruto arrived in time to see Hinata tell her father that if he ever laid a finger on Neji's seal, she would hold him responsible.
Frustrated, Hiashi warned Neji in explicit terms exactly how far the consequences of his decision would reach. After he left, Naruto moved in on Neji and Hinata and pulled them to his chest protectively. Into the tangle of their dark hair, he spoke the words that all three of them were thinking.
"Nothing will tear us apart."
The three of them were marked from the beginning, but what no one predicted was that they would recognize it and learn to love one another for it.
Pairings: Naruto/Hinata, Neji/Hinata, Naruto/Hinata/Neji
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine.
The three of them were marked from the beginning.
Naruto was marked first, when he was still an infant. He was transformed from a crying blond-haired baby into a vessel for the Kyuubi. In a matter of minutes, an act that was designed to create a hero out of him became the very thing that would mark him an outcast from society, despised and feared by the very villagers who were supposed to embrace him.
Neji was marked next, when he was born into the branch house. At age four, he received the seal that was traditionally branded upon Hyuuga who didn't belong to the main house. No older than a child, Neji's head was forced roughly to the ground before the Hyuuga heir and his fate was seared permanently across his forehead
Hinata was the third to be marked. Like Neji she was marked from birth, yet unlike Neji her skin remained unmarred for twenty years.
It wasn't until Naruto touched her with the intention of marking her--possessing her--that someone else imprinted their desire for her future upon her skin. They were both twenty and inexperienced. The second time someone touched her, it was Neji, not Naruto, and Hinata was twenty-two. The third time someone touched her, it was the two of them, together, and they were laying in the cool shade of the forest.
Two months later, when her father first proposed the idea of a marriage between herself and Neji, Hinata was silent. She knew why their marriage would be considered valuable. Not only would it join the branch house and the main house, but it would also combine the blood running through Neji's veins and the political power the Hyuuga heir would inherit, and place the future of the Hyuuga clan in capable hands. Hands like Neji's; hands unlike hers.
The next time her father brought up the subject of marriage, Hinata surprised both herself and her father by refusing. When pressed for an explanation immediately, Hinata stammered, "I-I can't choose one."
It wasn't until Hanabi reported that she had seen her sister wrapped in the Jinchuuriki's arms that her father understood what Hinata had been trying to tell him. The sound of him striking his fist into the table caused Hanabi to flinch, but she didn't regret ratting on her sister.
A week later, Hiashi officially disowned his eldest daughter and named Hanabi his new heir.
Hiashi's final blow came soon after the recognition ceremony, when he visited Neji with the intention of discussing his marriage to Hanabi and Neji politely yet firmly declined. When Hiashi reminded Neji of exactly how much power he had over him, Hinata stepped in. Naruto arrived in time to see Hinata tell her father that if he ever laid a finger on Neji's seal, she would hold him responsible.
Frustrated, Hiashi warned Neji in explicit terms exactly how far the consequences of his decision would reach. After he left, Naruto moved in on Neji and Hinata and pulled them to his chest protectively. Into the tangle of their dark hair, he spoke the words that all three of them were thinking.
"Nothing will tear us apart."
The three of them were marked from the beginning, but what no one predicted was that they would recognize it and learn to love one another for it.