Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Protector	By : djserani Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 1759 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 18
- 19
- 20
Sunday greeted them with clouds and grayness. Neji woke Hinata with fresh tea and toast. It was slightly burnt, but Hinata didn’t think she’d keep much down, anyway. She was a bit queasy, but ate what she could.
She dressed in a simple black kimono with basic black pants. Neji helped her with her obi, making sure it was tied just right. She would need it for the family katana that would be passed to her. She turned to Neji and took her wedding rings off and gave them to him.
“It already feels a little weird to be without them. Odd, isn’t it?” She fidgeted a bit with her ring finger before forcing herself to stop.
“Not at all. I hadn’t worn anything up until yesterday and now I think it’s odd to not have it on. I’ll feel better when it’s back where it belongs.” Neji replied. He smiled at her and out of the blue pulled her against him and kissed her thoroughly.
Hinata shook her head to clear it. “Every time you do that, I swear, I forget my own name. Thanks, that helped.”
Neji chuckled. “Glad to be of service.”
“Okay, I guess it’s time.” They left Neji’s small place and made their way up the hill to the main house.
They met Hanabi and Kiba outside of the main house. Hanabi had a glow to her and Hinata was reminded that this was the morning after their wedding night. She hugged her sister and whispered into her ear, “did you have a good night?”
Hanabi giggled. “Oh yes. Kiba is…” but she never got a chance to finish. The guys were staring at them. She cleared her throat.
“Okay,” Hinata took a deep breath, “let’s get this over with.” Neji hugged her tightly once more and the three Hyuuga went into the house, leaving Kiba on the porch.
Hiashi was in the hallway outside of the meeting room. “Are you ready for this?” He asked Hinata.
She stood up a little straighter and nodded. “I am, Otousan.” She thought she heard Hanabi mutter, “showtime.”
The meeting hall was a long room, empty except for a low table at one end. There was a stack of cushions near the door and the walls were hung with the paintings of all of the former Hyuuga leaders. Behind the low table was a door that lead into the courtyard.
The entire council of elders sat along one long edge of the table, facing the rest of the room. There were eleven of them, staring at Hinata. Hinata’s stomach churned a bit, but she kept a tight rein on her facial expression. She would give nothing of her nervousness away. Not to them.
She looked each one in the eye before bowing formally. Neji and Hanabi also bowed and knelt on cushions behind Hiashi and Hinata. Hanabi kept her face carefully composed, her hands carefully folded, so that she gave nothing away of what had transpired the day before.
Hinata studied each face carefully. There were some that were obviously unhappy with the ceremony about to take place, but she couldn’t be sure if they were unhappy that she was taking over – and were looking forward to the fight, or if they were unhappy that the fight would happen.
Hiashi spoke first to the elders. “As you are all aware, I have decided it is time to step down as leader. I believe Hinata is old enough and experienced enough to take over. She is my chosen successor.” He turned to Hinata and lifted the family katana. “Hinata. Do you swear to protect and defend the clan, lead them with strong, sure decisions, and care for every member of the families?”
“I do.” Hinata said solemly. Hiashi formally held out the sword with both hands, bowing to her. Hinata had trouble, still, with the idea of her father bowing to her. She carefully took the sword from him, grasping the hilt in her right hand. She slowly unsheathed the sword, held it up in front of her and bowed to her father.
“We do not accept Hinata as our next leader.” A raspy voice sounded from the table.
She’d been expecting this, so she was able to temper her outward reaction, but her queasiness got worse. She carefully placed the sheathed sword through the ties of her obi, making sure it was firmly in place. She turned away from the table, her back to the elders, to pretend to study the faces of all of the formal leaders.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hanabi tense slightly and Neji’s mouth tighten. She curved her lips a bit to reassure them and continued her “study” of the former leaders.
“I am well aware of your…feelings…on the decision.” Hinata’s voice was strong, sure. “I am well aware that you would like to force me to fight my sister for the right to lead. I know why. But even if my sister were to win, which she wouldn’t –“ at this, she glanced over her shoulder at them, then turned back and winked at Hanabi, “she would not be the puppet you think her to be, allowing you to run roughshod over her and do as you wish.”
She paused, waiting for the sound she knew would be coming. They were patient, though. Not yet. She stood, stock still, her casual pose belying the tension in her stomach. Her arms were loosely crossed over her chest, looking as if she was really uninterested in the goings on behind her.
“I am also aware that, were I to win after all, you had a backup plan. However, that, too will not go as you wish. I will choose my own husband, when I wish to. No one will choose for me.”
There, that was what she’d been waiting for. When the sound came, three things happened within the space of just a couple of heartbeats. Hanabi had moved too quickly for the elders to see and was crouched behind him, her had curled, claws aimed at his neck. Neji was on his feet, shuriken in hand, poised to throw. And third, Hinata had drawn the katana, swinging it in a graceful arc to stop, pointed just inches from the man’s nose. She never turned her body.
“That is punishable by death.” Arm extended behind her, she twisted the blade, lowering it, to point at his neck. “it would be fully within my rights to slit you right here, right now.”
Now she did turn around. She glanced at Neji and gave him an almost imperceptible nod. He relaxed his stance and went to the hallway door. She looked next to Hanabi and gave her the same nod. She, too, joined Neji at the back of the room.
“However, I am not ready to spill the blood of my clansmen. Not yet.” She turned away from them again and watched as Kiba and Tsume entered the back of the room with their companions.
The elders passed confused looks between themselves. Hinata smiled briefly at the Inuzuka. They bowed to her, including Akamaru and Kuromaru, then stood quietly against the back wall. Neji walked to her side and knelt next to her. Hanabi stood next to Kiba.
“There are changes that are going to be made in this clan. Generations of the Hyuuga have clung to the same restrictive ideals and the same antiquated concepts. There are things to protect, but they are not the secrets we’ve held so closely to.
“It’s time to remind you of something.” She paced slowly from one end of the table to the other, looked at each face, meeting each set of eyes. “You are an advisory body only. You do not run this clan. You do not control it’s leader. And now, that would be me. “ Her words were quiet, but the steel underlying them was unmistakable. “I will take your advice into consideration, but it is my choice whether to accept the advice or not. If any of you here cannot accept that, you may leave now.” She paused, knowing that none of them would dare to get up and leave.
“Hanabi will not be fighting me. No one will be contesting this transfer, today or any other day. To make sure you understand this, let me explain why.” At this she smiled. “Hanabi is no longer part of our clan.” Hinata couldn’t help the small feeling of glee at the elders’ faces. Some looked smug – she would file their faces away for later. Others were completely astounded, a few had rage boiling just under the surface.
“What is the meaning of this?!” This was from the same elder who spoke earlier. She looked at him, now. He was short and squat, with a paunch and small, mean eyes. She remembered seeing him often in her father’s office, often accompanying the sound of their fighting.
Hinata looked over her shoulder at Hanabi and she, Kiba and Akamaru stepped forward. “She is my wife. “ He said simply and they let the words sink in.
Hinata thought the mean-eyed elder was going to explode in front of her. His face was red, his eyes bugging out. “How dare you allow this?!” His eyes moved over to Hiashi.
Her father spoke for the first time. “Because I believe this clan needs to change. I believe we’ve been mired in these secrets and these traditions for far too long. And because I do not intend to see my daughters fight to the death.” With that, he closed his mouth and sat back.
Hinata turned to Tsume. “Inuzuka Tsume, have you accepted Hanabi into the Inuzuka clan? Have you welcomed her as Kiba’s mate and wife?”
Tsume stepped forward, Kuromaru with her. “We have. She is a member of our clan, now.” Kuromaru bowed his head in agreement.
Hinata turned back to the elders. “As you can see, Hanabi is no longer eligible to lead. That leaves me.” She stepped over and took Neji’s hand, and he stood up with her. “As for your second plan, I could not marry if you were somehow able to force me to. I am already married. To Neji.”
Hinata wondered briefly if she should call for a medical nin. The elder who had so boldly contradicted her seemed to be having trouble breathing. “But…but…he’s…branch.” Again, there were smug looks on some faces, astonishment on others. A few of the branch elders simply openly stared.
“Things are changing. The specifics of that will be announced later, but hear me now. The preconceived notions you have about the way things are and the way things should be no longer apply. You will treat my husband with the utmost respect, regardless of which house he comes from. He is part of my house now, and he will receive the same respect as I do.”
This had to come to a close soon, her stomach was rioting against the burnt toast and tea and she couldn’t maintain the façade much longer.
She turned to the first elder at the far end of the table. “Do you accept me as your leader?”
“Hai.” They bowed their head.
The next. “Hai.” And so on, down to the elder who was still red.
“I do not.” He said angrily.
“That is your choice. However, if you refuse, you will find yourself off of this council. Thank you for your service.” And she turned her back on him.
That proved too much. He lurched to his feet, pulling a kunai out of his sleeve. But before he could so much as aim, she’d spun around and landed a well-placed strike. The kunai fell from his useless hand as he fell to his knees. “That is enough. Perhaps you would be more comfortable in the Konoha prison?” He shook his head vigorously.
“If I so much as see your face near me, you will wish you were there.” He nodded vigorously, then fled through the back door and through the main house.
The other elders filed out and as soon as they were gone, Hinata bolted for the courtyard door. She made it to the bushes barely in time before the toast and tea came up.
Hanabi turned to her father. “Please watch for any elders to come back and stall them.” Then, to Neji, “you get a wet washcloth” and to Kiba, “you get a glass of water” and she pointed to the small stand in the corner.
Hanabi hurried out to her sister. “Hinata? Are you okay?”
Hinata nodded. “I’m fine. I think it’s just morning sickness, but I knew I couldn’t even let them see that kind of weakness.”
Hanabi nodded. “I understand. Come on, let’s sit on the steps a minute.”
Neji came out looking angry. “Hinata, you can’t let them get to you like that.”
She looked up at him and smiled. “This isn’t their fault, it’s yours.” She chuckled quietly.
That brought him up short. “Me? What did I do?”
“You got her with child.” Hiashi’s voice sounded amused as he joined them.
Neji’s face was a comic mix of relief and chagrin. “Oh,” was all he could say. He handed the washcloth to Hinata and sat next to her, pulling her against him.
She wiped her face and took the glass from Kiba who had joined them. “What did I miss?”
Hiashi patted Neji’s shoulder and turned to Kiba. “Hinata’s morning sickness has started and unfortunately, it chose today. Her mother had terrible morning sickness with both of the girls.”
Neji took the washcloth back and bathed her face off before placing kisses on her forehead, cheeks, chin, anywhere he could reach. “I’m so sorry.”
Hinata smiled. “It’s not really your fault. It’s your son’s…or daughter’s. But I’ll be fine. I’m sure the stress helped it along, but it’s nothing that I can’t deal with.”
Neji relaxed and pulled their rings out of his pocket. “May I?” When Hinata nodded, he put her wedding and engagement rings back on her finger. When he went to put his back on, Hinata took it and put it there, herself.
Kiba took that to mean it was okay for them, too and pulled Hanabi aside to do the same, though their kisses seemed to last a bit longer. Hinata smiled at them and so was surprised when Neji caught her lips with his. She responded immediately, but the kiss was cut short when Hiashi cleared his throat.
“If you are feeling better, I have one last gift for you.”
Neji refused to let go of her as she stood up, so they walked together back through the meeting hall and into the rest of the house. Hiashi led the way to one of the wings of the house that Hinata had never been in.
He opened a door and stood to the side. When Hinata walked in, she gasped. The large bedroom had a fireplace on one side with a low table in front of it, and cushions around the table. To the right were two doors off of the main room. Beyond those, Hinata could see a private garden through a set of sliding doors. But by far the biggest piece was the huge bed against the back wall. It was beautiful with four posts that formed a frame near the ceiling. Each post had a light gauzy material draped from the top of the frame to the floor. It took her breath away.
They moved into the room and Hiashi spoke. “The bed was in storage. It was your mother’s and mine many years ago. I haven’t used it since she died. We had a room very much like this one in the house we had before Konoha had been destroyed.” He pointed to the door to the left in the wall. “That is your personal bathroom. I had everything put in that you could possibly want.” Motioning to the door on the right, he paused.
Hinata stepped forward and turned on the lights. It was a smaller room, painted a light yellow. In one corner was a beautiful hand-carved crib. Next to it was a rocking chair and along another wall was a table set up for changing and storage. There were stuffed animals everywhere and a mobile over the crib. Hiashi cleared his throat.
“That crib was yours and Hanabi’s. I was hoping I could convince you to move back in here. I thought perhaps if you have your own space…” He trailed off and waited.
Hinata looked up at Neji. “Do you…?”
Neji smiled. “I am happy wherever you are, Hinata. If you wish to move back here, then I’d be happy to.”
Hinata turned back to her father and wrapped her arms around his neck. “We would be happy to move in here. Thank you.”
- 18
- 19
- 20
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