Author Uozumi
Genre Drama/Romance
Rating PG-13
Disclaimer I do not own nor claim to own this. The characters, ect...contained within are not my property. This is an act of fandom and I do not make a profit from this endeavor.
Summary Tanabata, a fable about two lovers fated to meet one night out of each year. As Hinata’s relationship with Gaara gets more serious, nightmares plague her. Not about losing her position as heir, but of how she might advance in her clan. HinaGaa, HanaKono.
Chapter Prologue
Prologue
There was blood everywhere. Hinata’s breath caught in her throat and her translucent eyes widened. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
“Anue,” the persons standing over her grandfather’s body greeted her.
“Imo – “ Hinata tried to say something but she couldn’t think of the right words. Her little sister was standing in the center of the room the elders met in, everyone murdered around her.
“Father always said I was talented,” Hanabi mused as she wiped her blood stained hand on her clothes. The thin teenager looked to her sister and then said, “I did this for you.”
“What…?” Hinata couldn’t fathom why Hanabi would kill the council of elders and their father. What would Hinata gain from that?
“You were going to be exposed tonight,” Hanabi explained. “Obaasama found out about Gaara and they were going to decide to excommunicate you, but I couldn’t have that.” She shook her head. “I don’t want to be the leader of the clan. That is something you would be good at.”
Hanabi took a step towards her and then said, “I will go away. Don’t try to find me, this is what I want.”
Instantly Hinata opened her eyes and sat up. She was in the field at the base of the Hokage mountain and not in the small room the elders met in at the main house. Slowing her breathing, Hinata put her face in both her hands. It was only a nightmare. The July breeze played with her long hair and chilled her. Zipping her jacket up, she held back a whimper. This wasn’t the first time that dream had come to her.
Something stirred beside her and Hinata composed herself. She should put the dream away for now. Hugging her knees, Hinata looked over at the man lying sleeping to her left and then up at the sky. For nine years now they had met on this night. The first time had been pure chance, and the second time was coincidence. Sometimes they met on other days, but it was always for business. Neither acknowledged these meetings outside of this day. She could still remember when she felt guilty, still caught up in her infatuation with Naruto, but that was years past now.
“What’s going on?” the man asked from where he was lying on the ground. Hinata could only imagine what her face must have looked like. Maybe he thought they had finally been caught.
“Nothing,” Hinata replied. She didn’t want to worry him. He never knew what to do when she was worried over something and it made her feel bad.
His greenish eyes narrowed. She was hiding something. No one could lie to Gaara, especially Hinata. Sitting up, he stared off into the night. No one was around and nothing seemed amiss. That didn’t stop him from feeling slightly paranoid, however. “What time is it?”
“I don’t know,” Hinata looked up at the sky trying to find the moon, but it wasn’t anywhere to be seen. “It’s still dark on the horizon, so it’s probably about two something,” she said.
Gaara nodded absently and pulled his trenchcoat back on, standing up to zip it back up. Hinata stood up with him and looked around the field. They could see the lake a few yards away from where they were. She heard him buckle his vest back up and she began picking grass out of her hair. She had mud stains on her clothes, but she could make up something about those. Grass in her hair would be entirely different.
She watched him walk over to her and then he said, “I’ll be here for three more days.” Hinata nodded and with a kiss, the pair disappeared from the field.
Hanabi was almost seventeen and knew of her sister’s rendezvous with the Kazekage. The two sisters were very different from how they looked to how they dressed and how they acted. Hanabi was tall and still straight as a board all over, while Hinata was petite and voluptuous. Hanabi spoke with a direct manner whereas Hinata always had a gentleness to her voice.
“You have grass in your hair, Anue,” Hanabi noted as she passed Hinata in the hallway.
Hinata instantly raked her hands through her hair. Hanabi had a way of catching such things. “Thank you,” she whispered back and then disappeared into her room.
Hanabi glanced over her shoulder and then sighed inwardly. Hinata never confided in anyone, but Hanabi knew what her sister did. She couldn’t explain how she knew, but she doubted Hinata knew Hanabi had figured her out. Hanabi had known about Gaara for seven years now. She even knew about Hinata’s pregnancy scare two years ago. Yet, her sister remained silent on everything and Hanabi only watched. She knew that it would catch up with Hinata eventually. Certainly her sister understood this. She knew that Hinata hadn’t given up on becoming the head of the Hyûga, but if the elders found out about the Kazekage, it would give them the needed reason to put Hanabi in position of heir.
Hanabi snorted slightly as she retreated to her own room. She hated being controlled, and if she became the head of the clan, she would have to submit to the elders. The Chûnin had just returned from a mission and considered her next move. Naturally she would become a Jônin and continue going on missions. Although, if she shifted to heir, she would have to begin the rites and that would mean she would only take missions if something serious came up. Hanabi liked the freedom that came with missions, and she wasn’t keen on giving it up.
Note Short, I know, but I’m merely testing the waters.