Lost Moments

Lost Moments

By: Lynn Metallium

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything! I’m nothing but a poor little American girl who had to spend all of her money on college and therefore even if you sued me you wouldn’t get any money anyway. So please don’t get mad and hurt me Xx;;

Author Notes: You know where.

Reading Notes: Half of this chapter is in a flash back, it is labeled, just make sure you catch that because it doesnt make much sense to read it as a straight time line.

Chapter 6

No matter how much sadness I must bear,

There will come a day when it will all be worth it.

Future - Gackt


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“You cannot allow these things to happen.”

Tsunade glanced up from her desk at the girl standing in front of her staring at the floor, her reddened face mostly hidden by strands of dark hair. When the Hyuuga girl had asked for an audience with her she had almost refused, knowing full well what the girl wanted.

“I am the Hokage, I cannot spend my time with the petty problems of my citizens.” Her voice was harsh, even though her stare was soft. She was the Hokage, if she spent her days making people happy and fixing personal problems then Konoha would fall to pieces. Tsunade was a sympathetic woman, but she couldn’t let her emotions get in the way of what was best for her country, it was the way a leader had to be.

“You know these things are mistakes,” Hinata’s voice shook but she didn’t back down as Tsunade thought the shy girl would. The busty blonde bit her bottom lip as she watched her.

“It is true I’ve had my share of second thoughts on this but in the end what would you have me do Hinata? Would you have me go back and break my word?”

“No…”

“Then what? What is it that you want from me? Why have you come here when you know there is nothing to be done?” Tsunade tilted her head to the side as she watched the heavily pregnant girl.

“Train me.” Her words were so soft Tsunade almost missed them. For a moment the blonde regarded her with shock, could she be serious?

“I won’t.”

“You must.” Hinata lifted her head finally staring at her with wide eyes that made Tsunade wince with the emotion she saw there.

“You’re pregnant. It is impossible.”

“You are the best medic nin in the world. I am not afraid.”

“Then you mean to fight?”

“I have no choice. You know the situation we are in now. I am the Hyuuga pawn, it is my fate,” The smile on the girls face made Tsunade’s chest tighten uncomfortably. Vaguely she acknowledged the Hyuuga heir had to stop hanging around her husband so much. Silently Tsunade stared at the girl…it was true that there was very true that there were few choices left to them now. Things were slowly falling between her fingers like droplets of water when it came to the clan and she could not hold them no matter how tightly she held her fingers.

“If I do this,”

“I promise you my clan.”

“Then we start tomorrow.”


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Flashback

Swallowing hard, Hinata shifted slightly in her spot on the mat beside Neji, who appeared to be currently ignoring her with his head tilted slightly to the side listening to the words being spoken between the counsel members. Her heavy pregnant belly was bearing down on her and her swollen ankles made sitting in this position excruciating for long periods of time. Ever since her husband’s ‘accident’ he had been forced into a position where constant care was needed on his behalf, much to the long haired man’s frustration. It had taken several falls on his face and blows to his pride when he missed his mouth with the chopsticks before he relented in letting Hinata help him at least a little until the blindness left him.

For two weeks now she had been attending the counsel meetings along side her husband, a duty she should have been upholding long before now if she let herself think about it for any length of time. She was still very much clan leader as her husband by merely being married to him, in many ways she had more advantages than him when it came to these things by being a member of the Main House. It had never occurred to her until she finally entered the meetings at the side of her husband how far things had fallen since the death of her father. It was startling…

Flashback within the flashback

“Please step up Neji,” Hinata murmured softly to the long haired man holding tightly to her hand so tightly his knuckles were turning white with the effort.

Neji stumbled slightly, stepping up into the counsel room with one socked foot shakily and Hinata’s fingers tightened around her cousin’s hand. She wouldn’t let him fall but he was horribly stubborn about asking her for help. Even though she had just told him to step up it was if he hadn’t listened to her at all. Really, which was more damaging to his pride, listening to a woman or falling on that so called pretty face of his?

“Come…the dais is not far…” She told him in her usual quiet voice. Somehow being responsible for her cousin this way made her stuttering calm down and she was able to speak without worry. Perhaps it was the responsibility and dependency of the other on her that made her feel a little more self-assured. She really did like to help others in any way she could.

As she placed a slim pale hand on her cousin’s back she felt his muscles stiffen and the rumble of his voice vibrating her hand but he was mumbling so badly she couldn’t make out his words.

“Please repeat that…” She whispered embarrassed to have to ask when she should have been paying attention in the first place. She was supposed to be helping him not ignoring him especially if he had something to say.

“…My place is to the left…” His voice sounded so strained when he spoke up that she almost missed his words a second time. Could he really be serious?...

Lifting her head, Hinata was shocked to see the face of the Elder counsel member seated in her father’s seat. Of course he had such a seat when she had found herself punished for a crime she had not committed but she had assumed under the circumstances that he was merely taking the place that Neji would have taken if he had been present. The Elder was allowed to take certain matter under his wing and act as the clan leader under different cases but it had never come to her that he would be taking such a prominent place on a more permanent basis. That was mutiny against the leader of the Hyuuga clan! Why had Neji never informed her of this?! He still stood and spoke for them, he still went to Tsunade and attended her meetings as the voice of the Hyuuga clan and yet he was not the one sitting in the seat of power! Not only was he not in the seat of power, he was cast aside, not to the second prominent seat of the right, the seat the Elder himself should have been seated in but to the left.

It was with even more shock and a heavy heart that she let her eyes meet those of her younger sister, seated to the right of the dais. Her eyes spoke with smoldering contempt for her sister and Hinata couldn’t help but shiver involuntarily as she guided Neji by the hand to the worn pillow on the left of the dais. There was no extra place for her and so she knelt, with great difficulty beside him on the tatami mats. Her body screamed its discomfort at her position but she did not complain, her mind was too full of other things to properly think of pain at a moment like this.

Raising her head she peered at her husband and cousin, who hung his head staring blankly without actually seeing at the floor. Was he ashamed that she knew that he was not truly in control? Or did he just not care? Did he hate the clan so much that he didn’t care what happened to the rest of them at the hands of an unfit leader? She wanted to ask but how could she say such things to him?

‘Neji I was wondering, why are you sitting apart like a cat kicked from its spot in front of the fire? Why are you sitting in the cold licking your wounds instead of fighting back? Are you so weak?’

No! She could never say such a thing to him! The dark haired girl knew the sting of failure all too well and she could never be so hypocritical as to say something so hateful especially to her cousin. Neji was strong she knew this without a shadow of a doubt. He was one of the strongest of his age! Could they really think him as worthless and weak as her? Would they really disregard Hiashi’s choice for leadership when they had agreed to the marriage and his position in the counsel even before her father’s death? Or perhaps they had planned this…without Hiashi’s knowledge…? They wanted to create a pawn out of her cousin…?

Hinata’s mind raced furiously, swirling with thoughts. It couldn’t be true…Neji would never let himself be used in this way! This must be a bad mistake, perhaps she just didn’t understand…Hiashi always accused her of being the less bright one.

“N-Neji…” The woman’s voice almost failed her as she whispered his name, desperate for his attention. Neji was silent and for a moment Hinata wondered if he was ignoring her.

“What is it,” When he finally managed to reply his voice sounded strained and forced and she almost winced.

“Why…”

“If you’re going to ask about that, then do us both a favor and keep your mouth shut…”

Hinata fell silent, biting on her bottom lip to keep from blurting out all of the nervous questions plaguing her. She knew he couldn’t see her but she had the feeling he could sense her emotional turmoil without even seeing the expression on her face. He didn’t say anything however and so the two of them fell into an uncomfortable silence as the buzz of the other counsel members surrounded them.

End Flashback within the flashback

They had not spoken of the question that had been on her mind that day and every day since she had attended the sessions. She watched as the counsel discussed matters over and over without any input from Neji. Most of the matters were at the very least trivial things that wouldn’t have interested a true clan leader at all but that wasn’t true for all of them and it made her wince when every time an important issue came up and Neji said nothing, offered no ideas to the group and let the decision rest in the hand of the Elder.

She couldn’t help but feel every time the Elder’s eyes landed on her and Neji that he was privately gloating over her and her husband’s demoted state. With Neji now physically handicapped and her unwilling to fight for what was rightfully theirs, he was no doubt feeling pretty secure in his position if her thoughts were correct that he thought of Neji as well as herself as nothing more than a pawn. Yet there was nothing she could do, she told herself. She wasn’t nearly strong enough to take matters into her own hands and fight back…Neji was the strong one, the smart one, the one Hiashi had chosen over her to take on this fight.

‘Yet he has failed Hinata…’ That nagging voice in the back of her mind whispered. ‘Failed just like you…’

Hinata shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts from her head before she could get sucked in. She was suppose to be helping Neji, even though he appeared not to care one way or the other over what was said.

“Neji the counsel members and myself have discussed this matter and we have decided you would be the best for this job.”

Hinata and Neji’s heads jerked up at almost the same instance at the sound of the Elder’s voice, mentioning the dark haired male and the mentions of something that they had obviously missed while lost in their personal thoughts.

Neji stared blankly at the Elder, with some time and extra practice with Lee, Neji had become much better at pinpointing the exact location of the sounds he was hearing. Being able to see to such a great degree with the Byakyuugan had left the male’s hearing skills a bit rusty. If there was one thing he was thankful for it was that this had left him an opportunity to fine tune those skills. Hinata however did not notice how well he was able to find the Elder, her own eyes were too busy staring at the man with confusion to glance at her husband.

“The Hokage has specifically asked for a strong individual from our ranks and what better person that you? Suna is dangerous territory, despite being our ally their territory is swarming with enemy Nin that need to be taken care of as soon as possible. The Kazekage himself is very powerful but he cannot possibly enter battle at all times with his other duties and while he has many men on his force, the presence of a Hyuuga in battle would be of great help to the cause according to the Hokage,” The Elder spoke slowly as if speaking to a fool as he explained perhaps what he had already said while Neji and Hinata had been lost in their own thoughts. “This also arranges a stronger tie of trust between ourselves, the Hyuuga clan as well as Konoha and the Kazekage, he will know we place utter trust in him by sending not only a strong warrior but our leader as well.”

Hinata couldn’t say a word as she stared at him wide eyed. They were trying to get rid of Neji’s presence it was so painfully obvious she almost felt her eyes start to well with frustrated tears. Beside her she could feel Neji tense so hard she was afraid his body would snap.

“With all do respect Elder, I hardly think I am in the correct physical conditions to be undertaking a more than diplomatic trip to Suna.” Neji’s voice was high with tension and the sound quivered a little when he finally spoke.

“That is very strange that you would say so cousin,” Hanabi replied this time, the first time she had spoken in the session and Hinata shivered just from the sound of her sister’s voice. She was afraid of what the other would say before she even said it. “I saw you at the training grounds yesterday with that student of Jounin Maito. You seemed to take great pride in defeating him easily despite your handicap.”

Hinata tilted her head to the side, her eyes flickering to her husband’s face that was tense with worry at her sister’s words.

It was true that they had taken a trip to the grounds and met Lee there for a small sparing session. However the fact that Neji had beaten Lee was not because he was able to overcome his blindness so easily, it was more that Lee was so reluctant to go hard against Neji when he was already at a disadvantage. He also didn’t want to hurt Neji’s pride by easily defeating him so hard when Neji had been the one to start the spar in the first place. Neji probably knew what the spandex clad ninja had done but he had not allowed himself to mention it if he did. Such was male pride.

“Lee and I were not going full out,” Neji admitted as the silence stretched thin. “In a true fight I would have been killed. I am in no shape to properly take on this task that you ask of me.”

“That is not a problem,” The Elder cut back in before Hanabi could open her mouth and she looked decidedly angry at the older man for refusing to allow her to make a comment on her cousin’s words. “I have already spoken to Tsunade on this matter myself and she agrees that if you are up to her expectations within another month then you will be allowed to take this post. I trust you are doing everything within your power to return to your full potential Neji.”

“Of course but-!”

“Or perhaps you feel you are too weak to properly take on this assignment?”

Neji fell silent, grounding his teeth and Hinata felt her heart sink. They were playing his emotions against him so easily!

“A-ah…..I would...r-r-really like you to Elder…” Hinata could feel her heart thudding so hard against her chest she was certain it would bust free as she stuttered furiously. “I…that is…I…I would like Neji to be here very much for the birth of his son!”

The words were rushed and barely loud enough for the room to hear and her eyes dropped to the floor as soon as they were out of her mouth. Silence filled the room and Hinata could feel the burning of eyes on her head as she stared furiously at the mat. Neji could not go away, she wanted him here, especially after the last time. She wasn’t by any means a good ninja, her emotions often overflowed and clouded her judgment, thus she was only partially ashamed to admit she was frightened to see Neji go away again especially with herself in such a state.

“Would you mean to say that your state of being is more important that the safety of this country?”

Hinata winced at the harsh words of the Elder as if she had just been stabbed. It was true that her words sounded selfish and perhaps they were.

“I…I didn’t mean…”

“Could you be any more selfish in your plea before this counsel? Your place is not even within this room and yet you feel that your voice your protest as if it was of the most importance!”

The dark haired girl fell silent, biting her lip so hard she could feel blood welling from her skin. She wouldn’t allow herself to cry in front of these people or let them humiliate her again like they had before.

“I am sure my wife is merely concerned for my health as well.” Neji cut in before Hinata could think of something to say in return to the harsh words directed at her. She didn’t understand why he had done something like that. He had never protected her from verbal abuse in the past and so this interference was something unexpected. “However if you are certain that I am the best candidate from our clan for this job I cannot turn such an important honor down.”

A soft squeak of protest broke from Hinata’s lips at Neji’s words but she fell silent at the feeling of his hand on hers squeezing so tightly she thought for sure her hand would break.

“I knew you would not let us down Neji. You are truly your father’s son.”

Neji said nothing, his head bowing and Hinata could do nothing but sit there, a sick feeling building in the bottom of her stomach.


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Flashback continued

‘Hinata,

Can you meet me today for ramen? You know the usual spot! I have something important I have to talk to you about! Please come alone, this is super super important!!!!

Naruto

The note was pinned to her bed when she returned from the counsel room and for a moment she wondered how Naruto could possibly have gotten it there before reality set in and she remembered this was Naruto after all. He somehow always managed the impossible. There was no reason not to do as the note asked her, she had not seen her blonde friend and past crush for some time and it would certainly be nice to see him for a while even if it appeared to be on some sort of business.

Neji didn’t even make much of a protest when she told him she was going out. He usually became tired and irritable after counsel meetings and today was no different, he had barely grunted out consent before turning over on the futon for a much needed nap as far as Hinata was concerned. He was much like a two year old when he didn’t get a nap, grouching and unbearable.

It didn’t take long for her to arrive at the ramen stand and as expected Naruto was already there, his face buried deep in a bowl of ramen slurping away happily. She had a little difficulty with her heavy stomach to get herself on the tall stool but when Naruto glanced up and saw her there he was very much the gentleman, abandoning the ramen to give her a hand.

“Long time no see huh? I see the married life is treating you pretty well!” Naruto shot her a cheesy grin and Hinata couldn’t help but blush at him laying a hand on her swelled stomach.

“It…isn’t so horrible…Neji is very good to me. And what about you…? I haven’t seen you around hardly at all since Sasuke returned.”

She was surprised to see the blonde blush and stare at the table top. Of course, the two must be very happy, or as happy as two ninjas could be together under the circumstances. It was a warm feeling of happiness that spread through her at his fortune. She was relieved that she didn’t even feel an ounce of jealousy.

“I’m happy for you two,”

“But that’s what I need to talk to you about!” Naruto suddenly blurted out causing Hinata to draw back in surprise. He wanted to talk about…relationship problems…with her? For a moment she stared at him with a stumped look on her face.

“I don’t know how much help I can really be to you…” She murmured softly, not sure why he would ask her for help. “Wouldn’t Sakura or Ino be much more suited for this kind of thing?”

“How could you let this happen?” The anger in her friends voice caused her to shrink back slightly as she watched him with confused eyes.

“I don’t know…what you mean?” She whispered softly, afraid to raise her voice when the other looked so unhappy.

“How can you say that? Don’t you know what is going on within your own clan?” Hurt blue eyes stared at her and Hinata winced once again, at a loss for words. It was true that she was out of touch with the happenings of her clan but she had only realized how badly she was out of the loop with passing of the last couple of weeks.

“I…I’m sorry…I don’t really…I don’t usually…I mean…I don’t…I don’t go to counsel often…Neji-“

“Then he told you nothing?”

“No…What is it…?” Hinata was feeling a bit alarmed now as she stared at the blonde with worried milky eyes. She hadn’t heard anything that had pertained to him at all in the past two weeks but there had to be something else going on from the way he talked.

“The Hyuuga clan has proposed marriage to Sasuke.”

There was a long moment of silence as Hinata stared at him with a shocked open mouth look. What…was he saying…?

“I don’t understand…” She replied weakly.

“He’s accepted to marry your sister!” Naruto exploded out, clenching his hands into fists and slamming them hard against the table top causing his bowl to slosh over.

“Hanabi…?”

“I don’t know her name…I just know that he’s agreed… He wont even talk to me about this. He says that it’s for the best but…”

Hinata was shocked to see the tears threatening to spill out of the blonde’s sky blue eyes when he stared at her.

“I haven’t heard anything about this…” The dark haired girl placed a soft quivering hand on the fox boy’s shoulder hesitantly. “You say he won’t tell you why he has accepted this offer?”

“No…” Naruto’s voice was mournful as he stared at the table, rubbing his nose on the back of his jacket sleeve and for a moment they were kids again, helplessly lost in a world that didn’t feel like being fair to them when it came to anything. Hinata was startled when the blonde grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her slightly, her hair fluttering into her face and she grasped Naruto’s arms to stop him. “Is she pretty…? What does she have that I don’t?! Is it because I can’t give him an heir? Is that what your sister is offering him?”

“I don’t know-“ Hinata tried to protest his words.

“It is isn’t it? He’s always wanted children…” Naruto was sniveling and rubbing his face on his sleeve, his voice garbled by the movement as he spoke.

“I’m sure that’s not it-“

“What else could it be? A child with the Byakyuugan and Sharingan would be something he would desire.”

Hinata was silent, unable to disagree. It would be ample reason for her clan to attempt to take the Uchiha under their wing, even if it meant taking on the dangers he brought with him from his past mistakes. A child with such ability…what would it be like? And with parents such as Sasuke and Hanabi? She couldn’t help but shiver.

“I…I didn’t know anything about this…I’m sorry…”Hinata glanced at him helplessly uncertain at what to say.

“You have to tell them that this can’t happen!” Naruto’s fingers dug into her shoulders and Hinata couldn’t help but wince at the force.

“You’re hurting me…” She whispered softly, grasping his hands. Naruto let out a small noise of frustration as he leaned forward, his face pressed against her shoulder. She could feel him shivering slightly against her and the warmth of wet tears seeping through her shirt although he didn’t make a sound. Tears pricked her own white eyes as she held the other helplessly.

“I….Him and I….we….I mean….” Naruto struggled to speak, his voice muffled against her shirt.

“You love him.” She replied softly against his hair. “But….is there really anything I can do…?”

“Don’t let this happen…”

“They don’t listen to me…I am not important to them, I’m just Hinata…” She felt herself sink with depression at her own words. There was nothing more she wanted in the world than to help her friend. Naruto was one of her most important people but what could she do? It was true that no one paid her any mind.

“Please…I’ll never ask you for another thing Hinata…I need you to do this for me!” Naruto’s fingers curled in the front of her shirt, clutching it without care. “I can’t….I cant lose him…He means more to me than anything! I don’t want to be alone anymore…”

A cold feeling swept through Hinata as she stared at him with worried eyes. How could she say no when he said things like that? They were things that she could understand all too well and she knew that she could never say no to anyone, least of all Naruto.

End Flashback


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“Do you really think that this will help you take control of your clan?” Tsunade watched the woman across from her who was bent over panting. At the sound of her teacher’s voice, Hinata straightened, her belly protruding far from her body and rubbed the sweat from her face.

“Do you think that by doing nothing I can feel content at the state of my clan? I cannot hope to honor my father if I sit back and do nothing…I have done nothing already for far too long.”

A slight smirk drifted over the Hokage’s face. When she had consulted Anko about her student, the woman had told her that although Hinata was rather shy she was also very committed to whatever she decided to do. The longer they continued to train together, the more Tsunade was seeing that this statement was very true.

“Your father would have been proud of you,” There was a silence for a moment as Hinata stared past the blonde woman.

“My father was never proud of anything I did.” She replied finally, her stance dropping and Tsunade stared at her as if she had just said something very foolish.

“He always had very good things to say about you when he was alive, he said you were like your mother.”

Hinata stared at busty woman standing across from her with a look of surprise crossing her face. She had never once heard her father mention her mother again after she had become bedridden and had assumed he was trying to remove her from his memory all together.

“Father said that….about me?”

“Many times,” Tsunade watched her with curious eyes. “Has no one ever told you these things? He was very proud of you, even though you weren’t as strong as Hanabi. He said you felt more, desirable for a person but it wasn’t suiting for a leader.”

Hinata’s eyes flashed slightly and for a moment Tsunade thought the girl across from her was going to cry but no tears came much to the Hokage’s relief.

“A desirable person for him was Neji, but he was wrong…” The dark haired girl murmured softly.

“Neji would be a very good leader if he did not have such a strong disadvantage.” Tsunade pointed out softly.

“What disadvantage! He is strong and he could beat the Elder if he wanted to! Why hasn’t he done so? Why has he let this happen?” Her frustration was evident in her voice and for a moment Tsunade felt something close to pity for her foolishness but it was gone in a flash.

“Don’t be so stupid! Who can fight against the mark of the Branch House? If the Elder felt like it, he could kill Neji.”

A soft noise came from between Hinata’s lips as all the blood drained down from her face. Tsunade shifted slightly, worried that the girl would keel over in a dead faint. Silence hung between them for several minutes before Hinata could finally reply.

“I didn’t think….” She swallowed and clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into the soft skin of her palms. “I didn’t know…that the mark was such a serious problem…”

“It has the power to kill although it would take a very powerful individual like the Elder to be able to wield it in such a dangerous manner. Your father trusted him to protect Neji from any opposition, however it would seem that was not the right thing to do.”

“If you knew these things then why didn’t you do something!” Hinata’s eyes bore down on her but Tsunade refused to look away or feel ashamed.

“There was no reason to step in. Your clan was still functional and remained loyal to the country. Even though the one in charge is not the one your father may have picked, things are still for the most part peaceful. I cannot waste energy on my clans when there are more pressing matters on the outside.”

“How can you say that?” Hinata whispered softly causing Tsunade to blink. “You would allow them to send Neji to Suna in his condition-“

“That isn’t true and you know it. I said he would be allowed to take the mission if he passed my personal inspection. You know as well as I that I will be saying no.”

“Yet you couldn’t say no in the first place?”

“It’s a diplomatic move,” Tsunade tried to keep from sounded aggravated, even when training Sakura the girl hadn’t questioned her motives nearly as much. Perhaps because things had not been nearly as personal. She could feel a headache coming on, god she needed a drink right now.

“Was promising Hanabi to Sasuke a diplomatic move as well?” There was a painful note in the girl’s voice that made Tsunade suddenly feel very uncomfortable.

“When did you learn of that?”

“Naruto…”

A helpless look crossed the Hokage’s face as she looked away from the younger woman standing across from her. She knew full well how torn up Naruto was about these things. He had come to her fresh after a fight with Sasuke over the matter an emotional wreck. It was not a conversation she would want to relive for anything.

“I told him it was his choice. In the end, what can I do?”

“Forbid it.” Hinata replied firmly. It was the strongest Tsunade could remember the other being since she had known the Hyuuga girl.

“That is not any of our business,” She tried to sound harsh but her voice betrayed her unhappiness with the situation. When she had offered it to the Uchiha she had expected him to refuse. She had hoped the relationship he held with Naruto was enough to keep him from wanting to continue the Uchiha line. However it seemed their love was only skin deep for the dark haired boy, or so he claimed.

“What of Naruto then!”

“I have told you, personal problems are not of my concern. If he wishes to wed your sister then that is what he will do, I cannot help Naruto this time,” Tsunade sounded tired as she stared at the woman across from her. “Now prepare yourself!”

Hinata’s lips pressed together tightly as she slid her body into position to attack the other once again.

“Bones I can heal, but broken hearts are not something I can fix….”


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On the third Friday of the month, Neji’s eye slight returned and on following Monday, Hinata went into labor. The twins were born six hours later. Hinata could not have been more relieved after the birth, the effort had taken her more than she had thought she could bear.

“Where is my son?” Neji demanded as he stared down at the bundles in his wife’s arms. A tired, red faced Hinata could barely summon the strength to hold up the smaller of the two bundles. Neji had snatched him from her eagerly, staring down into the strange wrinkled face of his son. He did not so much as glance at his wife or his daughter. Hinata said nothing though, cradling the remaining child in her arms.

“He is what you wanted.” She spoke after a moment, glancing up towards her husband as he held the twin.

“You are my son,” He spoke softly to the child, who was starting to squirm, letting out a frustrated cry. Neji only smiled, never once looking away.