#Former Hyuga heiress | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kiljoius · 2 years

Text

It Was Okay - Chapter 6

Ao3 | FFN

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

First Chapter

After a peaceful nap, Kiba walked Hinata out the front door, trying to insist on walking her home, but was stopped by both Hinata and his mother. Irritated, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before he saw her off. He prepared himself for the grilling he was about to endure from his mother, bracing himself as he closed the door behind him.

"Are you fucking the Hyuga heiress?"

"Mom."

He groaned, trying to push past her.

"You know who we are, right?" She pressed, arms folded disapprovingly. "I can smell it on you, Kiba."

"Does it matter?" He growled, making way for the stairs. She side stepped in front of him, jabbing a finger into his chest.

"Yeah, Kiba. It matters a lot. You better be real careful." She squinted her eyes at him, lips taut in a frown.

"We've known her forever, ma." Kiba sighed, crossing his arms now with an eyeroll.

"And you know we love her." Her face softened. "But we are fundamentally different. I just don't want your dumb little heart to be broken."

"Well if it's gonna happen, I'll be glad I tried." Kiba snapped, pushing past her to jog up the stairs through the pain in his ankle. Her eyes followed him up and she couldn't keep back the tiniest smirk of approval.

Kiba spent the next few days forcing himself to stay in bed in effort to speed up his recovery. He was visited by Hinata every day to his delight. They hadn't been sexually intimate since, but that didn't matter too much to him. He genuinely enjoyed her company, and very much appreciated the meals she brought and her help with rewrapping his ankle.

And how could he complain about having an angel lay next to him in perfect contentment? Simply sleeping next to her gave him an overwhelming sense of joy.

Today, Shino had stopped by finally to check on him. It was nearing the end of his week being banned from going on missions and Shino was curious of his state. Kiba's mother welcomed him in and directed him to the kitchen where Kiba was shoveling rice into his mouth.

"Hey, Shino." Kiba greeted with a full mouth, eyeing the bag in his hand.

"Kiba. How are you feeling?"

"Great!" Kiba gulped down his mouthful and rose from his seat, showing off his unwrapped ankle. "Ready to get back out."

"That's good news." Shino nodded, glancing down at Akamaru who had gotten up from his nap to sit next to him. Shino opened his bag to retrieve the treats he brought Akamaru, then pulled up a seat at the table.

"So what brings ya?" Kiba returned to his seat.

"Just thought I'd check on my comrade." Shino shrugged, thanking Tsume for the tea she offered. Kiba let out a laugh, continuing his meal and earning a glare from Shino.

"That's all? Give me a break."

"Well, I suppose I do have work to discuss."

"Thought so." Kiba grinned, scraping at his bowl for the last bits of rice. "So what are we up to?"

"We've been assigned a case out west of the leaf village." Shino paused, sipping the tea. "With Tenten."

"Nice." Kiba nodded pushing his bowl away. "Always good to have Tenten around. So me, Akamaru, you, Hinata, and Tenten?"

"Hinata's been assigned to a different mission."

It felt like a punch to the gut.

This was no where near the first time something like this happened. They were split up often enough. But it felt so wrong right now, with how much has happened. Kiba loathed the idea of being away for any amount of time. He had fallen hard for the former heiress, harder than he had already fallen.

"That right?" Kiba did his best to mask his disappointment, looking down into his empty bowl.

"Yes...unfortunately." Just a twinge of sympathy coated Shino's words. Kiba sat silent, looking sullen. Shino cleared his throat, sensing his obvious pouting. "How have things been...between you two?"

"Good." Kiba nodded, drumming his fingers on either side of his bowl. He felt fidgety now. "Real good."

Shino nodded, draining the last of his tea. "Hinata's heading out tomorrow, I've heard. I'm inviting you two over for dinner tonight before we part ways."

"Alright, sweet." Kiba perked up, hopping up from his seat to join Shino in his departure. He and Akamaru walked him to the front door, Akamaru giving an appreciative lick to Shino's hand for the treats. "Good stuff, huh, Akamaru?"

One could make out the tiniest smile behind Shino's collar as he scratched under Akamaru's chin. He gave Kiba a short nod. "See you in a few hours."

"You bet!"

As Kiba returned to the couch, he fell back with a sigh, shutting his eyes as he thought of Hinata. He wondered if she knew she was leaving this morning when she stopped in with breakfast for them. Was she trying not to hurt his feelings? Maybe she didn't even know yet. Either way, Kiba had a hard time shaking off his disappointment. His sister, who had been doing paperwork in the other room, didn’t help.

"You serious, Kiba?" Her sarcastic voice called out, causing him to forcefully roll his eyes. "She got you that bad?"

"Shut your mouth." Kiba growled, shooting off the couch towards the door. He loved his sister, but she really knew how to push his buttons at the wrong time.

"You're such a little puppy," she cackled, following him as he gathered his things.

"And you're a bitch." He grumbled, pulling his sandals on and grabbing his keys. He yelped at the swift hit on the back of his head, stumbling away from her.

“You two,” Tsume growled from the kitchen, about to step in.

"Guess that’s how you talk to ladies, huh?!" Hana snapped, glaring at him with her hands firmly on her hips. He could just smirk, and before he could stop himself-

"You're definitely no lady." He bolted out the door, pulling it closed behind him with a slam. Gonna regret that.

"KIBA!"

Hinata giggled as she watched Kiba dart out of his house, his sister hot on his trail. She was about to come over to tell him she would be leaving tomorrow with Ino and Shikamaru. Her eyes followed as he became a distant dot, his sister stepping at the edge of town and stomping a foot, yelling into the void at her brother.

To say she was saddened by the Hokage's orders was an understatement. Her days with Kiba had been quite lovely, lovelier than she could have ever imagined. They were always lovely before, of course. He always made her laugh, made good conversation, joyful company, and of course she adored Akamaru. But since that night they had become intimate, he was treating her with a different kind of care. A kind of care she didn't realize she had craved all her life. He held her tenderly, he kissed her deeply. He swept her off her feet and indulged in all of her quirks. He listened intently while she described the book she was reading, he followed her and gave input on the flowers she picked for her perfumes. He genuinely invited her to help him with training Akamaru, taking frequent breaks to give him scratches and her kisses.

It was a life she had never imagined, a life she was never allowed to imagine. And now she couldn’t imagine it not being her life.

He had been such a perfect gentleman. She adored her team from the moment she met them, but it wasn't until now she saw what a tender lover Kiba could be. It completely caught her off guard in the best way possible. Hinata was the first person assigned to Kurenai, and there was great care taken to ensure she had a good team. It’s why Iruka chose Shino and Kiba for her. They perfectly balanced out as team members to her. Shino wouldn’t treat her like a delicate flower but would take care to help her train. Kiba would be her protector, close to a fault, but was able to be reined in. It didn’t hurt that their team dynamic was one of the most useful of the village.

Kurenai loved to brag about her investigative team, to the embarrassment of the trio. But it was true. With Hinata’s byakugan, Kiba and Akamaru’s incredible tracking abilities, and Shino’s ability to discretely gather intel, combined with all three of their varying taijutsu styles, made them a deadly combination. They were always the top pick for stealth and/or tracking missions, able to effectively track and destroy. The other jonin would often sing their praises or express their jealousy, and it made them a tight knit group. Teams often disbanded after promoting to jonin, but they continued to mission and fight together.

While Shino was always her guide, Kiba was always her comfort. But she had been blind to the love he had for her. In the forest, when he essentially professed his love to her, she regretted not jumping on the opportunity to return the confession. Because she genuinely believed she had fallen in love with him, as well. She saw through his thinly veiled attempt at cover up what he said-but he had said it, and she had felt it.

He was right, there was love between them. There had been for a long time, just like with Shino, Akamaru, and Kurenai-sensei. Their team was possibly the most tight knit of their generation, clear caring for one another. They had taken knives for each other, trained relentlessly together, carried each other home, spent many nights eating, drinking, and enjoying each others company. She would never forget the mission where she had to carry an unconscious Shino home and Akamaru carried an unconscious Kiba. The medical nin were surprised that she would carry Shino miles home instead of calling for reinforcements, but Kurenai wasn’t the least bit surprised.

They would dance with her, they would study nests with Shino, they would watch as Kiba showed off the tricks he and Akamaru learned. No matter what, they were a team for life.

But now she was wrestling with the idea of Kiba being her lover. They hadn't placed any labels, and as far as she knew, not many people knew they were romantically involved anyway. Until recently, she had just figured Kiba was a horny teen, caught up in the moment when they were close to being intimate. She always managed to reign him in, because she genuinely believed it wouldn't be the best for the team if they crossed that boundary. But they were in their twenties now, and in a moment of weakness after her split with Naruto, she had debated climbing on top of him and seeing what he would do. That night, when he walked her home and took care of her, she was vulnerable. She was rebounding. But despite his clear feelings, he had managed to restrain and put her to bed like a perfect gentleman.

And that's when she realized she might be falling. She gave it a few more weeks to see if the feeling was fleeting. Then, he caught her in the hot spring and she mistakenly thought a stranger had been watching her. She knew it wasn’t a fleeting feeling when she felt disappointment at the realization it was Kiba watching her, and she had scared him away. They went back to the tent to sleep, and curling up next to him just felt so right. When they came home, she knew it was time to test the waters. She invited them both to dinner to not raise any suspicion, and felt a bit guilty when she was relieved that Shino had left. Now she wondered if he knew what was going on.

Now, despite their romance being in its infancy, she was dreading being away. But they both knew what they had signed up for when they started this life.

Hinata followed after his trail until she found him in the forest, carving something from a stray branch as Akamaru gnawed on a bone. Kiba jumped when he heard her footsteps approach with intention, then immediately relaxed upon seeing her, leaning back against the log he was perched on. He smiled her way.

"Hina." He greeted, holding out his hand. His nickname for her, for as long as she could remember. She gave him a shy smile, one arm crossed behind her back as she placed her other hand in his, allowing him to gently pull her into him. He wrapped an arm around her, closing the gap and nuzzled her nose with his, something she never realized she would love so much. A shy giggle and she was melting into him. He dragged himself away with a smirk. "You're leaving me."

She let out a surprised laugh, flattening her palm against his chest and he grinned, tightening his arm around her. He absolutely adored her little reactions. She shook her head. "I don't want to! So you heard..."

"Mhm," he hummed, letting his eyes drift closed and he placed lazy matching kisses on each of her cheeks. "We're having dinner with Shino tonight, too."

"We are?" She couldn’t stop her cheeks from turning rosy at his affection. She always felt silly for how flustered she got, but he loved it when it was for him. He nodded, slowly raising to his upright to his feet, standing with her. She smiled up at him, resting her other hand on his chest. "Well, that will be nice."

"I'm going to miss you like crazy." He pressed his forehead against hers, eyes shutting once more. Her bottom lip retreated between her teeth as she felt his breathing slow. She couldn’t keep her eyes off him, tracing every reaction.

"We've been apart longer before."

"I know."

She traced a circular pattern on his chest. "But...I'm going to miss you, too."

It felt like he was holding something back, but she didn't know how to pry into what he was thinking. She let it go, choosing to let her eyes shut as well. They stood in comfortable silence, resting against one another. She didn't realize how comfortable silence could be.

"Hey," he whispered, causing her eyes to flutter open. He beamed down at her before snatching the bracelet off her wrist. She gasped, looking up at him with concern. He held it up high with a smug grin and ripped his arms from her, causing her to stumble with a gasp. Then he jumped away, and she lowered her eyes. He was challenging her. And off they went, leaping through the forest, never a dull moment if there was time to train, as Shino would say.

Eventually, as the sun came dangerously close to disappearing, Hinata managed to land a gentle fist on Kiba and get her bracelet back. As usual, she apologized profusely as he winced at her attempt to massage the spot she had hit. But it was worth it, because now her comfort came with soothing kisses and nose rubs. Nothing could come close to the comfort she gave him, he craved it. He laid on his back in the dirt, eyes screwed shut as her finger tips rubbed against the crook of his waist.

"Oh my goodness Kiba, I am so sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit so hard-"

"Shh," he shushed her, snatching the hand that was massaging his wounded area and bringing it to his lips, whispering against her knuckles, "you can beat me up anytime." Her breath caught in her throat at his words, eyes blowing wide. He smirked at her reaction, then laid his head back and shut his eyes, inhaling a sharp breath. "Damn, Hinata. It's been a while since we sparred one on one. You've gotten really strong."

"I-I'm sorry-"

He raised his other hand to silence her, then pulled the hand he was holding to back to his lips, placing soft kisses on her knuckles. "Got nothin' to be sorry for. It’s amazing, you’re amazing." Then he pulled her on top of him, placing his hand on the small of her back and taking a moment to enjoy how she felt, her little gasps and huffs of surprise and delight. "Just wanted to make sure you were in tip top shape for tomorrow."

Her soft giggle was divine on his ears.

"We should probably get going..." she spoke softly, placing a hand on his cheek and stroking his mark. He nodded, eyes still closed.

"I hope you know I'm fucking honored to take a hit from you, princess."

"Kiba!"

He snorted a laugh as she got up, stomping away. He selfishly lived for these moments.

"Welcome." Shino gestured for the two to enter, a wonderful smell emitting from the kitchen.

"Damn, smells good Shino!" Kiba commented as he made way to the table, Akamaru following behind until he found his bed. They all kept a place for Akamaru to rest and eat.

"It does smell very good." Hinata agreed, joining Shino in the kitchen to prepare tea.

They engaged in idle chatter as Shino finished up cooking, placing bowls of food in front of them. Kiba immediately began chowing down while Shino set a plate of appropriate food before Akamaru.

"Are you prepared for tomorrow, Hinata?"

Hinata shot her eyes up from her drink, eyebrows knitted. Deflated, she sighed, "of course.”

"You're gonna miss us," Kiba teased, gesturing at Shino with a jerk of his head. Shino raised his eyebrows, nonchalantly sipping from his tea.

"She'll certainly miss you."

Hinata's eyes widened at Shino, then bounced between he and Kiba. Shino's nose crinkled as Kiba shot him an irritated look before turning to Hinata, "uh-right. Sorry, he knows."

"Oh my." Hinata swallowed air, but Shino raised his hand.

"I simply want to put it out on the table. We are a team and honesty is...important."

Hinata's face flushed with guilt, immediately bringing her hands together to wring them. "O-of course, Shino. I apologize, I didn't mean to-"

"Hinata!" Kiba laughed, reaching across the table to grab her twiddling thumbs. "Relax."

Shino nodded. "I concur. I'm not upset. In fact...I think you two suit each other."

A nervous giggle escaped Hinata as she continued to look between the two. Kiba grinned at Shino’s rare sign of approval. He knew he could count on his old friend’s help.

"Well, alright," Hinata whispered, sucking in her lips and avoiding eye contact now.

"So is it accurate to say that you two are...an item?"

Kiba froze with Hinata’s hands in his, as did she. Shino's eyebrows raised expectantly at the two, Kiba scanning Hinata's face for a sign. Finally, Kiba broke the tense silence, "Shino, let's not get ahead of ourselves..."

"We-we haven't really..."

"Talked about it."

"I see." Shino nodded, raising from his seat to gather the dishware. "When you figure it out, let me know."

Kiba gave an awkward chuckle as he glanced at Hinata, who was still flushed.

Would they be an item? Kiba sure hoped so, but had a hard time gauging how serious about all this Hinata was.

Then, Shino broke out the sake and their chatter continued in the living area, turning from gossip to personal thoughts and feelings. Feeling looser, Hinata got up and began twirling clumsily, yet still looking light as a feather. Kiba smirked as he watched her, whacking the back of his hand into Shino's arm. Shino had finally shed his jacket and headband, looking casual for once as red tinted his cheeks from the alcohol.

Shino got up in time to capture Hinata's hands, effortlessly matching her movements. This elicited a gasp from Hinata and a bark of laughter from Kiba. Even drunk, she looked elegant. Even in his best friends arms, she looked elegant.

"Ah, Shino!" She giggled, the lack of honorific signalling just how tipsy she was as she sloppily began leading him in dance. Kiba let out a hearty laugh as he watched them dance around the Aburame living quarters. Shino even let out a chuckle. Shino was likely the only person Kiba would never feel ill will towards capturing Hinata’s attention, even if it looked like they were a little too close, physically.

Hinata darted her eyes to Kiba as she glided around with Shino, her eyes becoming low and lustful. Kiba caught them, and his stomach tightened immediately at the recognition of the look.

Is she…?

She was enchanting, even with another person holding her. When Shino extended his arm to twirl her, he was mesmerized by how her purple locks spun, gently twisting around her cheeks and neck. He watched them with enthusiasm as they made way around the room, until finally Shino released her on a spin towards Kiba's seated position. He effortlessly caught her as she tumbled into him and they both let a laugh bellow out of them. Shino chuckled, stepping back from them. Hinata looked lovingly up at Shino as Kiba swooped her up, marching towards the front door.

"Thank you, Shino," she called after him as Kiba threw the door open. He pressed his two fingers to his lips and raised them to her as Kiba carried her out, a rare smile on his face.

#kibahina #kiba inuzuka #hinata hyuga #naruto #naruto fanfiction #naruto fanfic #kibahina fanfic #kibahina fanfiction #kiba x hinata #kiba x hinata fanfic #inuzuka kiba #hyuga hinata #my fic #It Was Okay

5 notes · View notes

chalabrun · 3 years

Text

hinata: a deep dive (meta)

As it can be expected, many girls in Naruto have development that often takes some number of deep dives to find. Hinata is certainly no exception to this rule, but with this meta, my hope is that I can suss out some of that hidden development and her accomplishments and list them here.

Hinata: A troubled past

As many of us know from canon, Hinata's past was troubled and fraught with difficulties.

Ch. 102, when Hiashi is engaging the toddling Hinata in a spar and manifesting bloodlust during.

Ch. 78, wherein Hinata is officially disinherited from the main branch heirdom.

Growing up as the main heiress of the Hyuga clan, and eldest daughter of the main branch head, Hinata was under tremendous pressure from her father to exceed. Compared to even her younger sister, her junior by five years, Hiashi looked down upon her. In chapter 102, in the above panels, it could even be implied that Hiashi was enraged by her, pushing a young Hinata to the point that her uncle Hizashi tried to interfere, but was punished for it when he activated the clan's juinjutsu.

Yet, this wasn't the only hardship Hinata faced.

Ch. 102

When Hinata was three years old, while Kumogakure's Head Ninja had been visiting Konoha on matters of diplomacy at the declaration of an armistice between both villages, she was almost kidnapped by this self-same ninja. What would eventually be known as the Hyuga Affair in Kumogakure would result in Hizashi dying in exchange for acting as Hiashi's body double as to satisfy the then nullified demand for Hiashi and his Byakugan that the clan's juinjutsu destroyed in Hizashi upon his death.

First Databook, Head Ninja of Kumogakure (Scan & Translation)

This would go on to lead to a whole host of issues between Hinata and Neji that notably came to light during the Chunin Exams.

Ch. 78, where Lee explains it in more detail.

As we learn from the exposition of others in chapter 78, not only was there existing turmoil between the main and cadet branches, but that it manifested in the rookies' generation as Neji and Hinata's one-sided conflict; of Neji blaming the main branch for both his father's death and being consigned to being a proverbial slave to the main branch.

Ch. 80

And as Neji would go to to explain, all of the former would result in a girl bent and bowed by both the immense pressure of her clan, the strain of conflict in her own family, and the high expectations she couldn't yet meet. Neji even went on to describe it all in visceral detail during their preliminary fight.

Ch. 78

As we can see from chapter 78, Neji manages to ruthlessly disseminate Hinata's character just by examining her body language and reflecting on her past, and while much of it seems brutally true, it doesn't mean that it's the whole truth, either.

Hinata: Growing from her pain

Despite all the clear hardship that Hinata faced, that doesn't mean she did nothing to grow. As we come to see in much the same arc, she faced these challenges in her own way.

Ch. 79

Despite all the brutal things Neji said to Hinata, it wasn't enough to kill her confidence. Or, her courage and resolve to keep enduring. And, damn does she endure.

Ch. 79, when they engage in close, melee combat.

Ch. 79, when Kurenai reflects on the beginning of Hinata's changes.

Something I see criticized often about Hinata is that she's a hopeless fangirl much in the way Sakura supposedly was over Sasuke. However, something I think that should be clarified is that, coming from a nigh abusive home life that she did, Naruto was her source of hope. And frankly, I don't think it's a deficit to her character at all. Naruto helped inspired her, and her growth showed because of it.

Ch. 79

As shown near the fight's climax, Hinata keeps standing up and trying to fight despite how seemingly hopeless the situation is. Even though Neji had debilitated her with severe injuries, some borderline fatal, she kept relenting because of her admiration and inspiration she found in Naruto.

Ch. 98

And as it would show in the period after Hinata's recovery, she made the full extent of her admiration known; and in doing so, she speaks not as some obsessive fangirl, but a downtrodden girl thanking her greatest source of inspiration so she could rise above it. Something I don't think makes her obsessive at all.

But as the series would continue on, the fruits of this growth shows the most in the second part.

Hinata: The lioness of the Hyuga Clan

As the future would come to prove, Hinata did grow into the inspiration that Naruto gave her, enough to do the impossible and attempt to save the boy she loved from an impossibly powerful enemy.

Ch. 437, when Hinata faced off against Pein, one of the most powerful villains in the series after the likes of Madara, Obito, or Kaguya.

But, it went beyond that.

Ch. 540

Ch. 632

Ch. 526

As demonstrable throughout the war arc, by both her clan's reacceptance of her and fighting alongside Naruto, Hinata showed just how far she was willing to take a shared ideal in order to fight at the side of the one she loved and admired more than anything, that inspired her to be strong and endure.

Now, in terms of complete strength and excelling as a kunoichi, this brilliant meta by silalcarin proves that Hinata excelled in other ways, even more than her utterly gifted cousin, Neji.

Hinata: What the databooks say

Village: Konohagakure

Rank: Genin

Ninja Registration Number: 012612

Birthday: December 27 (12 years old, Capricorn)

Height: 147.cm Weight: 37.9 kg Blood type: A

Personality: Shy, withdrawn

Favourite Food: Hors d’oeuvres, cinnamon rolls

Least favourite food: Crab, prawn

Interests: Pressed flowers

Graduated from Ninja Academy at age 12

Currently undertaking the chuunin examination

Mission Experience

D-rank: 5

C-rank: 3

B-rank: 0

A-rank: 0

S-rank: 0

Statistics

Ninjutsu: 1.5

Taijutsu: 2.5

Genjutsu: 1

Intelligence: 2.5

Strength: 1

Speed: 2

Stamina: 1.5

Hand Seals: 2

Total Ability: 3

Latent Potential: 4

Luck: 2

Hinata’s fighting ability was found lacking by the Hyuuga Clan. But her latent potential is quite conspicuous, so development is to be expected in the future.

“Because… This is my Nindou too”

The kind and gentle dancing fighter with feelings for Naruto

Although she is a heir to the renowned Hyuuga Main House, she is full of compassion, and dislikes competition and fighting: such is Hinata’s personality. Currently, her father has given up of her, and she is assigned to difficult missions as a Genin. Even being in that dire situation hasn’t broken her, she hasn’t lost that kindness of hers, and that’s because Naruto was there, inside her heart. And now, Hinata is strengthening herself, soundly and steadily.

Hinata is a shy and withdrawn person who can’t do anything in front of her dear Naruto. Something she’s been constantly wishing to change about herself.

Timidity and hesitation, unease and nervousness… An ebbing and flowing love story

[Attack]

Hinata is in love with Naruto, but regardless, she can’t take a step forward. However, she’s able to pluck up her own brand of courage sometimes, as proved by that “attack” of hers. Because that’s her Way of the Ninja…?!

She can’t even look Naruto in the eyes as she hands him the ointment to treat the injuries he’s received during the Chuunin exam, but she’s put all her strength into this…!

[Naruto and Herself]

There’s a definite reason behind Hinata’s passion for Naruto. She wants “to become like him”. Shackled by the strict laws of the Hyuuga clan, and further weakened by her inferiority complex towards her younger sister, Hinata is always seeking strength and power.

Hinata is never assertive about anything, something she tends to hate about herself.

When she was fighting Neji, no matter how many times she was struck down, she would think of Naruto and stand up…!

Hinata admires and esteems Naruto. But he is totally clueless about those feelings.

The one she admires taught her about the courage to stand up!!

Chuunin Exam: Third Preliminary Test

[Her fight against Neji]

The time had finally come to fight against Neji, from the Branch House, and hater of the Main House. Hinata disliked conflict, despite which she fought desperately in order to change herself. But as expected, she was no match for Neji, whom people refer to as the strongest in the Hyuuga Clan. [Missing sentence]

Naruto is throwing taunts at Neji. Hinata is able to draw courage from his cheering…

A scene where she even fights on par with the great Neji. The blood of the Hyuuga also flows is Hinata’s veins!

But she yields before Neji’s Gentle Fist, and gets wounded and beaten down several times over…

Earnest feelings are stronger than any weapon…

- First Databook, Hinata's entry (Scan & Translation)

Village: Konohagakure

Rank: Genin

Ninja Registration Number: 012612

Birthday: December 27 (13 years old, Capricorn)

Height: 148.3 cm Weight: 38.2 kg Blood Type: A

Personality: Shy, withdrawn

Favourite food: Soft bean-jam, cinnamon Rolls

Least favourite food: Crab, prawn

Favourite word: Self-confidence

Interests: Pressed flowers

Graduated from the Ninja Academy at age 12

Promoted to chuunin at age –

Mission Experience

D-rank: 5

C-rank: 3

B-rank: 0

A-rank: 0

S-rank: 0

Statistics

Ninjutsu: 1.5

Taijutsu: 3

Genjutsu: 1

Intelligence: 3

Strength: 1

Speed: 2

Stamina: 1.5

Hand Seals: 2

“I must…do my best too…”

Turn a pure heart into strength…

Hinata passively gave in to everything, but with the support of Naruto’s cheering, she had a fierce battle with Neji, and matured greatly. There is still a lot of her that is not sufficient as the child of the Hyuuga Main House, but indomitable strength is added to her original pure heart, and little by little, but steadily, Hinata progresses ahead… She wishes that she could move even one step closer towards the back of Naruto, her idol…

Hinata, always feeling the same towards Naruto. Will the day come when she can face him directly?

- Second Databook, Hinata's entry (Scan & Translation)

- Third Databook, Hinata's entry (Scans)

Fourth Databook, Hinata's entry (Scans)

Hinata Hyuuga The Sunflower Who Hid Love and Admiration for Naruto in Her Heart, and Bloomed Beautifully

Hinata was born as the eldest daughter of the Hyuuga clan’s main house. Having struggled since childhood with the pressure of being “the next leader of a noble clan,” as well as with her own withdrawn nature, she admired Naruto’s “strength,” and decided to adhere to his nindou. Now, having matured as a shinobi and as a woman, Hinata’s feelings for Naruto cause her to shake… Before: Caption of panel of near-beaten Hinata from chuunin exams: I never go back on my word. Hinata resolves to adhere to the same nindou as Naruto…!! Caption of panel where Hinata uses hakke kuushou against the Juubi: She uses her juuken palm to release air pressure. This is taijutsu handed down by the Hyuuga clan. Caption of panel where Hinata uses hakke rokujuuyon shou: The secret juuken technique “hakke rokujuuyon shou.” She masters it with the courage to step out beyond her limits. “Byakugan” The rare “kekkei genkai” inherited only by the Hyuuga clan. It boasts a 360-degree range of vision and the ability to see clearly for hundreds of meters, and is able to see through opponents’ chakra networks. Caption for sketch of Hinata with activated byakugan: When her byakugan is activated, Hinata’s facial expression becomes sharper. Before: Hinata shows her byakugan in her death match with Neji. Feelings Towards Naruto Since her days at the academy, Hinata has been attracted to the “strength” that Naruto possesses. That admiration eventually changed into the desire to be by Naruto’s side, and also became the source of Hinata’s growing confidence. Before: Caption for panel from chapter 98: He unintentionally leaves her dazed with his impulsive “I like you.” Before: Caption for panel from 615: During the ninja war, Hinata grew into someone who could support Naruto in a predicament and stand as his equal. Art of Hinata Wedding clothes Caption at lower right: Headdress. Her hair is rolled up in a turban-like structure. Middle caption: An Ootsutsuki wedding dress, complete with a veil on her head. Left caption: Hinata wears a skirt while not on a mission.

- Seventh Databook, Hinata entry (Scan & Translation)

Boruto Moviebook, Hinata's entry (Scan & Translation)

Hinata: Databook jutsu files

- Kekkei Genkai, Supplementary, All ranges - User(s): Hyuuga Neji, Hyuuga Hinata

The heritage of the Hyuuga Clan, the white eyes that see through everything!!

The Hyuuga Clan is a distinguished family, and one of Konohagakure’s two brightest jewels, the other being the Uchiha Clan. The Kekkei Genkai that circulates within House Hyuuga is the Byakugan. Upon using Byakugan, the caster sees right through immediate obstacles, even catching a glance upon things situated remotely ahead of them.

But Byakugan possesses an even more astonishing ability. It can also distinguish the inner body’s acupuncture network through which chakra circulates, and the apertures through which it is released outside the body, the tenketsu. Because of that ability, the Hyuuga are praised as the clan which has the most outstanding ability. That said, this is also the reason why they have accumulated tragedies throughout their history…

When Byakugan is activated, it is so powerful it causes the veins around the caster’s eyes to protrude!

How exactly does chakra circulate inside the body…? If one has the power of the Byakugan, even such a thing can be understood just like that, with absurd ease.

- First Databook, Hinata's entry (Scan & Translation)

- Taijutsu, Kekkei Genkai, Offensive, Defensive, Supplementary, Close range - User(s): Hyuuga Hinata

Strong will held in the fists!! Its form is double lion heads!!

A secret high-level Gentle Fist technique, taught only to the Main House of the Hyuuga Clan. By changing the shape of chakra released from both hands, [the user] greatly increases reach and destructive power. The arms become entirely like lions which drain the chakra network of those they touch.

Because it will fail at even the slightest mistake in chakra control, it is extremely difficult to learn this ability, which is a feat that requires the Byakugan.

It can be used to increase the power of Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.

- Fourth Databook, Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists entry (Scans & Translation)

Hinata: Full jutsu list & stats, etc.

To add to this, the jutsu part of this list are from more than just the manga; they include the anime, movies, and games!

Jutsu:

Barrage of Gentle Fists

Chakra Transfer Technique

Eight Trigrams Aerial Attack

Eight Trigrams Aiki Palm

Eight Trigrams Lion Palm

Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven

Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven: Sever

Eight Trigrams Palms Twin Handed Back

Eight Trigrams Palms Vacuum Heaven

Eight Trigrams Sect Palm Wave

Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms

Eight Trigrams Spirit Sixty-Four Palms

Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms

Eight Trigrams Twin Lions Crumbling Attack

Eight Trigrams Vacuum Lion Palm

Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm

Eight Trigrams Vacuum Wall Palm

Four-Corner Sealing Barrier

Gentle Fist Art: Exorcism

Gentle Fist

Gentle Phoenix Spiralling Twin Lion Fists

Gentle Step Spiralling Twin Lion Fists

Gentle Step Tailed Beast Twin Lion Fists

Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists

Gentle Step Twin Palms

Giant Insect Fang: Sixty-Four Palms

Hundred Furious Palms

Hyūga: Great Revolving Heaven

Hyūga Great Combo Palm

Mystical Palm Technique

Palm Bottom

Protecting Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms

Protecting Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms

Water Needle

White Haze Heavenly Dance

Wide Healing

Tools:

Hyūga Clan Secret Ointment

Stats:

Missions completed:

10 D-rank

14 C-rank

8 B-rank

1 A-rank

0 S-rank

Academy grades:

Taijutsu = A

Cooperation = A

Classroom attitude = A

Ninjutsu = B

Genjutsu = B

Positivity = F

Closing thoughts

As I've tried to list in detail, Hinata not only has a lot of in-depth characterization, development, and growth as a kunoichi and member of the Hyuga clan, but extreme promise as a character and love interest of the protagonist. Yet, there's far more to her than her relationships, which I hope I've shown here (even though this doesn't even touch on everything, by far)!

#hinata #hinata hyuga #hinata hyuuga #naruhina #pro hinata #pro hinata hyuga #my meta

41 notes · View notes

angeliise · 4 years

Text

Day 3: I’d Choose You Again and Again

If somebody asked you to choose between me and someone else right now, would you choose me?

And would you choose me again, if they asked you 10 years from now?

Hinata looked up from the soggy ground. Hinata found herself sitting on the swings by the academy as the rain poured down on her every being. People would think she is crazy to be out in this rain in only a mesh shirt but… she didn’t have anything else to cover herself with.

Why?

She had been disowned by her father. She was deemed too weak to be the true successor to the Hyuga Clan. Her father had chosen her sister instead. Just when she thought her sensei had personally chosen her as a student, she found out that it was on the order of her father.

Her sensei had greeted herself as Kurenai and left shortly after, no question asked. Sigh. She was referred to the Hokage to find a new home and was given an apartment, which she had just moved into. She hadn’t met any of her neighbors but even if she did, nobody would pay her any mind.

The former heiress stood up and walked back to her apartment. When she was in front of the door, she lifted her head slightly when the door opened. She looked up to find obsidian eyes staring down at her, holding an umbrella.

“Why are you always wearing so little when it’s raining this much?” He asked. His tone was stern and monotonous, yet Hinata felt an ounce of care from his expression.

“Always?...” Hinata said in a low tone.

“The whole of last week, and now today.”

Hinata felt her eyes water again. This mysterious man had noticed her and been watching her since last week? The week she had moved into her new home. Hinata was again taken aback by his action when he tilted his umbrella so that it shielded her from the rain. Her bangs were completely soaked and plastered on her forehead, blocking most of her view. But one thing she would never forget were those obsidian eyes staring into her soul with the most care she had ever received from someone.

****

Hinata and Sasuke were walking alongside the pavement. It was the day they were going to be assigned into their teams. It was also the day she was going to do something she never thought she would have the courage to do. Though she knew she was with Kurenai, she didn’t know of the other members. She looked over at Sasuke for a split second. She hoped that she was going to be in the same team as him no matter what. Her and Sasuke had spent a lot of time together as neighbors.

She remembered when she was only eating ramen because she never learned how to cook in her previous household. When she fell over on her way from hunger, Sasuke had caught her and invited her to dinner. Although he berated her for not being able to cook he never complained about her crashing over for every supper.

During those times both Hinata and Sasuke had come to learn a lot about each other From their hobbies to their favorite foods to their birthdays and most importantly, their families. They bonded over their strict fathers and the unattainable goal of becoming like their siblings. Although that was it, it was enough.

It was enough for Sasuke because he had finally found someone that knew what it felt like to be inadequate. Although there was Naruto, Sasuke at least knew what it felt like to have a family. A mother. A father. A sibling. So did Hinata, which made for loads of inside jokes and lighthearted jabs at their clan’s persistence of upholding their images. As time went they became each other’s sparring partners and Sasuke was proud to have witnessed Hinata going from a reluctant fighter to becoming a competent opponent for him. But most importantly, she was slowly emerging from the depressive shell she was once in. He was glad about it for he did not want her to descend down the path he had when his clan was massacred.

Naruto’s voice sirened through their eardrums from afar. He was walking with Sakura, who was trying to hide her giggles. Though Sasuke knew that it was because Naruto was saying his name for every other word.

“Since when did-”

“Baka. Sakura would never fall for a guy like that.”

“Really?” It was in that moment she was proven right as Sakura looked away from Naruto and onto them. She shoved Naruto to the ground and enthusiastically waved over to them, more specifically Sasuke.

“Sasuke-kun!”

Sasuke sighed and looked away from the circus as Naruto called him out and was beaten by Sakura again. He looked at Hinata and smirked to himself while she still had her eyes on Naruto and Sakura.

Had he not met Hinata, Sasuke thought, then he would still be spiraling down the void of darkness that had consumed his mind ever since then. Her calm, gentle and kind aura had warmed him. He recounted the time she had invited him for dinner for once and was welcomed to a burning kitchen with Hinata desperately trying to put the fire out with a paper towel. Ever since then he knew…

He couldn’t trust her to be on her own.

He would make daily visits to make sure that she had not or was about to catch herself in fire or wring herself in her laundry and suffocate. He had taken it upon himself to teach her all the basic skills. It was those moments that helped him in opening up to her about himself and especially his past. Something he thought he would never feel comfortable talking about. The voice of Hinata brought him out of his thoughts.

“Huh? What did you say?”

Hinata embarrassingly looked away from his stare. Sasuke had gotten used to Hianta getting flustered out of nowhere. “I-I hope we get to be in the s-same team.”

Sasuke smiled at her and nodded in agreement. “Yeah.”

****

Hinata eyed the floor, trying to muster the tears in as Sasuke’s fangirls roared at the Iruka. She was sitting next to Sasuke and felt a twinge in her heart from not hearing her name in the same team as Sasuke. She twitched her head when she felt a nudge at her elbow. She looked over at Sasuke who had slipped her a note. She folded it open:

You still have something important to do, today.

She eyed him and he nodded at her with a tiny smile only for her. She smiled back at him.

****

The day was over and she was waiting by the swings. When she heard incoming footsteps she turned around and felt her heart rate increase. “N-Naruto-kun.”

“Oh, hey Hinata. So what did you want to tell me?”

Hinata fiddled with her fingers as she always did when she was nervous. She would never forget the times she would run into Naruto with Sasuke and how he would practically shove her in his face. He was always so supportive of her about her feelings for Naruto who he considered a doofus. Although she embarrassed herself every time, she had still gotten to speak with Naurto. She had gotten to know him pretty well and he with her. She had for the first time thought that she might have a chance. Especially when Naruto opened up about his feelings for Sakura and how she might not feel the same way and how he should give up. Hinata would have encouraged him to continue fighting but… Naruot deserved someone who loved him just as much.

“I-It’s j-j-just...” She stuttered. She could not find the right words and resorted to the question Sasuke had suggested her if she ever found herself in such a situation. She locked her eyes with Naruto with a determined look. “D-do you like someone?”

“Someone?”

“Yes, someone..” She said and watched as his face remained neutral as he thought it over.

The corners of Naruto’s mouth faced upwards into a huge smile. Hinata smiled back as he parted his mouth.

“Of course I do!” He started, making the butterflies in her stomach run amok. Was this happening? She might very well have a chance. Maybe. Maybe she- “It’s Sakura-chan!”

“Eh…”

“Don’t get me wrong but Sakura-chan is…” He was about to finish his sentence when two arms embraced him from behind. “S-Sakura-chan.”

“What are you doing over here? You promised to walk me home, didn’t you.” She giggled as she dragged him with her. She waved Hinata goodbye and the Hyuga watched them until they vanished from view.

The sun was setting and the rays of orange dawned on Hinata’s pale complexion. She had not moved from her spot ever since. And she couldn’t care to move herself. Just like always, someone else had been chosen over her. She really was hopeless, right? There was no way anybody would choose her over anything else? A person, a goal, an item. Everything else mattered but her! Ever-

“What are you doing sobbing over a doofus like that?”

Sasuke walked in front of her and wiped a single tear from her eyelash. He then cupped her face in his palms and wiped several tears that fought to slide down her cheek.

“Hinata.” He softly said.

Her silent whimpers turned into loud cries as her dry palms took over the tear cleansing. She just wanted to dry everything off. From her tears. To her cheeks. Her feelings. Her entire being!

“Hinata.”

“Sasuke-kun…!” She wailed. “If somebody asked you to choose between me and someone else right now, would you choose me?”

Sasuke smirked, making Hinata’s lips waver as she was scared that he would leave her too for how pathetic she was.

“What do you think?”

Hinata squirmed in defeat. Sasuke had his goal of killing his brother and restoring his clan. He wouldn’t have time for her as he got stronger. Sooner he would find a stronger partner to spar with. The sooner that happened, the sooner he would leave her. She didn’t want that. Sasuke had been her only source of happiness since she lost everything. Had it not been for him… who knows what she would have done with herself?

Hinata snapped out of her thoughts by the soft touch on her hand. It had been Sasuke who took both her hands into his and raised them up.

“Of course.” He said, looking into her eyes. “I would choose you.”

...

“Always.”

****

Those had been the last words of Sasuke Uchiha. Hinata unbound her hair and let it fall to her waist.

Yes. It had been 10 years since that time Sasuke told her that he would choose her over anybody else if he had the choice. She hadn’t heard anything from or of him since then for he disappeared without a trace. Naruto and Sakura have since then tried to bring him back. But everytime they returned, they came back empty handed.

Hinata sat by her antique and began combing her silky hair. Naruto and Sakura didn’t work out after all. She wasn’t particularly overjoyed. In fact, she didn’t care. For her heart had longed for someone else since they left.

She wondered whether Sasuke, in the time he has been gone, has found someone. Someone that he has chosen to restore his clan with. She sighed at the thought as it always brought a frown on her face. “Sasuke-kun…” she stared into her reflection. “Would you choose me again, if I asked you 10 years from now?”

Expecting no answer, Hinata lay the brush down. “You should already know the answer to that.”

Hinata gasped as she whirled in her seat to find him sitting on her window frame. His hair grew longer, his body more lean but that didn’t stop his abs from showing through his opened shirt. She couldn’t stop the tears from flowing down her face as she was standing before the man her heart had been waiting for and would continue to wait for until the day it stops beating. “S-Sasuke-kun.”

Sasuke leaned away from the window and made his way to Hinata, who in those 10 years, had become more beautiful than he ever thought was possible. When he stood right before her, he smiled at her.

“Hinata.” He said as he took her hands into his.

“Sasuke-kun…”

“I’d choose you again,” he leaned down to kiss her tender lips, “and again.”

@sasuhinamonth

#sasuhina #shmonth2020 #sasuhinamonth2020 #sasukexhinata #sasuke x hinata #day 3 #sasuke #hinata #hinata hyuga #sasukeuchiha

73 notes · View notes

hellroots · 3 years

Text

『 MOBILE FRIENDLY MUSE LIST 』

— here you will find my muses. you can also find them on my gdocs as well & the main muses of the moment can be found in the pinned post. though not all of the info is here, because that would make the post too long, feel free to ask me anything you wanna know about them!

『 NARUTO MUSES 』

AMIDAMARU

originally from shaman king, primarily based on the naruto universe as a samurai from the land of iron, amidamaru is a samurai who gained fame as a demon samurai after killing several hundred other samurai soldiers during a battle in the same spot, he wields the legendary sword named harusame made by his best friend mosuke.

DELTA

cold-hearted and sadistic, delta is a cyborg and an inner member of kara whose destructive nature and bad temper tend to get the best of her.

HAGANE KOTETSU

never seen without his partner and best friend izumo, kotetsu is the more carefree and irresponsible one of the duo. canon div! as danzou’s clone made by orochimaru, initially to replace danzou’s aging body. was deemed unfit for being weak, was told he’s danzou’s grandson.

HATAKE KAKASHI

famed as kakashi of the sharingan and one of konoha's most talented ninja. former rokudaime hokage, currently retired from active duty.

HATAKE SAKUMO

kakashi's widower father, only a few years older than the sannin and worldly renowned as konoha's white fang. canon div! alive and exiled, also he definitively fucked an alien at some point.

HYUGA HANABI

youngest sister of hinata and the heiress of the hyuga clan, hanabi blossomed into a dedicated, strong young woman with high standards

HYUGA NEJI

thought a prodigy even by the hyuga standards, neji is a member of the clan's branch house and of team guy. he had his entire ideology changed after his fight with naruto.

JIGEN

a novice monk who, after being left for dead by kaguya, unwillingly became the vessel of isshiki otsutsuki. he eventually died as isshiki completely took over his body. canon div! part of jigen’s conscience still lives and suffers at the atrocities of isshiki.

JIRAIYA

the white-maned toad charmer, a red-hot ninja who strikes fear in the hearts of people. naruto's master & nazuke-oya. famed pervert and author of the icha icha series. canon div! survives amegakure but stays in a coma hidden in mount myoboku for months between life and death.

KAMIZUKI IZUMO

never seen without his partner and best friend kotetsu, he's the more mature and serious of the duo and takes great pride in their work aiding the fifth hokage. a noted germaphobe, he pays excessive attention to cleanliness but that doesn’t affect his job.

KASHIN KOJI

stoic, straightforward and enigmatic, koji at first seemed very loyal to kara, willing to assassinate a fellow member on orders from his leader. the clone of jiraiya created by amado with the sole purpose of killing isshiki otsutsuki. a former inner of kara, he appears to have an interest in boruto uzumaki's abilities.

KOHINATA SHIZUKA

the eldest daughter of mukai and nayotake kohinata and future clan head, shizuka is the second of their clan to successfully activate the byakugan. like most members of her clan, she's very skilled in taijutsu and wants to clean her family's name. analytical but cordial, the young anbu eventually joins the torture and interrogation force.

MATSURI

a sunagakure shinobi who in the past watched her parents’ deaths, which caused her to be wary of weapons. she eventually grows out of that trauma and now uses weapons to protect her comrades and sunagakure's reputation while avoiding causing harm to others. canon div! she specialises in medical ninjutsu, taking after chiyo’s writings and work.

MENMA

filler character, not the rtn character! a former member of the group of bandits known as shiin clan. kind hearted and helpful, menma always hated hurting others but wasn't above hurting the members of his clan in order to keep innocent people safe. canon div! he is transmasc & doesn’t die but rather leaves otogakure and joins konoha instead.

MOMOCHI ZABUZA

known as the demon of the hidden mist, he's a missing-nin from kirigakure's seven ninja swordsmen of the mist. responsible for the deaths of over one hundred academy students of the kirigakure academy, his fame grew through the years as he became an anbu before finally joining the seven swordsmen.

MORINO IBIKI

ibiki is a tokubetsu jonin of konoha and the head of the torture and interrogation force. tall and very strict, he's been described by kakashi as a sadist, however he's shown that he is a quite reasonable man with a more relaxed side that few get to see. as of now he is the leader of team 40. canon div! his family is loosely related to the senjus.

NAMIKAZE SAMUI

leader of team samui, samui is a kunoichi from kumogakure that has a calm, mature and generally silent disposition to her, bordering on aloof at times. as most jonin from kumo, she is skilled with kenjutsu, other than that she is also very knowledgeable & has a high level of self control. canon div! both she and her brother are from the namikaze clan, their father moved from konoha to kumo after his marriage to their mother.

NARA SHIKAMARU

though naturally lazy, shikamaru's intellect is one of a kind and consistently allows him to prevail in combat. a former member of team asuma, alongside ino and chouji he is part of the famed inoshikacho trio. after his sensei's death shikamaru goes through a rapid maturation. he is currently the 7th hokage’s advisor and trusted friend.

ROCK LEE

unlike most shinobi, lee cannot use ninjutsu or genjutsu however he overcame this shortcomings by undergoing by a special training from maito gai that turned him into a taijutsu master while still a genin. canon div! he’s the reincarnation of nezha, the marshal of central altar, the third lotus prince and the god of protection.

SARUTOBI MIRAI

as the daughter of two of konohagakure's strongest jounin, mirai is a highly capable kunoichi who is well regarded by various senior shinobi for her skills and expertise. she is cheerful, energetic and has a dutiful nature.

SENJU SATSUKI

in my jiraiya’s infinite tsukuyomi dream he has everything he always wanted in life, the love of his life by his side and a family of his own. everything is going well as they are all preparing to go to naruto’s ceremony as he’ll become hokage when the dream becomes corrupted and his two kids end up on opposite sides in a deadly battle.

SENJU TOBIRAMA

co-founder of the first shinobi village, alongside with his elder brother he worked tirelessly to achieve political stability. after hashirama's death he became the nidaime hokage. the creator of the most known and used jutsus.

SENJU YOSHIKADO

TEUCHI

owner of ramen ichiraku, teuchi left the usual shinobi way when he was a teen and devoted his life to his true passion: making ramen. with his daughter ayame, teuchi has become one of the most talented ryōri ninja. mostly crack! based, canon div! former student of jiraiya and descendant of the uchiha.

UCHIHA HANAMI

hanami uchiha is the daughter of the slug sage sakura and the head of the uchiha clan madara. despite her playful & carefree disposition, hanami can prove herself to be a ruthless adversary in battle. oc affiliated with shikkotsunin's sakura and uchiha-madara's madara.

UZUMAKI HIMAWARI

himawari is a cheerful and considerate girl who adores her family, however, at the same time, she has a temper and can become violent when provoked. canon div! when she’s older, himawari becomes a iryō-nin and under sakura’s teachings manages to activate the byakugou seal thanks to strong understanding of chakra manipulation and high chakra reserves.

YAMANAKA INO

the current clan head of the yamanaka clan after her father's passing, ino - alongside with shikamaru and chouji - is part of their generation's ino-shika-cho formation, formerly led by asuma-sensei. she's currently working alongside with ibiki morino in the intelligence of the village, while also taking care of her flower shop.

YAMANAKA INOICHI

head of the yamanaka clan who, alongside shikaku nara and chouza akimichi was part of the 15th generation of the ino-shika-cho trio. in charge of the analysis team of konohagakure's intelligence division, inoichi is calm and perceptive, usually behaving in a very analytical way but having an indulgent and gentlemanly disposition.

YAMANAKA INOSUKE

future au oc kids, son of himawari uzumaki and inojin yamanaka. under co.

『 KINGDOM MUSES 』

ASHIN

a silent and reserved young woman, she’s the sole survivor of the massacre of the northern village of seongjeoyain and is also a former spy for the joseon kingdom and possibly the first to use the undead for warfare purposes.

LEE CHANG

the crown prince of joseon and the only child of the king of joseon, considered illegitimate because his mother was a concubine. he posed as a threat to the haewon cho clan's plan to take over the control of the government. although a little out of touch with the harsh reality of the people, chang eventually grows to become the people's hero against the monsters created by the haewon cho clan

SECOND QUEEN CHO

the second wife of the king of joseon and member of the haewon cho clan, she's the daughter of the powerful chief of state councilor cho hak-ju. ambitious and cold hearted, she does whatever it takes to keep the throne.

SEO-BI

a talented physician who worked with lee seung-hui at the jiyulheon clinic nearby dongnae. along side with yeong-shin, she's the sole survivour of the initial outbreak at the clinic. she's smart and level headed, and will do all she can to save peope (especially children) regardless what they did or what they believe. she's dedicated to learn more about that ressurection flower in order to stop any further outbreaks from happening in the future.

『 KIMETSU NO YAIBA MUSES 』

AGATSUMA ZENITSU

alongside hashibira inosuke he is kamado tanjiro and kamado nezuko's travelling companion. user of the thunder breathing combat style, he is a member of the demon slayer corps though not by choice. even though he comes off as a coward, being in constant state of fear, zenitsu tries his hardest when he needs to. he is also known to be a wannabe womanizer.

HIMEJIMA GYOMEI

himejima gyomei is a member of the demon slayer corps and the current iwa bashira, his fighting style consists of stone breathing and, instead of a katana, gyomei uses a spiked flail and an axe. considered the embodiment of the gentle giant archetype, soft spoken and sensitive despite his intimidating appearance. quite pious, he's always seen carrying his prayer beads.

KIBUTSUJI MUZAN

the first of his kind, as well as the progenitor of all other demons in existence, muzan is the demon king, responsible for slaughtering the majority of the kamado family and transforming kamado nezuko into a demon. exceptionally intelligent, he is cold hearted and ruthless, seeing no value in humans and little value to his own subordinates.

TAMAYO

gentle and wise, as well as incredibly intelligent she's a skilled doctor and close ally of tanjiro kamado, she was turned into a demon by muzan kibutsuji

TOMIOKA GIYU

the current mizu bashira, tomioka is a member of the demon slayer corps. a serious and reserved individual, tomioka has a strong sense of justice and has no tolerance for those who fail to see their own limitations & throw away their lives. while he lets nezuko live due to tanjirou’s request, he shows no hesitation in killing other demons.

UROKODAKI SAKONJI

the retired member of the demon slayer corps who held the position of the previous mizu bashira, being the main cultivator of the water breathing style, urokodaki trained both tomioka, tanjiro, sabito and makomo, as well as others.

『 DESU PARĒDO MUSES 』

DECIM

apparently emotionless and serious, his detached manner of speech and manners suggest that he'd rather not bring any personal feelings to the table, which is possibly due to the fact that he lacks understanding of human emotions. the bartender of quindecim and arbiter for the dead, he deals with people who died at the same time, having the victims to play a game to pass on judgement on the souls for them to either be reincarnated or be sent to the void.

『 WESTWORLD 』

AKANE

created by lee sizemore to be shōgunworld to be the counterpart to maeve millay, akane owns a teahouse that provides adult entertainment. canon div! she goes along with maeve instead of staying.

HECTOR ESCATON

the permanent 'most wanted' bandit host from westworld. terrifying and brutal as a criminal, hector has a dark sense of humour but deep inside has a good heart. canon div! warworld is an actual park and he’s stuck in a new loop.

THERESA CULLEN

former senior manager & head of the head of quality assurance at delos incorporated, she was responsible for westworld's park standards and safety. canon div! she is replaced by a host version of her.

『 ASOIAF MUSES 』

JAIME LANNISTER

a kinight from house lannister and former member of the kingsguard, ser jaime is the twin brother of queen cersei lannister and the true father of her children. despite his erroneous ways and evil deeds, jaime shows some sign of remorse from his actions and choices in life.

JOANNA LANNISTER

member of the house lannister, lady of casterly rock and wife of tywin lannister, mother of cersei, jaime and tyrion, said to be the only one capable of making him smile. canon div! she lived instead of tywin.

MUNDA GIANTSBANE

the daughter of the chief of the free folk tormund giantsbane. she's a skillled warrior, just like the rest of her family.

TAENA OF MYR

beautiful and enticing, everything about her is sultry and has an air of mystery to it - her true motivations are unknown. she is also known as taena merry weather, she's the myrish wife of lord orton merryweather and the lady of longtable. she has one child named russell who she loves very much.

『 GRACE AND FRANKIE MUSES 』

FRANKIE BERGSTEIN

born frances mengela, frankie is sol's ex-wife and the mother of coyote and nwabudiki "bud" bergstein, best-friend/housemate/business partner of grace hanson.

『 HANNIBAL BOOK MUSES 』

LADY MURASAKI

the widowed wife of count robert lecter and aunt of hannibal lecter.

MISCHA LECTER

the youngest daughter of count lecter and simonetta sforza-lecter as well as the younger sister of hannibal lecter, as a little girl mischa was innocent and adored by her parents and protected by her brother. after being captured by a group led by vlad grutas she was apparently killed and eaten by the grup. canon div! the child who was actually eaten was the albanian boy, mischa managed to escape but was heavily wounded, which later resulted on her having a limp. after being adopted by a family loosely related to her mother's family, mischa eventually became a criminal lawyer and keeps the in secret the fact that she's a lecter.

『 HARRY POTTER UNIVERSE MUSES 』

SALAZAR SLYTHERIN

famous for his cunning and determination, salazar was regarded as one of the greatest wizards of the age. particularly skilled in parselmouth and in legilimens, he was one of the four founders of hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry along with godric gryffindor, helga hufflepuff and rowena ravenclaw.

BELLADONNA MONTENEGRO

hogwarts mystery oc. exchange student from castelobruxo, slytherin, same family descent than the blacks. herbology genius.

BELLATRIX LESTRANGE

the dark lord’s right hand, heiress of house black and proud slytherin

『 AHS MUSES 』

BELLE NOIR

the best selling author of erotica novels and notorious seasonal resident of provincetown, has a particular penchant for fresh blood and young men.

FIONA GOODE

mother of cordelia goode & the former supreme of the coven of the witches of salem descent. canon div! she survives after making a deal

『 NINE PERFECT STRANGERS 』

FRANCES WELTY

at first glance, frances is the successful best-selling author with a long career - apparently with no reason to go to tranquilium house to transfor herself, however things are not always what they seem.

TONY HOGBURN

a former legend of the aussie rules football, tony arrives in tranquilium house for the 10-day retreat as a divorced, 56-year-old former athlete who’s not especially close with his three adult kids.

YAO

in the past he was the paramedic who saved masha's life, nowadays he's become an integral member of masha's team at tranquilium house

『 GUEST MUSES 』

MADELINE ASHTON [ DEATH BECOMES HER ]

a vain actress who’s so obsessed with youth and beauty that she agrees to meet a strange woman who’s actually an immortal wich who gives her a potion that grants her similar immortality and eternal youth - however, that immortality comes at a heavy price (moth money wise and not) after she is killed by her husband only to later return in an undead state.

SUSAN COOPER [ SPY ]

despite having a solid field training, susan became a CIA analyst who was, pretty much, desk-bound. it was only after her work partner's (and secret crush) apparent death that she gets involved in field work, going on her first undercover mission to help capture rayna boyanov and avenge bradley.

RICK FORD [ SPY ]

a somewhat grizzled old CIA agent who considers himself to be one of, if not the, the best agents all the while he's the one who's making the mistakes

VIOLET NEWSTEAD [ 9 to 5 ]

a very knowledgable widow who has been working for the consolidated incorporated for solid twelve years and hasn't been given the opportunity to grow thanks to her boss franklin m. hard jr.

DOROTHY ZBORNAK [ THE GOLDEN GIRLS ]

a strong, sarcastic and sometimes intimidating (though, arguably the most grounded of the four women) substitute teacher, daughter of sophia petrillo and ex wife of stan zbornak.

BLANCHE DEVEREAUX [ THE GOLDEN GIRLS ]

an assistant at an art museum in miami, blanche is a vigorous woman who is the definition of a southern belle. though most of her life she was married to her school sweetheart george, after his death blanche opened herself to new possibilities who, for some, could be seem as promiscuity as a desperate search for the next love of her life.

JESSICA FLETCHER [ MURDER SHE WROTE ]

former school teacher, JB became a famous murder-mystery novelist after her nephew grady secretly sent one of her manuscripts to a publisher. she often finds herself an unwilling participant in homicide investigations and her dective skills become well known to the point where she is sometimes called to consult on cases.

LUCILLE SHARPE [ CRIMSON PEAK ]

sharing an horrible and difficult childhood with her brother thomas, they developed a close relationship as they grew older - scamming, so to speak, victims into marrying them only to take their money and kill them afterwards.

REBECCA GORIN [ GHOSTBUSTERS ]

jillian holtzmann's former mentor who joins the ghostbusters team after the events that took place of the ghost apocalypse in the new headquarters, the firehouse. she is that dimension's version of dana barrett.

ABBY YATES [ GHOSTBUSTERS ]

former professor at kenneth p. higgins institute, she along with erin gilbert co-wrote the book Ghosts From Our Past: Both Literally and Figuratively: The Study of the Paranormal. although initially a somewhat laughing stock from her scientist companions for believing in the paranormal, she eventually is proven right when she and erin alongside with patty tolan and jillian witness an event, which prompts the girls to form the ghostbusters.

LILIAN MARKS [ CLAWS ]

the deceased twin sister of polly marks who, sometimes, returns to torment polly's mind. AU where she's not dead but alive and well, just has an odd relationship with her sister.

RIVA [ CLAWS ]

sister of zlata and former leader of the russian mafia. canon!div: she doesn't die but retires.

IRIS SIMPKINS [ THE HOLIDAY ]

a society columnist for the daily telegraph and sister of graham simpkins. she switches houses with amanda woods for two weeks, and ends up changing her entire life

DONNA NOBLE [ DOCTOR WHO ]

later known as the doctor-donna, she was a companion of the tenth doctor and, despite her humble beginnings she became the most important woman in all creation. sadly, because of the metacrisis with the doctor's dna, she cannot remember any of her adventures or her mind will burn and she will die - or will she? canon!div: donna remembers and instead of dying, she regenerates as a fully fleshed timelady.

LINDA DRYSDALE [ KNIVES OUT ]

harlan's eldest child and only daughter, richard's wife and ransom's mother, she's a real estate mogul who'll do just about anything to protect her position.

LYDIA BERMAN [ THUNDER FORCE ]

also known as the hammer, she’s the other half of the thunder force, the genetically enhanced crime fighting a duo that works against the miscreants, lydia is a former construction worker and is the best friend of emily stanton. lydia receives the shots for super strength by accident and, as a result, has to keep on with the treatment otherwise her body won't be able to survive the transformations she goes through.

MEGAN PRICE [ BRIDESMAIDS ]

the groom's blunt, foul-mouthed, but friendly sister, she's one of the women picked by lily to be her bridesmaid. apparently wealthy enough to purchase an 18-wheeler “just because she can", megan works for the government in a high rank. she is quite an intense individual, not shying away about showing her interest in men, and is comfortable on her skin.

#MUSELIST.

1 note · View note

rico-hyuuga · 4 years

Text

Biography:

�� Ryukyu Shinigami

~ Ryo/Ryu

Nickname:

♤ Black Cloud of the Leaf

Age:

♤ Open ( 6-25)

~Defaut 18

Gender:

♤ Male

Affiliation:

♤ Villiage / Kage

Rank:

♤ Unranked

~ Chunin/Jounin skill level

~ Passed ninja academy at age 7

~ Aspiring Anbu

Squad:

♤ Team Senju:

~ Black Ops Squad captain who embodied the First Hokage's will of fire

~ Member of the medical Corp.

Ninja way:

♤ “If it’s for my pride there is nothing I won’t destroy”

Weapons:

♤ Senbon Needles

Summons:

~ Zabimaro (Locust)

~ Zabimaru (Wasp)

Charka:

♤ Lightning Release

♤ Water Release

Notable Techniques:

Secret Black Move: Puppet Master Jutsu

Chakra Network Reconstruction

Mystic Palm Technique

Lightning Armor

Kekkeigenki Chakra:

♤ Shinigami Clan Chakra Seal

♤ Shinigami Clan: Chains of Penance

Lightning Release: Beast Style Rotation

Lightning release :Lightning Flame Bomb

Birthday:

♤ 1 December

Height:

♤ 5'7"

Shoe Size:

♤ 6

Eye Color:

♤ Grey {Normal}

♤ Crimson {doujutsu}

Weight:

♤ 150 lbs

Sexual Orientation:

♤ Gay

~ Bottom ( m-preg possible)

Personlity:

♤ Serious during missions.

♤ Flirtatious

♤ Direct to a point of lacking tact.

♤ Often quick tempered.

♤ Protective and playful with friends.

♤ Loves things to be symmetrical.

♤ Has a weakness for strong males

Story:

Ryukyu is the grandson of the Hyuga elder. He was born to Byakuya Hyuga names in honor of the clan's most powerful jutsu. The son of the former clan head was dispatched to root as the old laws dictated for training. Danzo the head of root heard a rumor of the Cloud adding a thought lost clan to their village. This clan had a jutsu which was said to surpass the Byakugan and rival the Sharingan of the Uchiha. The man dispatched his byakugan user to investigate yet never knew that the man would turn on him.

Byakuya met the heiress to the Shinigami clan and in place of taking her out fell for her spell. The pair planned in secret the wedding and have the clan do back to the leaf. The Hyuga spoke to the hokage getting permission and proceeded to put his plan into a room however he never completed that mission as he was eliminated by root. The leader of the organization feared the worse yet knew nothing. Ryukyu was born of their love and six years later Danzo made his move attacking the clan and wiping them out but not before the clan leader could pass on his grand con's legacy. Yoruichi the daughter of the clan head summoned her wasp sending her child to the only person she could think of the head of the village that they were going to call home.

Leaf:

Ryukyu was sent to the third hokage as he was rumored to be a trusted individual. The Hyuga rejected him as they saw his birth as a disrespect to the clan. The knowledgeable third hokage knew that the shadow figure who orchestrated the elimination of the Shinigami was waiting. Ryukyu was given his father's house and we had constantly to ensure his safety. The Hyuga saw hun as a stain and under the guise of training him to protect himself attempted to take his life. Being killed he adapted to battle quickly learning the moves of his father's clan and defending himself against him. The elder saw his skill and how Ryukyu reminded him of the child he gave away took him in. The half-blood was originally for his father's sake but it grew to real admiration of the skill. The shinigami trained him from birth to be a skilled warrior.

Cloud:

Ryukyu was raised within the cloud afyrt the death of his mothers clan. With the cloud having no eye techniques, they saw hope. The addition of the Shinigami heir and what was left of his clan was thought to usher in a new Era of growth. The young man's training was over seen by Raikage along with the head of the medical Corp.

#rp bio #ryukyu #hidden leaf #bio #biography

20 notes · View notes

oneyanderegirl · 4 years

Text

Dance with the Devil

Genre: One-shot, Romance Rating: T Sasuhina Month 2020 Theme: Day 8 (Dance with the Devil)

A/N: Part of my one-shot series for Sasuhina Month 2020. You can read the other parts by going on my profile and clicking the fanfiction tab. They’re not written in a particular order since they are one-shots that are supposed to work as stand-alones, but there are hints here and there about when and where things take place. Anyways, hope you enjoy! Warnings: Mentions of death.

@sasuhinamonth (In case this doesn’t show up in the tags)

Sasuke did not know when it had started.

Perhaps it had started as early as seven, when his older brother had murdered his entire clan.

Perhaps it had begun when he first defected from the village in search of power.

Or perhaps it had occurred after the Fourth War finally ended, leaving a crumpled world behind.

He did not know.

But Sasuke had gained a reputation ever since he had returned to Konoha.

“ Devil.”

When he walked the streets, he would hear whispers from those that recognized him. They would clear the streets, but he would still hear their panicked voices in fear of his presence. He didn’t mind though. In fact, he had grown used to the nickname.

It allowed him to enjoy his own life in solitude without the worry of interacting with people he didn’t care to interact with. After years of being tormented by the death of his family, Sasuke had finally felt a bit of peace in his life. When the war had finally ended, Sasuke had decided to travel across the land. He explored the world and embraced the things he had learned during his travels. But after two years of travelling, he had felt it was time for him to go back to Konoha.

The place where he had once called it home.

A month had already passed when Sasuke had quietly settled back into the Uchiha estate. Though he had come back in silence, the news of his return had spread loudly across the village. Before he knew it, the civilians had already become afraid of him.

Though they did not outwardly reject him, Sasuke knew they did not accept him. In their eyes, he was a monster. He was a monster who had a part in igniting a war that had ended up killing many people. As long as he had the blood of the Uchiha running through his veins, the people would always be afraid of him. It was something he had learned to accept.

He remembered Itachi’s last wish before he had died. His older brother who he had hated years before the truth had been uncovered, wished for Sasuke to protect Konoha. Though it was Konoha who were the true cause to the Uchiha’s demise, Itachi had still wished for the village to be protected. He could not understand the reasoning behind it. Even after travelling for two years to find the answer, Sasuke still couldn’t quite understand his brother.

But he knew that innocent people did not deserve death, and they did not deserve another war. It was something that Sasuke realized during his travels. As long as there were innocent lives that existed, it was the job of the shinobi to preserve and maintain the peace that surrounded them.

So Sasuke spent most of his time training and working.

He would take on mission after mission. If he was not on a mission, he would be found quietly training on the open fields in the outer areas of the village or within the gates that surrounded the land owned by the Uchiha. The world may have been at peace now, but Sasuke refused to become stagnated.

“ Sasuke-kun!”

A soft voice greeted him.

She had long dark hair that always flowed with the wind. Her skin was as beautiful as the winter snow. With soft pink lips and lavender tinted eyes that reminded him of the moon, she would give off an ethereal presence no matter where she went. She was the only woman that was unafraid of him.

Hinata Hyuga.

His secret penpal during his two year absence front the village.

She was a mysterious one. It was she who had come to him two years ago as she grieved over the death of her cousin, whom she had thought of as a brother. It was her who had requested to exchange letters with him sometime during one of his visits to Naruto. He could never really tell what she was thinking despite wearing her emotions on her sleeve.

Yet he had gone along with everything she did.

“ Are you ready?” He asked.

She nodded her head in response.

And an exchange of blows began.

Truth be told, Sasuke did not mind the woman. Perhaps it was because of their shared pain in losing their brothers that he had understood her irrational actions. It was a desperate attempt for comfort in order to forget the bitterness in their hearts. So he allowed her to have her ways. Even when she had run to him in order to ask that they trained together from time to time, he had allowed it. Hinata never tried to take advantage of his yielding attitude towards her, so he continued to go along with her in return. It was a silent arrangement that worked in both their favors.

Each kick was met with an arm. Each punch was met with a leg. There was no chakra involved nor did they use any jutsu. It was just a physical fight between two users of taijutsu, a combative form of martial arts. It was an agreement they both had made because they understood that anything more would have put her at a disadvantage. The Hyuga were known for their prowess in taijutsu since it was integral with their Bakugan, so they both had decided this would be the training they would do together.

Sasuke was strong, perhaps the strongest person alive in the world, but that was only if he was allowed to use his powers in full. Without them, his power was greatly cut, though that did not mean he was weak. He was still plenty strong without them. That was what training was for after all.

However, Hinata Hyuga was something else.

She lived up to her name as the once former heiress of the clan. Though she was no longer able to become the next clan leader for reasons he did not know, Sasuke knew that she was strong. Though Sasuke was stronger, he was impressed at her strength. Her taijutsu was almost evenly matched against him. What he made up in pure brute strength, she countered it with experience.

It often resulted in an elegant dance between the two.

“ Are you not afraid of me?” He suddenly asked out of curiosity.

Another exchange of blows occurred.

She must have been surprised at his sudden question; he had managed to hit her back, knocking her over a bit. Though it only took a few seconds for her to regain her lost balance before returning his blow with a kick knocking his legs down. Without any hesitation, she looked at him straight in the eye.

“ I was never afraid of you,”

Another kick. Another punch. Another block.

“ Even if I am the Devil himself?”

This time Hinata gave him a smile. She knew of the reputation the villagers had spread about him.

“ Even if you are, I’ll gladly continue this dance with you.”

It was all Sasuke needed to hear to understand the hidden meaning behind her words. Though everyone else may have called Sasuke the Devil, she didn’t seem to care. In her eyes, he was just a man who had suffered too much and needed a sense of peace in his life. In his eyes, she was just a woman who needed comfort to grieve over the death of a loved one. Hinata had made a choice to seek him out, while Sasuke had made a choice to welcome her in his own ways. It was a strange relationship that only the two of them could comprehend. And though Sasuke was not one for words, their sparring sessions were always more than enough for the two to share an understanding with each other.

After all, it was the only kind of dancing they both knew how to do.

#sasuhina #sasuhina month #sasuhinamonth2020 #shmonth2020 #fanfiction #fanfics #writing #AL #personal

34 notes · View notes

needdl · 5 years

Text

NejitenMonth Day Two: Cursed

shhhh i know it’s august.

also available on FFN and AO3

It really, really sucked to be cursed in the modern era.

Of course, any era was considered the modern era when one was living in it, but Tenten meant the technological, Information Age, when being stuck as an admittedly adorable housecat was probably how she'd spend the rest of her life. People just didn't think about magic any more, so it didn't matter what she tried to do to show people she was a human- they just figured she was the smartest cat they'd ever met.

To bad she'd zoned out in calculus so often. Maybe if she knew how to take a derivative people would pay more attention.

Also, she was getting concerned, because she'd noticed her thoughts becoming more catlike over time- suggesting a permanent effect if she couldn't find someone who could change her back in time.

Unfortunately the wayward spell had picked her up and planted her back down someplace very, very far from Ino- who no doubt was feeling panicky and awful over turning her senior into a cat and then vanishing her.

(The situation wasn't Ino's fault, not really, so if Tenten turned human again she'd definitely reassure Ino that she didn't blame her in the least.)

At least Tenten was safe- she'd appeared outside an herb and tea shop owned by a very nice young lady who immediately started feeding her, then adopted her.

She didn't know the woman's name- because the cat brain part of her didn't know or particularly care about human names- but she knew that she was small and soft and had dark hair and kind hands, and always smelled like cinnamon.

She talked to Tenten all the time, stuttering over some words, and it made Tenten think that maybe the woman was a little lonely. The shop saw a lot of business, so the loneliness was a little confusing to Tenten- but there was a difference between having customers and having friends.

How much time had passed since she’d come here? Tenten realized one day that she didn’t know, and the thought made her panic. She spent the night pacing in the shop and yowling at the moon, fighting to remember the distinctive shape of Lee’s eyes, the way Ino tried not to snort when she laughed, the rose-petal shade of Sakura’s hair.

There was a bit of string on the floor. Tenten batted it idly as she passed, then leapt up onto the tallest shelf in the room to sleep.

The woman was running late opening the shop the next morning.

Tenten watched as she walked slowly through the shelves, taking inventory but seemingly in no hurry. It was already two hours after she normally opened.

“Miss Kitty!” Woman called in her quiet voice. Tenten occasionally trailed Woman around the shop when she was preparing to open, but today the lateness of the hour had thrown her off and she’d remained up on her shelf. “Where are… are you?”

Tenten meowed and stood up, tail twitching. Woman looked up at her with a smile. “There you are! Good morning!” She patted her shoulder and Tenten leapt down onto it, sleek and sure. Woman laughed breathlessly, delight painted across her features.

Tenten butted her head against Woman’s chin then jumped down and went to sit next to her food bowl, watching as Woman filled it with choice pieces of meat, then went off to finish inventory. Tenten ate breakfast, then settled in to snooze on a sunny windowsill. She was an attraction to customers, she knew it.

But not today, because apparently Woman wasn’t opening at all. Tenten lazily opened her eyes to watch the woman shuffle through some sheets of paper at the cashier’s desk, chewing her lip and smiling at them. It was a letter, Tenten realized, though she had no idea of the contents.

But she was a cat now. Cats were rude.

With this in mind, Tenten silently jumped off the windowsill and walked over to where Woman was reading the papers. She timed it perfectly so she had restacked all the papers, the first one at the top again, then leapt into the air.

Her paws landed thump-thump-thump on the papers, and she looked up at Woman with a loud, chirping mrrrt!

Woman laughed and raised her hand to pet her, and Tenten twined herself against her fingers in such a way that she was staring down at the near-perfect calligraphy on the letter.

Hinata-sama,

I’m pleased that you’re doing well. Hanabi-sama and I were concerned after we didn’t hear from you for so long, and she was about to go charging after you with or without Hiashi-sama’s permission. You can my imagine my relief when your letters arrived.

As always, anything you should need from the Clan is yours to claim.

Tenten had to stop reading then, because it would have been too long for a cat to stare at a piece of paper, but she had a name for Woman now. Hinata. It was pretty.

She moved suddenly, throwing herself against Hinata’s hands again, this time rustling the papers so the very last paragraphs of the final page was visible to her.

The same script as before continued.

… and if it would suit you, I would like to come visit the shop. I am available the first weeks of March, so please let me know when would be ideal for you. And I’ve no desire to put you out, as I know how small your space is, so I will be staying at one of the town’s inns.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yrs,

Neji Hyuga

So they were to have visitors, then, sometime in early March. Tenten tried to think of what time of the year it was- she’d been cursed in late October, and had been with Hinata through the New Year, and these past couple days there had been many customers coming to buy a tea blend for the upcoming Hana Matsuri festival…

No. No, that couldn’t be right, because then that would mean Tenten had been cursed for almost five months now. And she couldn’t- that was so long- surely someone would have found her by then-

The door chimed as someone stepped in, and Hinata looked up from her peaceful cat petting with a wide smile. “N- Neji-niisan!”

Well, that was damning. It was officially early March, and Tenten had spent nearly half a year as a cat.

The man who entered and smiled at Hinata’s greeting was undeniably her brother, as she so addressed him. He was slightly above average height for a man, which meant he towered over his sister, with a build that suggested he exercised regularly. His eyes were shaped exactly like Hinata’s, though the color was more gray than lavender, and his hair was long and dark and tied in a knot at the base of his neck.

He was very, very handsome.

Tenten realized she wasn’t having a terribly cat-ish reaction to his entrance- she should jump off the desk, maybe, and then slink off- but the man hadn’t noticed her yet, instead taking long strides and meeting Hinata in the middle of the room to hug her. Tenten sat down on the letter to watch as they interrupted each other through half a conversation, asking each other about the shop and the Clan and Hanabi and how have you been? No, how have you been? No, how have you-

It was the politest non-argument Tenten had ever seen, and highly entertaining to watch, but the man caught sight of her on the desk and went stock-still. His previously happy expression went terrifyingly blank, and he said in a low voice, “Hinata. What is that.”

Hinata turned to look at her, bewildered. “The… cat?”

“That is not a cat,” he replied, stepping in front of her and throwing out a protective arm. “That is something wearing a cat. What the hell is it doing here-”

“She’s, she’s a cat! She’s my cat. I ca-call her Miss Kitty!”

“Hinata, I do not believe for one second that your withdrawal from the Hyuga Clan has left you this oblivious. Just Look at her and you’ll see it.”

“You didn’t Look, I- I don’t see why you’re, you’re so sure ab-about Miss Kitty!”

“I am not so casual in my use of our family’s talents that they can be seen so easily.”

Hinata scowled at him. “F-fine.” She turned her gaze to Tenten, who had been watching and doing her best to swallow her panic. She hadn’t done anything wrong, just tried to make the best of her situation, but the man’s conviction that she meant harm to his sister did not bode well for her.

Hinata tilted her head, and suddenly it felt to Tenten like the universe was funneling its gaze into the shop, holding its breath. Hinata blinked, and when she opened her eyes they were ice white, veins at her temples bulging and magic swirling at her fingertips.

Tenten blinked at her as all the fur along her spine wrenched itself upright and her tail puffed out.

Hinata looked at Tenten for mere milliseconds before gasping and staggering back against her brother, who caught her with a grim look. He did not seem pleased to have been proven right.

Hinata’s magic faded, and the universe sighed and looked away once more.

But things in the little herb shop remained just as chaotic. The man shoved Hinata behind him again and barked, “What are you?”

How the hell did he expect her to respond to that? She could only speak in cat. She glared at him, fur still poofed, and tried to telepathically communicate to him that he was an idiot.

Apparently some of her message got through, because his tight expression darkened into a glower. Hinata peeked over his shoulder, chewing her lip, and muttered, “She’s-she’s been with me for… for months, Neji-niisan; I-I think if sh-she intended ha-harm… harm, she would have al-already done s… so.”

Tenten meowed hesitantly in affirmation. The man looked like he’d swallowed a lemon, but relaxed his stance slightly. Tenten didn’t doubt for a moment that he’d be ready to defend his sister again at any second.

Some time later, Hinata had dug out some old spell books (and Tenten was kicking herself for not realizing that the former heiress of the Hyuga Clan had taken her in, of all people) and she and her brother were poring over them as they discussed the situation. Tenten was watching from her assigned perch on Hinata’s windowsill- Neji had herded her over there and told her to stay, then Hinata had absently scratched her chin and said “Please” so Tenten had agreed to it.

Neji had tied up his hair to the top of his head, and Tenten was trying not to think about what it was doing to his cheekbones and jawline, because he was still an asshole no matter how good-looking he was. “I think we should use the truth spell first. We can find out her intentions.”

“O-only if we ask if she knows anything that might reverse the spell and help her.” Hinata pushed the sentence out all in one breath, which seemed to improve her stutter but did nothing for her lungs. She panted as she stared at her brother, wide-eyed.

After a long moment, he muttered, “Fine,” and averted his gaze. Hinata gave him a wide-eyed, half disbelieving look of smugness. Tenten laughed in cat.

They performed the truth spell, and Tenten felt it sink slowly into her, settling along her veins and rushing along with her heart. Neji scowled at her and asked, “What are you, who are you, and why are you here?”

This idiot. Tenten scowled back and snapped. “How the fuck am I supposed to answer that, genius? In cat?”

All of which came out in perfect speech.

He looked insufferably smug. “As if I would overlook such a detail in circumstances like this.”

“Yeah, and did you include the part about making it compulsory for me to respond to all you questions?” Even as she snarked him, Tenten appreciated the warm cadences of her voice after not hearing it for so long.

His silence after her question was very telling. She twitched her whiskers in a cat-grin and told him, “Fortunately I would like to get out of this situation just as much as you would have me out of your sisters house. Ask me your questions and I shall answer to my best knowledge.”

Hinata cut in quietly, “What is your name?”

“Tenten. No surname."

"What are you?" Neji asked, sending Hinata a quelling look. Clearly he had told her that he'd do the questioning.

"Human." She considered them carefully, then added "A sorceress. I study at the Senju Academy for Magical Beings."

"Oh!" Delight painted Hinata's features. "Do you know Naruto Uzumaki?"

Tenten thought of the last time she physically threw Naruto out of a lab for being disruptive. "Yes."

Neji cut in again. "How did a sorceress come to be caught in this enchantment?"

"What, you think I did this on purpose?" She glared. "I was practicing with one of my tutor students and she misspoke and then redirected a spell. An accident."

Neji did not look satisfied, but the truth spell did not flare to indicate a lie. "How did you come here? The Academy is on the other side of the world."

“I’m not sure. I would conjecture that it was part of the spell mispronunciation. I was transported to this town and took shelter in the alley outside. Hinata found me and took me in.” She paused, and gave Hinata her best thankful look. “Thank you, by the way.”

Hinata ducked her chin and blushed, smiling at the ground. “You- you’re very welcome, Tenten-san.”

“And your intentions here?”

“Well- not none, exactly. To remain alive and healthy. I wish to be reverted back to my natural form and to be home again.” Tenten wrapped her tail around her paws and tilted her head up to meet his icy gaze. "I mean no harm to any here."

He considered for many long moments, then nodded once.

"Very well. Hinata, what do you remember about transformation spells? I was never taught much about them."

"W-well, usually you say the… the spell backwards. T-Tenten-san, do you r… recall how it went?"

Tenten frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe I can figure out parts of it. How long will my speech ability last?"

"Another hour," Neji muttered. He was flipping through a spellbook, but looked up to meet her eyes. "I can redo it if needed."

"All right." Tenten hopped down from the windowsill and stretched, back arching. Out of habit she leaned against Hinata's hands to be petted, and out of habit Hinata scratched her chin. They both recognized the silliness of the situation of the same time, and Tenten snickered over Hinata self-conscious giggle.

"Per-perhaps when you are… are back to normal, Tenten-san, I c-can stay with-with you and contin- continue to give chin scratches."

"Heavens know I'll need it, after being a cat for so long." Tenten let out a mrrrt of amusement.

Neji just scowled at them both with a skeptical eye.

The mood was considerably heavier seven hours later, when all attempts had failed to get Tenten back to her human form.

Hinata was leaning tiredly against the wall after casting all the spells, knees drawn up to her chin as she watched Neji mutter furiously to himself over a spell book. The last speech spell on Tenten had worn off half an hour ago but no one had seen the point in replacing it, so Tenten was seated next to Neji on the ground, staring into space.

The first counterspell hadn't done anything at all, not that they had really expected it to, and each attempt after that had seemed better and better. But four spells in and they'd hit a rut, and had made no further progress in an hour.

Hinata’s fourth spell had caused magic to go sinking into Tenten's bones and had seemed truly promising, but when nothing further happened they had no idea how to progress from there. All the possible iterations of the spell that Tented could recall were scrawled out on various pieces of paper around the room, rustling in the night breeze.

Neji suddenly sat back with a curse, startling both of them. He rubbed at his eyes and said, "It seems like it should be much easier." Tenten nodded.

"I think we-we should wrap up for th-the night," Hinata said. “Miss Kit- um, T-Tenten, are you- you still comfortable wi-with sleeping here? I don’t… I don’t have anoth-er bed-”

“She can stay with me in the inn,” Neji didn’t even look up from his book. “My room has the space, plus I can monitor the spellwork throughout the night. You need to rest.” She did look pale and drawn, after doing all the casting that day.

Hinata was about to protest- and Tenten herself wasn’t sure about how she felt about staying with this man, who was admittedly less of an asshole now that he trusted her more but was still a stranger- but Neji cut her off and said, “There’s an extra futon in my room.” Tenten bit back a laugh at the idea of one smallish cat having an entire futon to herself and gave Hinata a nod. She chewed her lip before nodding in agreement.

Soon after, Tenten was loping along at Neji’s feet as he strode down the street towards his inn, face carefully blank. It was late enough that there were very few people on the street, and Tenten’s dark fur was easily just a part of the shadows.

Just outside the inn, Neji paused and furrowed his brow. “They are unlikely to let pets in, and my room is several stories up.”

Tenten looked at him. He didn’t have a bag or anything to hide her in… He cleared his throat and undid the tie in his hair so it flowed over his shoulders.

Oh. Tenten understood what he was doing now. (To herself, she noted that this hairstyle change also looked really good on him, but whatever.)

He cleared his throat, again, and awkwardly indicated to her that she should climb onto his shoulder. She jumped up easily and tried not to use her claws to keep her balance. His shoulders were very broad and muscular, so it was relatively easy.

He shifted his neck and she slinked underneath his curtain of hair, shifting so she was fully covered. Fortunately, she was not a big cat. Or even a medium-sized cat. She was barely larger than a kitten, actually.

Neji’s skin was warm and he smelled slightly of men’s shampoo and conditioner, and as he made his way upstairs Tenten found herself fighting back a purr.

She realized, as Neji scanned his key card, that this was undoubtedly the nicest inn in town, and one of the nicest rooms. Clearly the Hyuga was accustomed to a certain level of comfort.

Lousy rich bastards, all of them, Tenten thought, flexing her claws a little in Neji’s neck. Except Hinata, she amended. They entered the room, and she pushed off his shoulder to thump onto the floor.

“Very well,” he murmured. He reached out and turned on the lights, and Tenten stared at the elegant decor of the room. “I’m going to prepare for bed. I don’t suppose you need me to fold out the futon, do you?”

Tenten responded by leaping lightly onto it and settling in with her paws tucked underneath her, then blinking up at him. He nodded once and gave her the ghost of a smile, then went into the bathroom and closed the door.

Tenten was asleep when he came back out, so he turned off the lights and quietly went to bed.

The clock struck three, and Tenten rolled off the futon with a loud clatter.

Startled, she blurted, “What the hell?” and shoved herself onto her feet, staggering as she went up. Why was it so hard to balance all the sudden? It was like her tail wasn’t following directions-

Aha. She no longer had a tail, because she’d turned back into a human. Her own body, as a matter of fact.

There was the sound of movement by the bed and the light suddenly clicked on. Neji sat calmly in the bed, arms raised and gun pointing steadily at her head. Tenten was almost too busy being blinded by the sudden brightness to recognize the threat.

Hastily she blurted, “Neji-san, it’s me. Tenten.”

He responded by cocking the gun. “Talk fast.”

“About what, asshole? I don’t know what happened. Maybe one of the counterspells partially took hold earlier and just finished setting in.”

Not one bit of an expression crossed his face as he calmly recited the incantation for the truth spell. Tenten rolled her eyes, “Seriously-”

“Start again,” he snapped.

“Fine, fine. God. It’s me, Tenten, the person you were working on all day yesterday to help me out of the cat spell. I intend no harm to you or your sister.”

“Hinata is my cousin.”

“Really?” She blinked at him, curious, but his dark expression dissuaded her from asking any more questions. “Okay, whatever. I intend no harm to you or your cousin.” He relaxed minutely, and she couldn’t help but snark, “Paranoid much?”

“I am rightfully cautious.” He set the gun back under his pillow, suddenly avoiding looking at her. “Let me get you some clothes.”

His slight blush as he said it made her quirk a brow, but as she reconsidered her new (slash old) body, she realized what had him so hot and bothered. Cats didn’t wear clothes, after all, and it stood to reason that she wouldn’t have any when she transformed back.

So she’d been steadily showcasing her fully nude figure to him for the past couple of minutes. Nice.

Tenten beat back her embarrassment and accepted the loose shirt and pants he offered her. She pulled on the shirt first, tugging her hair out of the collar so it could fall over her shoulders (it was longer than when she’d first been transformed, which was interesting), then the pants, tying the drawstring tightly so they wouldn’t slip off her waist.

“Done.” At her indication, Neji turned back towards her, still blushing slightly. It reminded her of Hinata, which made her bite back a smile. But he straightened up, taller than her by a good few inches, and she was reminded that in some very crucial ways, he and Hinata were quite different.

“I expected you to be shorter, frankly,” he told her. She blinked at him, surprised by how menial the statement was, and he grimaced slightly. “You’re very small as a cat.”

“Oh. Yeah, and I’m pretty tall for a human woman.” She grinned at him, rejoicing in the feeling.

He nodded once, giving her a twitch of his lips in return, then asked, “So what happened?”

They were deep into discussion some time later, sitting on the bed and talking with their heads bent close together about the various phrases they had used earlier, scribbling out ideas for what had happened with Ino’s spell in the first place, when the clock chimed four, and Tenten was a cat again.

She was midspeech when her words suddenly turned into meows, and after a moment spent staring in befuddlement at the pile of clothes she was engulfed in, she hissed in disappointment. Neji stared at her, one hand frozen mid-reach to assist her.

After a moment, he sat back and sighed, pinching his brow. “Well, as we thought, it’s not permanent. It seems you were human just for the witching hour.”

Tenten, struggling out of the pile of his clothing, chirped in agreement. He looked at her and gave her a tired smile. “I’ll clean this up. You should get some more rest; we’ll tell everything to Hinata in the morning and maybe send a message to the Academy.”

Tenten nodded in understanding, then in a moment that truly showed how much she’d warmed to him, butted her head against his arm before jumping off the bed and padding over to the futon to sleep.

She didn’t look back at him as she walked away, but if she had, she might have seen the fleetingly pleased smile he gave her.

The next morning, over tea, Neji explained to Hinata the events of the night before. Tenten mostly zoned out, watching the refined movements of both of them through their elaborate ceremony.

They probably didn’t even realize they were doing it, but somewhere between having good manners and Neji showing respect to the heiress they were getting nowhere with the conversation.

But rather than cutting in, Tenten just laid down in the patch of sunlight creeping across the floor and allowed her eyes to close.

She was drowsing happily, a purr rumbling in her chest, when Neji gently nudged her awake by setting his hand on her narrow shoulder blades. She snapped her eyes open with a brrrp?

His mouth twitched again in what she’d come to realize was him hiding a smile. “Hinata went to open up shop. We agreed to go through the spellwork again later, and I sent a message to the Academy about your situation.”

Tenten nodded and arched her back under his hand as he absentmindedly stroked her fur for a few seconds, then seemed to remember himself and began packing away Hinata’s tea set. Tenten slinked out of the room and down into the shop, settling into the windowsill by the street and blinking out at the people passing by.

After a few minutes, she realized that the group of young women across the street weren’t window shopping like she originally thought, but staring into the herb shop and giggling. Tenten half-turned to see what had captivated their attention and was greeted by the sight of Neji, a staff apron over his business casual clothes and his hair in a low bun, stocking one of the shelves.

If Tenten were seven years younger and surrounded by her groups of friends, she’d probably giggle admiringly at him too.

But she wasn’t, she was twenty-three and also stuck as a cat, so instead she rolled onto her back in the sun and purred.

Customers flowed in and out of the shop as always, chatting with Hinata and trying to chat with a flat-expressioned Neji. Some of them offered her pets and some of them tried to get her to bat at pieces of string, but it was hard for her to pretend to be a cat again after being so close to reversing the spell.

After she couldn’t handle the cooing and baby talk any longer, she climbed up to the highest shelf to sulk and watch the crowd.

Mid-afternoon, with the sun at its highest peak and the heat nearly unbearable, not many people were shopping. Tenten waited until she was certain the rumble had quieted until further notice, then leapt down on an unsuspecting Hinata’s shoulder.

She startled minutely, but it wasn’t the first time it had happened and she quickly regained her bearings and smiled happily. “H-hello, Tenten-san. We’re about to… to have some lunch.” Tenten mao-ed and climbed down Hinata’s back to follow her to the cashier’s desk, where Neji had pulled out bento boxes.

Tenten sprawled out on the countertop as they ate quietly and discussed the sales that morning- Neji seemed very interested in Hinata’s business experience so far, and she was happy to oblige him.

Tenten, with nothing to contribute- and no way to contribute- idly hooked her claws through a bit of fish Neji was mostly ignoring, then ate it.

He gave her an offended look, and she presented him with a happy-cat face and purred.

Some of the giggling young women from earlier had worked up the courage to come in the shop after lunch. Three of them fumbled their way through a conversation with Neji- who was more gracious about it than Tenten would have given him credit for- while a fourth petted Tenten with laser-like intensity, occasionally looking up at Neji and going crimson.

It was very sweet, and they all left with some tea and essential oils that they had asked Hinata about, very earnestly and excitedly. Tenten was feeling quite fond of all of them when they left, and licked the fingertips of the shy petter before she departed- startling a giggle from her.

The three of them were all in a happy mood when they closed up the shop and went up to Hinata’s apartment, and it was with a hopeful air that they pulled out their spellbooks and settling into magic.

They hadn’t yet heard back from the Academy, but Neji said that when he’d sent the note via a transportation spell, he’d received an audio spell saying that the Academy was currently in the midst of overhauling its message system and that it might take a couple days to respond to any messages, thank you for your understanding. So for now they were on their own.

But Tenten was already feeling much more hopeful- even if she didn’t transform briefly again tonight, she had two very intelligent magic users working with her now. Her odds were looking better and better.

One speech spell later and she was rattling through all the transformation spells she’d been forced to memorize in her undergraduate work, as Hinata took rapid notes and chewed her lip. Neji was staring through Tenten, a slight furrow between his brows.

Once Tenten couldn’t remember any more spells, they picked through them all to see if they had any common words or phrases that Ino may have used. They consulted more spellbooks, though at this point they’d read most of them to the point of memorization, and Hinata once more cast numerous counterspells that left Tenten feeling pretty damn magicked but did not change her back to human.

When Hinata was almost asleep on her feet- Tenten wasn’t sure why Neji didn’t cast, but she’d wager almost anything it had to do with the Hyuga branch system- Neji herded his cousin into bed, shut off all the lights, and locked up the shop before he and Tenten once more retired to his rooms for the night.

Tenten woke up freezing cold and unsure as to why. It was only about eleven o’clock, and she was still a cat, but her fur wasn’t warming her and it felt like she was being turned to ice from the inside out.

Somehow, she managed to stumble across the room and leap onto Neji’s bed, batting at him to get his attention. He startled awake, one hand going to the gun once again carefully tucked under the pillow before he realized, “Tenten?”

He was a beacon of warmth and she threw herself against him, trembling.

He raised a cautious hand to her back and said sharply, “You’re freezing.” He lifted her up- which was very disconcerting, he hadn’t done that before- and settled her against his chest, arms around her and slowly seeping warmth back into her.

“It might be part of a spell. Is this helping?” She nodded and tucked her head under his chin, trying to leech as much warmth off of him as she could. They sat in silence for a few minutes as Tenten’s internal temperature righted itself, and Neji murmured, “I’m sorry you have to experience this.”

Tenten let out an almost silent noise in response. He continued, “If I were better at casting, or at the practical applications of transformations spells-” Irritated by his doubts, Tenten reached up and smacked his chin with her paw.

He let out a startled grunt, then muttered “Point taken.”

Another few minutes passed in silence, and Tenten found herself feeling warm and sluggish. She slowly began falling asleep against Neji’s chest. After a moment of softly calling her name and her ignoring him, he laid back down in bed with her on his chest.

He stroked his hand down her spine. “Maybe I should get a cat after all this. A non-cursed one.” She responded by nestling her face against his neck and starting to purr.

In their relief at settling her back down (and conquering the coldness curse- take that, curse!) they forgot that Tenten might possibly transform back again that night, completely naked.

So it was with much embarrassment from both of them when the clock struck three, and Neji found himself cradling Tenten against his chest, his hand splayed across her bare lower back and her face pressed against his neck, short, sweet breaths puffing against his skin.

Most incriminatingly, her leg was draped over his waist and between his own, a warm weight against him.

It was definitely a position that screamed “post-coital intimacy!” despite the fact that Neji was fully clothed and under the covers.

They separated from each other with a lot of awkward stammering and averted gazes, and Neji hastily offered Tenten the blankets, which she yanked over her chest. They sat in silence for a few moments, staring determinedly in opposite directions as their flushes faded.

Neji cleared his throat a few times, but never said anything after, seemingly unable to think of the words. After a few minutes, Tenten muttered, “Uh, sorry. Didn’t think that one through.”

“It’s… fine.” They peered at each other out of the corner of their eyes, made eye contact, and immediately looked away again. Tenten coughed.

Finally, she said, “So which spell do you think affected my internal temperature?” and some of the tension broke. Neji was much better at spell theory than he gave himself credit for, and his fascination with the subject shone through when he discussed it.

He’d been talking for several minutes straight about the ways to conjugate some words that completely changed their meanings when he noticed the smile she was giving him. “What is it?”

“Nothing.” She bit her lip in an effort to tone down the smile. “You’re just really smart.”

“Thank you,” he said immediately, barely even registering her statement. It was obviously a compliment he was used to receiving. Tenten pouted a little, put off by his easy brush off as he continued his lecture. She wanted his focus on her.

He had grabbed the notepad and pen off his nightstand to illustrate the point he was talking about when she decided the best way to get his attention was to lean over and kiss him.

God, I hope I’ve been reading these signals correctly, she thought to herself, parting her mouth slightly so their lips fit together. She was gratified a few moments later when there was the soft touch of a hand cupping her jaw, and Neji’s mouth moved against hers. She smiled into the kiss, inordinately pleased.

They pulled away gently, grinning at each other. Neji ducked his chin a little, looking almost shy, and Tenten breathlessly giggled. “That was nice.”

“Y-yes, it was.” He flicked his tongue over his bottom lip and her eyes tracked the motion. “Do you- that is-” She tilted her head and smiled at him, that same fond smile as before she’d kissed him. He seemed to struggle for words.

“When- when your curse is broken.” He paused and stared at her.

She raised her brows, still smiling, and he rushed on.

“Once you’re back at the Academy- well, I travel a lot, on behalf of the Hyuga Clan, and if I’m in the area…”

“Yes,” she said immediately.

He grinned. Tenten noticed he had the beginning of a dimple forming on one cheek and wondered why she hadn’t seen it before, then realized he’d never smiled so much or so widely at her.

“Yes?”

“Yes, I’d like for you to visit. Or- I’d like to keep seeing you. I guess I don’t know for sure what direction you were going with that.”

The grin crooked into a teasing smirk. “Perhaps I was going to ask if you would travel abroad each time I was there so I could avoid you.”

“HA!” She snorted. “Yeah right. I’m hot, smart, funny, and I’m into you.”

She thought on it a moment, then added, “Plus I’m under a really interesting curse. I’m basically your dream girl.”

He leaned forward and kissed her again. “True enough.” The rough edge in his voice as he murmured it made goosebumps erupt over her skin- except no, not just that, because the clock had struck four and Tenten was a cat.

Neji scowled and sat back in bed. “I really was hoping we had it this time.” Tenten nodded, then realized he probably wouldn’t be kissing her like that for the next twenty-three hours and her mood instantly flipped to the “enraged” side of the spectrum.

“FUCK,” she said loudly. Astonishingly enough, it was in perfect human speech. They gaped at each other.

Neji’s brow furrowed. “Can you… speak?”

“I dunno.” Tenten replied, then paused. “”Hm, I guess I can.” She grinned brightly up at him- as much as a cat could, anyway. “Progress!”

He smiled and stroked her head. “Progress.”

Hinata delighted in talking to Tenten the next morning, and Tenten found great joy in hearing the sound of her own voice again. She talked brightly with both Hyuga cousins about their own work in spells, their personal lives, their interests, anything she could think of.

(There was a certain undercurrent of affection between her and Neji that hadn’t existed the day before, and it made Tenten feel very soft and melt-y.)

It sucked when they had to open the shop and Tenten had to go back to just being a cat. She amused herself by following Neji around and twining herself around his ankles while he tried to walk. After the third time he almost stumbled, he scooped her up and placed her on his shoulder, where she happily cuddled herself against his neck and purred loudly during his conversations with customers.

They closed for lunch again, and while Hinata was doing some quick restocking Neji plucked Tenten off his shoulder, looked her in the eye, and told her sagely, “You are very annoying.”

She laughed. “Thanks, I try very hard.”

He pursed his lips and set her down on the counter, fighting a smile.

They ate lunch in the back room. Halfway through their meal and conversation about which laptop was best for a work device, there was a pounding on the shop door. Hinata frowned and went to answer, then suddenly shrieked. There was a loud thumping of footsteps and a figure burst through the door to the backroom.

It leapt through the air and towards Tenten, and she was just about to see if she could summon a sword or two to stab it when the very air screamed and the figure yanked to a stop.

Hinata stood with one palm thrust forward, a snarl on her face and her eyes a terrifying white.

Tenten’s tiny cat chest heaved as she gasped for breath, staring at Hinata around Neji’s arm- because he’d leapt in front of her to protect her, she realized. Once her heart rate had calmed slightly, (and her fur had smoothed down, she hadn’t realized she’d puffed herself up defensively but indeed she had) she leaned around Neji to see the attacking figure.

The second she saw the green color, she groaned. “Lee, for fuck’s sake.”

Lee, bug-eyed and frozen mid-leap as he reached to hug her, let out a muffled grunt of Emotions™.

“I know him,” She told Neji and Hinata. “He’s a graduate student at the Academy too. We’ve known each other forever. He’s just excitable; sorry about that, Hinata.”

Hinata turned that skin-crawling gaze upon her for a few seconds, then lowered her palm. Lee hit the floor with a thump and immediately sprang to his feet, yelling, “Tenten! You’re okay! We’ve found you!” over and over until he’d wrapped his huggy octopus arms around her and was weeping into her fur.

Normally she’d roll her eyes and snap at him for being dramatic, but she’d been missing for almost six months and was just as glad to see him. A purr rumbled up from her chest and she did nothing to quiet it.

Lee wiped his eyes on his sleeve and said, “Is that- are you purring?”

“Yep.”

“That’s adorable.”

“Thanks.” She started grooming his eyebrow, which made him squawk and toss her back onto the countertop. She landed neatly, laughing at him.

She realized abruptly that Neji, standing behind the pair of them, was giving her a look that screamed “Introductions and explanations, now”. She twitched her whiskers at him in a cat-smile and said, “Lee, these are my friends Hinata and Neji. Hinata adopted me as a cat before she knew I was cursed, and Neji’s been instrumental in making progress on a counterspell.”

The three of them looked at each other, Lee with great joy and Hinata with caution. Neji was expressionless but still managed to exude skepticism.

Tenten gave him as close as she could to a pleading look, and his shoulders softened slightly. “Lee-san, were you sent from the Academy?”

“Correct!” Lee gave him a thumbs up and a bright grin. “I am something of a forward scout, sent to find Tenten and check on her situation before I bring her home!” He turned that smile onto Tenten and she purred, feeling very fond of him.

Lee continued, “I will send notice to our friends and professors at the Academy, as we were all in a panic, and if it is all right with you, Hinata-san, I will direct them here to help with undoing the course.” He looked apologetic. “I am something of a failure when it comes to most spellcasting.”

Hinata instantly warmed to him at his self put-down. “O-oh, I’m sure… sure you’re no-t, Lee-san.”

“Yes he is,” Tenten chimed in, leaping onto Neji’s shoulder and settling into her favorite spot against his neck. She would miss it when she was human again and too big to wedge into it. “Lee’s awful at everything except self-directed combat magic, at which he excels in to a ridiculous amount.”

She thought on it a moment, whiskers twitching against Neji’s skin, then added, “Probably the best in the world.”

“NO!” Lee’s bellow made Hinata take half a step back. “GAI-SENSEI IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD, TENTEN HOW COULD YOU EVEN SAY THAAAAAT!”

"Because you've surpassed him, dummy," Tenten said conversationally. "Whatever. Lee, is there another team on its way after you?"

He sniffed and wiped at his eyes. "Yes. They should be here by this evening." He scrunched up his nose. "Ah! I must secure some accommodations for us all. Hinata-san, can you recommend an inn that accept about five other people?"

"O-oh! Of co-course, Lee-san. L-let me pull… pull out my ma-p…" Her voice trailed off as she and Lee headed to the office, Lee's bright, amicable chatter pausing every so often for Hinata's slow murmur.

Neji tensed like he wanted to go after them, but Tenten gently pricked his shoulder with her claws. "Lee's the nicest person in the world. One time he stepped on a worm and cried for twenty minutes."

He turned his head slightly so she could see his smile in profile. "Maybe I'm concerned on his behalf. Hinata is very fierce."

Tenten couldn't stop a laugh from bubbling up. "I can't think of one circumstance in which Hinata would be fierce."

"Protecting the people she cares about," he told her, and reached up to stroke her head.

Lee came back over to the shop after he had rented the rooms at the inn and “helped” them with the last few shopping hours of the day, meaning he stopped every few seconds to exclaim over a product he loved. It actually wound up being a huge help in selling said products, and he and Hinata got along splendidly.

(Neji was still a little skeptical of him.)

Right after closing, there was a loud, brisk knock on the door- the back door, which was ominous. Hinata went to answer it- somewhat cautiously, and given what had happened with Lee last time Tenten didn’t blame her.

Tsunade Senju’s impressive figure stood in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest and her fingers drumming against her bicep. Her eyes darted down to meet Hinata’s, and she smirked.

“Hyuga-sama. It’s been some time.”

Hinata numbly shook her hand. “Is th-that- have we m-met?”

“You may not remember,” Tsunade responded carelessly. “You were only a kid. You and your father were visiting the Academy so he could consult with us about the information we had on the Hyuga Clan’s history when we were expanding the library. You disappeared for three hours and we found you in the garden happily digging up our flowerbeds with the Inuzuka and Aburame heirs.”

Hinata was staring at her wide-eyed, but her eyes gleamed at the mention of the other clans. “Kiba and Shino!”

“That’s right.” Tsunade grinned. “Now, I heard you’ve picked up an errant grad student of mine.”

Hinata was quick to welcome Tsunade upstairs, and then fifteen minutes later welcome Shizune Katō, Shikaku Nara, Sakura Haruno, and Ino Yamanaka.

Ino immediately launched herself at Tenten, bawling her eyes out and dampening her fur. (Behind her, the others were quietly going around with introductions). Tenten just sat in Ino’s embrace awkwardly until she pulled back, wiped at her eyes, and wailed, “TENTEN I’M SO GLAD I DIDN’T KILL YOOOOOOUUUU-”

“I am too,” Tenten told her. “And all things considered, it hasn’t been awful. Most people like cats.”

Ino sniffled. “Well, then, I’m glad to have provided you with a new experience.” She sat down primly, already over it, and Tenten grinned.

Tsunade slapped her palm down on the table. “All right, let’s get to work. Tenten, Ino said you were tutoring her through a transformation spell on some Daphnia. She stumbled with the wording, redirected the magic, and poof. Cat.”

Tenten nodded, flicking her eyes up to watch Neji as he entered the room with a tea set and began pouring for their guests. He half glanced at her and she blinked slowly at him, then turned back to Tsunade as she ruminated on the spellwork.

Hinata had been sitting off to the side, a little squashed in the small room, chewing her lip in anxiety. She swallowed hard and said, “P-p-pardon me-me, Tsu-Tsunade-sama.” Tsunade turned her head to show she was listening. “Neji-niisan and… and I have been work-working with Tenten-san t-to develop… develop a c-counterspell. I-I have the… the folder here…” She drew it out and passed it down the line of Sakura, Shizune, Tsunade.

Tsunade snapped it open to peruse, handing the sheets to Shikaku once she’d finished reading them. He skimmed them with a much more analyzing eye than she did, then grunted, “Ino, you have your drafts of the exact words you used, right? These are almost all the way there, we just need the last push.”

“Yep.” Ino fished around in her boob pocket and pulled out a startlingly crisp sheet of paper. “I added more swearing to my most recent draft. For realism.”

“You’re a fuckin’ poet, kid,” he grunted, taking the paper. Ino grinned. “Thanks.”

Shikaku spread out all the pieces of paper and pulled a pen out of his pocket, then- after a beat- muttered, “Ah, shit,” and pulled out a pair of reading glasses. He put them on, grumbling.

Ino laughed loudly. “Shikaku-ojisan is old!”

“I am forty-six,” he told her. “Your dad’s forty-seven, go bother him instead.”

“He’s not here, is he?” Ino shot back.

Tsunade interjected, “For fuck’s sake, could you two focus for three minutes? Between the two of you shit-talking each other we haven’t gotten a second of peace this entire trip.”

“I’m contractually obligated to bother him as much as possible,” Ino chirped. “Part of the Ino-Shika-Cho agreement.”

Sakura squinted at her suspiciously. “You’ve never deliberately annoyed Chōza like that in your life.”

Ino seemed offended at the very idea. “Of course not! Chōza’s super nice.”

“Brat,” Shikaku muttered. He scrawled something out on a new piece of paper and slid it towards Ino. “Try this one.”

She looked stunned. “Me?”

“Yes.”

“What- I’m sure I’m not the best caster here-”

“You’re the original caster, so it’ll be most effective coming from you,” Shizune said, somewhat unexpectedly. Usually her presence alongside Tsunade’s was to keep her on track and mostly sober. Abruptly Tenten remembered that she was Ino’s undergraduate counselor- a rare role for Shizune, and one she volunteered for. “Go ahead, magelet. Sound it out first.”

Ino stared at her for a few more seconds, eyes wide, before a determined scowl made its way across her face and she ducked her chin to read the paper. After a beat, she said carefully,

“!KCAB EMOC !KCUF -dnes t’now I ﹑ti nmad ﹑gnitsac llits m’I ﹑on -dnes ll’I ﹑siht xif nac I ﹑oN !NETNET !netneT -naem t’ndid I ﹑kcuf -netneT ﹑oN ؟netneT ﹑thgir -ainhpaD siht mrofsnart ﹑tish ﹑tiaw ﹑on -ym mrofsnarT

:htraE fo serutaerC dnA

tsiM fo stiripS”.

There was a pause, and Ino took a breath. “Geez, that’s a mouthful.”

She looked up just in time to see Neji drape a blanket over Tenten to protect her modesty. She looked tired and a little worn, but she gave her junior a grin and said, “Hey.”

“Hey,” Ino replied, a little stunned. Suddenly she grinned and said, “Wow! First try!”

“Nice one,” Tenten agreed. She looked a little self-conscious under everyone’s scrutiny, pulling the edges of the blanket tighter over her chest.

Hinata looked like she had just as much secondhand embarrassment. “Tenten-san, wou-would you… like to b-borrow something to-to wear?”

“Yes, please,” she muttered. Hinata stood up and she followed, wrapping the blanket around herself awkwardly so as not to trip. Neji watched them leave with sharp focus, eyes fixed to the back of Tenten’s head.

Meanwhile Tsunade sat back and rolled a shoulder. “Well, that was very neatly done and much less complicated than I thought it would be.” Shikaku and Sakura both made noises of agreement, and Shizune reached around Tsunade to squeeze Ino’s hand.

Neji felt slightly awkward in a room full of people that he’d never met, and looked at Lee to give himself something to do- he had been surprisingly quiet the entire time, which didn’t match Neji’s previous assessment of him.

Lee was smiling pleasantly and communicating in sign language to Tsunade’s apprentice- Sakura, if Neji recalled correctly (and he knew he did.) It surprised him, but Tsunade interrupted his thoughts as she carried on with her own. “Neji-san, was it? You’re the person who wrote such a thorough framework for the counterspell before we got here.”

He blinked, surprised to be acknowledged in such a way. "It was the three of us."

"It certainly wasn't much of Tenten," Tsunade corrected. "She's not that good at spell theory to develop a counterspell. If it's not sealing or summoning then it bores her."

Neji blinked. Tenten had listened to his discussions and analysis of spell theory intently enough- although, on reflection, the keen look in her eye had been settled on him. A thrill went down his spine and he fought back a blush at the thought.

Tsunade continued, "So it was either you or Hinata-sama, and from what I recall she's much stronger as a hedgewitch than she is at dealing with the academics."

Neji nodded slightly, hiding his surprise at her knowledge. She took a sip of tea- and made a rueful face- and concluded, "So it was you. Not an easy thing to do, and you did it better than most employed counter mages."

(At the end of the table, Shikaku pulled a face like he wasn't sure if the jibe was directed at him or not.)

"Where and what did you study?" Tsunade asked Neji. He sipped his own tea to hide the set of his mouth and replied, "I learned the basics at the Hyuga, then took an apprenticeship studying magical items under a mage named Yugao. Under my Clan’s stewardship I now travel and evaluate enchanted or inherently magical items.”

Tsunade toyed with the handle of her teacup. “That doesn’t explain how you are so knowledgeable about broad spell theory.”

He gave a brief twitch of his shoulders to indicate that he might have shrugged in a different setting. “Some of it comes up in my work and I find it interesting, so I study it in my free time.”

Shikaku and Shizune both stared at him with furrowed brows, and Ino squinted at him. Sakura was giving him an evaluating look even as she and Lee continued to “chatter” at one another in sign language. (For his part, Lee looked like he was enjoying learning about Neji’s experiences.) Clearly something about what he said was puzzling to them.

Tsunade frowned and was about to speak when Hinata and Tenten re-entered the room. The first thing Neji noticed was that Tenten had her hair up into two buns with a braid swishing against the back of her neck. It made her face look heart-shaped and her eyes seem enormous and doe-like, and Neji for a wild moment contemplated counting each of her dark, thick eyelashes-

The next thing he noticed was how Hinata’s yukata-style shirt was much looser around Tenten’s chest, parting to reveal her collarbone and the soft curves of-

He cut himself off. Tenten was interested in him, and they had some form of a relationship, but she deserved better than him staring at her in such a way.

Tenten didn’t make it too far into the room until Ino and Lee both launched themselves at her to hug her- and incredibly enough, Lee was chattering away once more with aplomb- and she laughed and threw her arms around them in return.

In between the commotion of the three of them (and then Sakura too) hugging, Tsunade standing up and announcing their imminent departure for the night, and Shizune thanking Hinata profusely for her hospitality- Shikaku walked up to Neji and said in his rough voice, “A moment?”

Neji followed him out into the hallway. Shikaku stared at him for a few moments, hands in his pockets, before saying abruptly, “You should study spell theory at the Academy.”

Neji blinked, startled. He’d been prepared to perhaps have a brief discussion of his experiences as an appraiser, or about Hinata’s situation as the emancipated heiress- certainly not this.

“I mean it,” Shikaku told him. “You’re wasted as an appraiser if this much knowledge and skill is just the result of a hobby. Here-” he shoved a card into Neji’s numb hands. “I realize that the Hyuga Clan may complicate the situation, but I can pull some weight to talk to Hiashi and go from there. If you decide you’re interested, let me know.” Just like that, the others had clamored out of the room, and Neji automatically took a few steps back for Tsunade and her entourage to pass. Shikaku gave him one last serious look as he allowed himself to be swept away with the crowd.

Neji stared after them all, feeling… odd.

There was suddenly a warm palm on his back, and- startled- he swiveled to look at Tenten as she slid her hand over his shoulder blade. “Everything okay?” she asked, eyes bright. He stared at her for a moment, collecting himself, then nodded shortly. “Fine. Aren’t you going with them?”

She laughed and rubbed her nose ruefully. “Lee forgot to account for me being a human again when he booked the rooms, so Hinata said I could stay here. Except she doesn’t really have the space, and to be honest I’m feeling very wicked, so I’m going back to your hotel room with you later.”

She gave him a look like she dared him to contradict her. He was too busy trying not to stagger on his feet- first Shikaku’s offer, now this. He nodded once, reeling, and she smirked. “Good.”

His brain was slowly getting back up to speed again. “Why did Lee only communicate in sign language while the others were here?”

She actually laughed. “Oh- that’s actually his little curse, but he’s had it for over five years now and it’s sort of settled in. It’s only ever when he communicates to Sakura- he had a huge crush on her when he was fourteen, and he was so annoyingly vocal about it that one time while he was gushing about her to an old witch- like the turn-you-into-a-frog cliche of a witch- she snapped at him that she’d rather he be struck dumb with love. Whenever he tried to talk to Sakura after that, even among a group, he was mute.”

Neji stared at her, shocked. “And the Academy did nothing?”

She flexed her shoulder blades in a feline-like shrug. “We weren’t in the Academy for another year after that, and Lee had already learned sign language in a bunch of different languages. Plus it actually helped Sakura and Lee become friends. You saw how they were at the meeting; they do that all the time.”

“I see.” Neji’s brow creased as he digested the information. Tenten tilted her head and watched him for a few moments before asking, “What did Shikaku talk to you about?”

He kept his head staring forward, flitting his eyes to the side to look at her out of the corners. “Nothing. Well, not yet. It may develop further.”

She stared at him with her brows raised for a few seconds, waiting for more. When it became clear that was all he had to say about the subject, she rolled her eyes. “Well, thanks for clarifying.”

“Yes. Where did Hinata go?”

“She was putting away the tea set after she saw them out, I bet she’s downstairs…” Her voice faded as she walked down the hall away from him, and he started after her as she approached the steps.

Tenten stopped suddenly and he almost ran into her, placing his hand over the small of her back to steady himself. She propped her hands on her hips and declared, “This place looks hella different when you’re not a cat.”

He chuckled. “I don’t doubt it.” He slid his hand from her back to cover hers, knitting their fingers together over her hip. “I’m glad we were able to help you,” he told her quietly.

She leaned back against his shoulder, her free hand reaching out to grab his other one and bringing it up to rest next to their entwined hands. “I am too.”

There was a muffled thumping noise from down the steps, and they startled apart to stare down the steps at Hinata as she gawked back, beet red.

The silence stretched on, uncomfortable, before the three of them burst into speech at the same time, Hinata stammering out apologies for intruding while the pair of them stammered out apologies for the public display. Tenten eventually couldn’t take it anymore and started giggling wildly into her hands as the Hyuga cousins tried to out-apologize one another.

When they had tired themselves out, Tenten peeked out from her fingers and said, “Seriously, Hinata, sorry.”

“It’s- it’s fine,” the hedgewitch was quick to assure her. “I’m act-actually real-ly glad. I care for… for you both very mu-much. It’s… nice. Neji’s never really h-had a sig… significant other-”

Neji groaned loudly and pinched his brow, pivoting away from the stairs and taking short strides down the hall. He could hear Tenten laughing at him as Hinata continued to talk about how she thought he had a crush on a much older woman when he was fifteen (she was in her thirties), but he’d insisted he was just studying her magic techniques-

Tenten was still snickering twenty minutes later as he marched towards the inn for the night, his grip on her hand firm even as he stubbornly ignored her occasional teasing. She cheerfully allowed him to drag her after him, her hand just as tight around his.

Fortunately for his dignity, he found that kissing Tenten was a highly effective way of shutting her up.

Applying Spell Theory and Linguistics, by Neji Hyuga.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Neji Hyuga is a professor at the Senju Academy for Magical Beings, where he has taught for the last ten years after getting his doctorate in spell theory at the very same institution. His research and experience in magical appraisal led to the development of the well-known Ten-cat countercurse methodology, a process of combining linguistics with base spell theory and applying it to countercurses. Since its culmination, the program has become widespread and has been instrumental in ending curses before their effects become harmful.

Dr. Hyuga began his career in spell theory in 2015, when he helped develop the counter curse of the infamous Cat Case of the Senju Academy. From there, he went on to study at the Senju Academy as an undergraduate before traveling abroad to Suna for three years to pursue his apprenticeship. He then returned to the Academy for his doctorate and was immediately offered the position of his retired mentor, Shikaku Nara, upon the completion of his coursework.

In his time as a professor, Dr. Hyuga has successfully expanded and integrated spell theory into many other branches of magic at the institution, including transfiguration, seals, and jinxes.

Dr. Hyuga is married to none other than the Cat Case subject herself, renowned seal master Tenten Huang-Hyuga. They live in Konoha with their two children.

#nejiten #ntmonth2019 #neji #tenten #fanfic #my writing #guys i seriously worked on this all through july and its so long but i wanted it to stay as a oneshot #also i still will be doing the other ntmonth prompts just more gradually #i should tag some more characters #hinata #tsunade #shikaku #rock lee

3 notes · View notes