Archive of Our Own ^beta

As slow of a morning it was, Naruto couldn't deny that he was grateful for the quiet. It was a rare privilege that he had been scarcely afforded of late, with the war against Kaguya and his trip to the moon coming seemingly back-to-back. That the village was persisting in relative peace was fine. He wasn't bored at all. His slippers slapped the floor as he triapsed over to the mailbox set in his door, hoping that maybe something interesting was happening. 

To his surprise, his fingers came into contact with something, and he quickly recoiled, fearing it might be some kind of insect. Gingerly, he reached back in, pulling out a letter. Taking a breath, he smiled, setting it on the table before getting breakfast ready. 

Breakfast, as usual, consisted of cup noodles. He started to stir them– and the cup came toppling over, spilling hot broth everywhere.

“Augh! Are you kidding–?!” He leapt out of his chair, hastily swiping his hands against his legs to brush off the scalding water. In his head, he heard laughter echoing. “Shut up, Kyuubi!” 

Once Naruto cleaned up the broth, he realized that it had gotten on the letter as well, and hissed through his teeth. Sitting down again, he tried to read what hadn't been destroyed while slurping noodles into his gullet. 

Dear Naruto,

I understand that now may not be a convenient time, but if you are —-----, please meet me at the training grounds. Near the training dummies would be best.

—-------- at around noon. I hope to see you there.  

Yours truly,

—------

Naruto clicked his tongue thoughtfully. While the sender's name and some of the details had been ruined in the chaos, the message was clear. But who would summon him in such a manner? He mulled it over. Neither Sakura nor Sasuke would be so formal in addressing him, and the more he thought about it, the fewer people he could imagine would. If it was at the training grounds, they were likely looking to spar… 

“Aha!” He grinned, suddenly smug. It must be Rock Lee. And if Lee was expecting him at noon, then he could get there early and get the jump on him. A little excited, he rushed to get ready before hurrying out the door.

Waiting was boring, of course, but the idea of getting to surprise his opponent was entertaining enough to keep Naruto from blowing his cover. Instead, he hid behind one of the training dummies, trying not to snicker to himself. Just before noon, he heard footsteps approaching. Leaping out from behind the dummy, he lunged forward to try and grapple Lee down…

“EEK!!”

Eek? 

Before Naruto could think too long on the strangely high-pitched yell, a palm to his gut sunk him to his knees. He looked up to see not Lee, but Hinata, looking frazzled and shocked. She seemed equally surprised to see him.

“Oh, Naruto! I- I'm so sorry, are you okay? I didn't know it was you doing that…” She knelt down to check on him, fretting. “That must have been painful. Can you stand?”

“Yeah… I'm fine…” A little wobbly, Naruto rose to his feet. “So it was you who sent that letter?”

“Oh… Did I forget to put my name on it?” Hinata tilted her head.

“Uh, no. I just. Well. The letter got torn in transit.”

“I delivered it myself…”

“... I spilled ramen on it.”

Hinata blinked, then smiled, slowly, then laughed. “That sounds about right.”

“Mmh…” Clearing his throat, Naruto tried to change the subject. “So, why did you call me out here?” 

“Oh! That is… I have a favor to ask of you. You don't have to agree to it, but I would like it if you heard me out.”

“Sure, I'm listening.” Naruto hopped up onto one of the dummies to sit down, gesturing for Hinata to do the same. She hesitated before doing so, then again before speaking.

“Let me give you some background information first… my father is getting quite old, and he was shaken to his foundation by what happened to Hanabi. When she was kidnapped, he wasn't able to save her, and… I think that affected him. He feels like he is no longer able to call himself the clan leader, if he can't protect his own children.”

“Okay… so, what does that mean?” 

“He's abdicating.” Hinata glanced in Naruto's direction as if to gauge his reaction. When Naruto didn't react, she continued. “... And he is appointing me as his heir.”

This time, Naruto reacted, eyes widening. “Does that mean you're gonna be the clan leader?” 

“Yes.” Hinata played with the hem of her shirt, as if the idea made her uncomfortable. “I assumed most of my life that he would pick Hanabi, but… I suppose I finally impressed him somehow.” Her fingertips found a snag in the threading of the hem and worried it. “The abdication and ascension ceremony is to be held in a week's time.”

“Okay. Is that where I come in?” Naruto tilted his head.

“Yes, should you accept. I would appreciate it if you attended.” She hopped down and rocked lightly on the balls of her feet, sparking with anxious energy. “I already recieved permission to invite guests.”

“Of course I'll go, if you want me to.” Naruto grinned reassuringly. “But why me specifically?”

“It's funny…” Hinata averted her gaze briefly. “To think I used to be so nervous to talk to you, but now, you're the person who makes me feel most at ease. I think having you there will make it less scary.”

“Seriously? Me?” What Hinata had said was true. Naruto remembered a time in the past where she could barely make eye contact with him. “Don't worry, I'll be there. Why not, you know, Kurenai-Sensei, though? Or Kiba? Shino?”

“They're already invited.” Hinata played absentmindedly with the ends of her hair. “But… Shino's on a solo mission right now, and he probably won't make it back. Kiba… well, he doesn't like formal events. He said he was worried about Akamaru being allowed in, but I get the feeling he's just going to forget about it and sleep late instead.” She laughed. “I know Kurenai-Sensei will be there, though.” She tapped a finger to her cheek thoughtfully. “Of course, Father is inviting some important people in the village, but I'm not sure who else will be there, yet.” Her gaze turned back to Naruto, finally, and warmed. “Except you, of course. Thank you so much…”

“Don't worry about it. Anything for you.” Naruto chose his words specifically to see if they would cause a fuss, and to his delight, Hinata's face immediately flushed pink. 

She pretended to rest her chin on her hand, to hide the worst of it. “Oh! Before I forget. There… is a dress code. You don't have to wear anything fancy, but if you have any plain, darker-colored clothing, that would be best.”

“Plain? Dark colors?” Naruto pretended to think about it. “I'd better go ask Sasuke if I can borrow something.” 

That earned him another laugh. “Thank you again for this, Naruto… I can't say how much it means to me.”

Naruto returned home in good spirits, and hoped Hinata felt the same. Still… He hadn't been bluffing when he said he might have to borrow something to wear. He didn't exactly do understated. Which, he was painfully aware, was ironic for a shinobi, but he couldn't help it. Loud was his style. Eventually, he was able to find an old, plain kimono that hadn't been used in a very long time. He sniffed it, wrinkled his nose, and hung it up to let it air out. 

The day of, he was surprised that he felt sort of antsy. He figured it was because of the situation. He hadn't had many interactions with Hinata's family, but he understood them to be very serious and austere, especially her father. There was undoubtedly going to be a lot of pressure, and as he adjusted his obi around his waist, he grew increasingly worried that he wouldn't be up to snuff. He shook his head to clear it. It wasn't like he was going to have to talk to Hiashi face to face, at least not yet. After one more check in the mirror to make sure he didn't have anything on his face, he hurried towards the Hyuga family complex. 

There was already a considerable crowd seated to watch the ceremony, mostly members of the Hyuga clan, but Naruto was able to pick out a few familiar faces in the group. Kurenai was present, seated next to Shino, who seemed to have managed to make it home in time. He was a bit surprised to see Tenten and Lee in the crowd as well. His heart sunk a bit as he realized they might have felt compelled to look after Hinata in Neji’s stead.  

Carefully scooting down the aisle, he took a seat next to one of the people he recognized, tapping him on the shoulder. “Sasuke? Why are you here?”

Sasuke turned to glance at Naruto, cocking a brow. “I could ask you the same.”

“I'm here for emotional support.”

Sasuke snorted, and his expression eased. “Fair enough. I'm here to represent the Uchiha clan.”

“Really?” Naruto tilted his head. 

“More or less. I'm the only one left now, but if the clan ever recovers to any degree in the future, I need to keep up appearances. You know, make good relationships with Konoha’s other major families.” 

Naruto blinked a few times. The finer points of political back-and-forth tended to escape him. Not a good look for a future Hokage, perhaps, but he could make up for it with sheer stick-to-it-iveness. 

Undeterred by the glazed-over look in Naruto's eyes, Sasuke continued speaking. “All things considered, it's a good thing that Hinata was chosen as successor. She's more likely to be cooperative, rather than competitive.” 

Despite himself, Naruto couldn't help but smirk. The idea of Hinata being anything like some of the more cutthroat family heads he'd encountered was disparate enough to be funny. “Speaking of politics… You'd think the leader of the village would be here, but I don't see him anywhere.”

“Kakashi-Sensei – no, the Hokage, was invited. But you know just as well as I do how he feels about gatherings like this.” It was Sasuke’s turn to grin derisively. “We can fill him in on the details later.” 

All at once, the crowd fell mostly silent, and Sasuke held a finger to his own mouth. They could chat after the ceremony. Naruto turned his focus to the North end of the grand hall, where Hiashi calmly entered, step after step. Naruto didn't realize that simply walking quietly could carry so much weight. He didn't look much different than usual, but his robes were made of finer material, and his hair was meticulously combed back. He took a seat on folded legs and faced East. 

Then entered Hinata. Her own kimono was simple but ornate, mostly muted colors, but with a neatly embroidered obi. That plus the tidy and plain adornment in her hair made her look particularly important. She walked at a similar pace to her father, then sat facing West. 

Her expression was austere, and almost sharp, and Naruto knew that it was taking all of her focus to maintain her composure. Her hands were uncharacteristically still, and the unspent energy concentrated in the firm corners of her mouth and the rigid posture of her spine. 

An intermediary sat between and slightly behind the pair, and lifted his head briefly to speak. “The leader of the Hyuga clan, Lord Hyuga Hiashi.” 

Hiashi cleared his throat before speaking. “Long have I held this position as the head of the family. Many years have passed, with triumphs and tragedies both. In those times, I thought myself a strong man, capable of guiding us through adversity. With age, though, comes both wisdom and frailty. It is with this boon and this curse in mind that I feel it is time to pass my title on to the next generation…”

Naruto tried his best to listen, eyelids fluttering. Old people sure knew how to drone on. Now and again, a sharp elbow in the ribs from Sasuke would jolt him awake. 

“...thus, it is today that I officially announce my abdication. I will retire from my position as clan leader, giving this most grave of tasks to my eldest daughter, Hinata.” There, Hiashi stopped speaking, and he and Hinata faced one another again. Hinata bowed, deeply, and Hiashi returned the gesture, slightly shallower. 

Then, the intermediary spoke again. “Lord Hyuga Hiashi will now pass the family regalia to Lady Hyuga Hinata, thus completing his official abdication.”

Naruto leaned into Sasuke’s shoulder to mumble. “Do they really need someone to translate every action?”

“Shh.” Sasuke glanced at Naruto sharply, but his mouth twitched in amusement. Clearly he was equally “entertained” by the dryness of the ceremony. 

The regalia consisted of a necklace and a mirror. The necklace was simple, mostly unadorned, with a few glass beads, then a large magatama made of milky-pale stone in the center. The mirror was likewise unfussy, but clearly of good making, with a fine silver backing. Hiashi rose onto his knees, enough to carefully drape the necklace around Hinata's neck. Then, he handed her the mirror, which she took gingerly. After the regalia were transferred, they bowed again. Naruto expected applause, but the hall remained almost whisper-silent. 

Instead, the intermediary spoke. “Members of the Hyuga clan, and esteemed guests. The new leader of the Hyuga clan, Lady Hyuga Hinata.”

Naruto lifted his hands to clap, but Sasuke quickly grabbed them. Mystifyingly, the room was still quiet. Maybe the applause would come at the end?

“Lady Hyuga Hinata will now say a few words to indicate the direction of the clan under her guidance.” The intermediary bowed, and gestured for Hinata to speak.

Hinata drew a deep breath, eyes closed, before opening her mouth. “Thank you, everyone. You are my family, and as leader, I will do everything I can to serve you.” Her voice wavered briefly, and Naruto was worried she might break character, but she composed herself, gripping one fist. “First and foremost, I would like to apologize.”

Naruto's brows furrowed in confusion. Looking around, he noted a few people looked similarly puzzled.

“You have watched over me, weak as I was, through my childhood. Though I can think of others who would have fit this position far better than I can, the responsibility has been placed in my hands.” As she spoke, her hands flexed. “Of course, I recognize what a heavy lift this task is. When my father told me of his plans, I couldn't help but feel remorse.”

From the crowd, Naruto tilted his head curiously. This was heavy for an acceptance speech. 

“Remorse that there is someone, who I miss dearly, who is not here to see this…”

Now that made sense. Naruto glanced over towards Tenten and Lee, who nodded in understanding. Tenten in particular gave Hinata a sympathetic gaze. 

“And remorse knowing that he would have been better suited to this position than I. The brightest mind of the Hyuga clan, he should have been able to take this seat. And yet… that would not have been possible, due to the structure of our clan.”

Around the room, a few murmurs could be heard, and Naruto noted that several people looked quite woeful. Most of them were wearing either a headband or equivalent covering the space across their brows. 

“It is in his memory that I take on this mantle today, and in his honor, and the honor of the Hyuga family, that I state my case: No member of our clan deserves to be seen as beneath another, simply due to the circumstances of their birth.”

More people were talking now, and confusion seemed to drift through the air like a haze of smoke.

In contrast, Hinata’s eyes grew sharper, her voice firmer, as if certainty in her own words was granting her strength. “As the new leader of our clan, I ask for the help of my elders, and of my whole family, as we realize a new era. One of no more curses, no more subjugation, only a family of equals.” 

The quiet murmurs in the crowd became feverish chatter. From his seat on the stage, Hiashi's expression grew severe. Naruto scanned the lines of his face, finding a combination of consternation and uncertainty, but not surprise. Had he been expecting Hinata to do this? 

“While the undue damage to this clan cannot be undone,” Hinata continued as though she couldn't hear the voices around her, “we can come together to try and make right. No longer will we brand the children born to members of the branch family, and no longer will we use those brands to inflict pain on others.” Her face fell somewhat. “I understand that these wounds will not mend overnight. All I ask is that, with time, we fix the mistakes we have made.”

Then she bowed, deeply, genuine remorse flowing like the sleeves of her garb. Hiashi rose, and so did she, and they were both escorted from the grand hall as the remaining clan elders tried to settle the crowd.

Sasuke leaned back, folding his arms and whistling. “I didn't see that coming. I guess I need to start paying more attention.”

“Do you think…” Naruto paused, unsure how to word his question. “Do you think they're gonna listen to her? Or will they try to ignore it?”

“As a clan, their best interest is to at least gesturally entertain Hinata's declaration. She is in charge now. Still, I imagine there'll be pushback. The elders have known one way since they were our age and younger. They won't want to disrupt the system in place.” Sasuke rose to his feet. “What happens next is up to Hinata. Personally, I'm going to support the change. How the rest of the village reacts will have an effect as well.” 

Naruto frowned, rubbing his temples. He didn't expect things to get so complicated. He stood up too. “I should go find her.”

“I'll tag along.” The corner of Sasuke’s lips twitched. “I'd like to know what her headspace is. If I can hear some of the internal dialogue of the Hyuga clan itself while I'm at it, much the better.”

“Geez, spoken like a true shinobi.” Naruto wrinkled his nose. “Can't you stop thinking about work for a second?” Regardless, he walked as softly as possible towards where he thought Hinata and Hiashi had disappeared to. In the general crowd and confusion, it was pretty simple to slip through unnoticed. 

Past the grand hall, in a small tea room, Hinata and her father were speaking in hushed tones. Hinata was sitting, preparing tea. Naruto couldn't help but notice she wasn't wearing the regalia anymore– it must have been stored away again. Hiashi elected to remain standing, and he didn't look too pleased. “Of all the times to bring up your pet project, did it have to be the moment you took power?”

“Decisive action is a desirable quality in a leader, Father.” Hinata scooped dried tea from a decorated canister. “You said yourself that I should declare my intentions for the clan plainly.”

“You know that I meant something vague and simplistic, just reaffirming that you are here to support the clan.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Now trust in your position is in jeopardy, and you've only just begun. It's a bad start.”

“I'm not a very good politician.” Hinata poured a cup of tea for herself, then for her father. The teapot trembled slightly as she set it down. “But for all the trust I've lost from the main family, I imagine the branch family, at least, is glad to know that things will change.”

“If they do change, it won't be as fast as you want.” Hiashi frowned deeply. 

“I can be patient.” 

Hiashi began to pace as his tea cooled. “I was certain I made the right choice, making you succeed me.” 

“Why did you choose me?” Hinata now looked up to meet her father's gaze. 

“... Because your exponential growth showed great promise.” Hiashi pursed his lips. Clearly this wasn't his strong suit. “In your childhood, you were so frail and clumsy… but as you grew, you found your footing. And when Hanabi was abducted, you did not hesitate to put yourself in danger to rescue her. Your bravery and resourcefulness have impressed me.” 

Hinata didn't respond, instead looking into her own teacup, brows knit. Hiashi slowly stepped to the table and knelt down, finally taking the cup she had left for him. 

“And… I had something of a revelation, that first night when you and Hanabi were taken away.” His brow grew furrowed. “All at once, both of my children were gone. If I had died before they returned, what memories would they have of me? None too pleasant ones, I'm certain. When was the last time I acted like a father to you?”

Seemingly unwilling to respond, Hinata tucked her hair behind her ear. Hiashi's expression softened and fell. 

“You said it well, today. Changing things now will not fix the past. But perhaps we can improve things for the future.” He sighed, quietly. 

They sat in silence for a few long moments, finishing their tea. Hinata carefully stood up, stopping to rest a hand on Hiashi's arm before stepping out of the room. Naruto flattened himself against the wall where he had been eavesdropping, and Sasuke did the same, but it turned out to be unnecessary, as Hinata hurried past, hiding her face in the folds of her sleeve.

“What do you think that was about?” Naruto turned to Sasuke inquisitively.

Sasuke looked Naruto up and down, then scoffed in disbelief. “She's upset. I assume that's what a fight looks like in this house. I want to let you go take care of it, but I feel like with your emotional intelligence, you'll just make her feel worse.”

“Hey!” Naruto folded his arms. “I know how to cheer people up. You should go report to the Hokage about what happened today. I'll find Hinata.”

“Suit yourself.” Sasuke’s smile betrayed his amusement as he coolly walked towards the grand hall again. 

Naruto followed Hinata's tracks, carefully scooting past several members of the Hyuga clan in deep conversation and eventually making his way outside. There, in a garden past the veranda, he found her sitting on a rock, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve.

“Hey, you're gonna get your nice furisode all dirty.”

Hinata gasped quietly, wiping her face one more time before looking up. Her eyes didn't redden the way most people's did, given the byakugan's influence, but her cheeks and nose were flushed, and her skin slightly puffy. “Naruto…! I'm sorry, I didn't hear you behind me. Thank you for coming today.”

Naruto took a seat on the ground in front of her, crossing one leg over the other. “What's wrong? Did something happen?”

“Oh, Naruto, your kimono is going to be dirty now…” She shook her head. “And… it's just everything, I think. It took all of my energy to finish today's ceremony, and it was… Scary. I'm exhausted.”

“Bet your old man didn't help.”

“What do you mean?” She tilted her head. 

Realizing he was about to blow his cover, Naruto tried to backtrack. “Well, he just looks like a hardass. Did he give you a hard time about what you said?”

“Oh… no, not really. He was concerned, but…” She rested her hands on her knees. “Not cruel. He's… a gentler person than he used to be.”

“Is that good enough?”

“... It will be someday, I'm sure.” 

In the calm silence between them, Naruto casually took Hinata's hands in his own, considering the differences. His palms were broader, but her fingers were longer. The skin was thicker in different places, a testament to their individual fighting styles. “If you say so.”

“I do.” Hinata's gaze hadn't been hard before, but it softened all the more as she lightly curled her fingers around Naruto's hands. “You know… So many people came to the ceremony today. I was really surprised, but it made me very happy.”

“Well, of course they showed up. I was surprised Shino made it back in time, though.” Naruto grinned, standing up and guiding Hinata to her feet. “Wanna go find him?” He felt pretty sure that seeing her teammate would help her feel better. 

Slowly, a smile grew, and Hinata nodded eagerly. “Yes, that sounds wonderful.”

It was with reluctance that Naruto let go of Hinata's hands, but that didn't stop him from staying close to her the whole way back to the main hall. She met with Shino and Kurenai, then Lee and Tenten, all with Naruto staying at her back. He couldn't be one hundred percent sure, but she seemed to be carrying herself a bit taller. Whether that was because she was in view of the rest of her clan, or because she had found new strength on her own, remained to be seen. Naruto guessed it was a little bit of both.