Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Her Own Little World ❯ Council Meeting ( Chapter 14 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Project 0506 
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 08.23.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 1.9K | Visits: 443 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 08.23.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 1.9K | Visits: 443 | Status: Work In Progress
A/n... does anybody actually read these things? Oh well, here's hoping: not really a cliffie... ok, so maybe it is. Next chapter up either later tonight or tomorrow. End in either 1 or 2 more chaps.
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"So that's why. I thought it was because I was a branch house member."
"No. Hiashi is trying to protect you. He tried to keep you two separated until after the council meeting today, hoping the council would not notice how close you've become. But it didn't work. You still found ways to see each other."
Over the past two weeks, Hiashi had tried everything possible, from sending Hinata to work for Tsunade-sama, to assigning another branch house member to trail Neji. Luckily, Neji and Hinata had friends who were not about to let anyone come between them. Naruto's Mass kage bunshin finished rewriting the (drooled-on) scrolls in a hundredth of the time it would have taken Hinata, and Tenten was still apologizing profusely to Hyuuga Yuuhi, whom she had attacked and hospitalized. (It was just that he looked SO much like Neji-kun from behind. It's an honest mistake! Why won't you believe me?)
"Neji, you have to stop this now. I let it go on because I remember what it was like to be in love. But the council meets in an hour, and you've been summoned to the meeting. Just forget about Hinata-sama. I'm sorry for asking you to do this. I understand the pain you can feel when having to watch the one you love from a distance. Neji, I can't lose you."
"Mother... I'm sorry... I can't"
"Neji at least think about it. Why are you throwing away your life."
"You're wrong. I'm not throwing it away. I'm finally living. I can't just move on, pretend it never happened." He stood, unwilling to look at her. "Where will the council meet?"
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"Wake up wake up wake up WAKE UP! This is an emergency!" Hanabi jerked the blankets off her sister and proceeded to violently shake her. Hinata, used to her sister's 'emergencies', pulled the pillow over her head. Mo-chan raced around wildly atop the drowsy chuunin, chittering loudly.
"Go away..."
"Hinata, you've got to get up now! The council is in session!"
"..." Hinata mumbled something barely coherent and tried to shove sister and squirrel off her bed.
"They called Neji-kun in there!"
"What?!" Hinata sat bolt upright. "When?!"
"Just now. This isn't good Nee-san. In fact, this is really bad." By now Hinata was rushing around the room, dragging out random items of clothing. "Nee-san wait, your shirt is inside out!"
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"Hyuuga Neji, son of Hyuuga Hiashi of the branch house, I want you to realize exactly how serious this matter is."
"I understand Honored Elder."
"Do you understand why you have been summoned here?"
"Yes. It is... it is because you feel my place as a branch house member is behind Hinata-sama, not beside her. Because you feel I do not deserve her."
The elder in charge of the assembly glared, first at Neji, then at Elder Kaede who snickered in an unladylike manner.
"Kindly control yourself Kaede-dono."
"The boy hit the nail right on the head if you ask me." He ignored her, turning his attention back to the young man in the middle of the room.
"We have heard reports of your behaving in an unseemly manner around the potential heir to this clan. What do you have to say in your defense?"
"Firstly Elder-dono, Hinata-sama is NOT the potential heir. She is THE heir. She has been named Hiashi-sama's heir, and the remainder of the house will have to accept that. Secondly, no such reports are true. I have sworn only to protect her, and would not cause her harm."
Elders murmured from the half-light, appalled at his forthrightness. Neji could barely make out Hiashi's face at the back of the room. Hiashi nodded at him, and stepped forward. "Venerable Elders, the boy is my responsibility. I have..."
"Peace Hiashi-san. The boy is old enough. Let him speak for himself." Another wizened voice called. "You deny improper activity Neji-san?"
He bristled silently, reminding himself not to snarl. "Are you insinuating that I have had sex with Hinata-sama?"
"Enough of your audacity Neji of the Branch House!" An elder snapped, slamming a scroll down on the table. "On several different occasions you were seen sneaking into her room after training."
"And every time Hanabi-chan has been present. If you asked her, she could have told you that. Unless of course now you are accusing me of having sex with both sisters at the same time! Complicated by the fact that Hanabi-chan is eleven years old!"
"Strike that from the record!"
"No!" Neji glared at the record-keeper. "Leave it there. I want to hear it for myself." His gaze turned back to the Elders' table. "You will not insult my dignity and Hinata-sama's honor with disgusting claims, then have it erased from history. You will not dictate the way this is recorded. Record-keeper, did you not swear to document the whole truth when you accepted your position?"
"... yes, I suppose I did sir."
"Then let the record stand. Elder-dono, I want to hear exactly how you interpret these claims."
"Neji-san makes a good point." Elder Kaede seemed delighted that someone was finally standing up to the fossils around her. "We have to remove that evidence from the proceedings."
"Very well. Second claim. You and Hinata-sama were spotted entering your house together. Hours later she left alone. Would you care to explain what happened to the council?"
Hiashi and Kaede both stiffened, unaware of this.
Neji sighed quietly.
"Hinata-sama... wished to wash my hair."
There was a moment of silence, broken by wild chortling from Kaede-dono's corner of the room.
"Is there any proof of this?"
"Apart from a summer breeze scent and a conditioned shine..." Neji allowed a small smile at the only elder who seemed to be on his side.
"Elder KAEDE! Decorum is demanded!"
"Elders, the incident was witnessed by Hanabi-sama, and also by Tanto Tenten, my teammate and fellow chuunin. They had to leave suddenly, and about fifteen minutes later my sensei and teammate, Maito Gai and Rock Lee came. During the time gap... Hinata-sama...dried my hair... Hinata was fully dressed for the entire proceeding."
"Recorded. Now, I suppose you also have an explanation for the large amounts of time you have spent with Hinata-sama."
"As I said before, at all times Hanabi-sama was present. Hinata-sama confided in me that the elders of this house did not consider her a suitable heiress. Hanabi-sama and myself have been teaching her what is required of leader, hostess, diplomat and mediator. Hiashi-sama will be able to testify that during this time, Hinata-sama has taken charge of overseeing the daily upkeep of the house and intervening between petty arguments."
"Hiashi-san?"
"What Neji-san says is true Elders. She has also been assisting with much of the paperwork that needs to be done. Her stutter is nearly non-existent."
"Finally Neji-san," another voice spoke from the darkness, "we come to last night, or specifically this morning. What were you doing inside a sealed area with Hinata-sama?"
"..."
"Speak up boy, everyone wants to hear."
"Hinata-sama... was trying to ... teach me ... to dance..."
"Pardon?"
Neji closed his eyes and clenched his fists. "Hinata-sama wanted to teach me to dance but it was raining and I caught a chill."
The council didn't fall silent often. It was very rare for a moment to go by when no voices were murmuring. For this to happen twice in one meeting was unheard of. Kaede tried and failed to picture a waltzing Neji. "As they say, fools in love. That's girl's got you wound tight around her finger, doesn't she Neji-kun?"
"... Apparently Elder Kaede."
"Enough of this. Neji-san, you are being reassigned, all your duties will require you to work only among the branch house members. At no time will your presence near Hinata-sama be required."
"What!?" Kaede rose to her feet. "You cannot determine that! As far as I can see all of their interactions have been reasonably innocent!"
"And so they will have no qualms about being separated. I have spoken."
"... I do not accept."
"You were not given a choice Neji of the Branch. You will not be allowed near Hinata-sama without an elder present. You claim to be trying to protect her, so you should see that this is in her best interests."
"This is in your best interests you mean."
"Neji-kun!" Hiashi stepped forward warningly.
"No. It is past time they realize they cannot control me. And they will control Hinata-sama even less."
Outraged, the elder yelled at the young Hyuuga. "You have done little but cast suspicion on Hinata-sama and cause her harm."
"The only time I physically harmed her was during the chuunin exams, the rules of which clearly state that injuries received during the examination were not subject to outside authority. You have no jurisdiction over what happened there. Besides, her honor was restored when Uzumaki Naruto challenged and defeated me. That is retibution, even by your standards."
"Your insubordination will not be tolerated!"
"I promised my father I would guard Hinata-sama with my life. She is a strong kunoichi, but she is easily hurt through her emotions. I will not expose her to any more of the psychological warfare you have put her through from the day she was born."
"You have received your last warning!"
"I will not break her her heart to please an outdated system!"
"You mock the bureaucracy of this House!"
"The bureaucracy of this House cannot accept the fact that I love her and there is nothing it can do."
The elder's eyes narrowed. "Remember Neji-san, you have called this down on yourself." He stood and his hands formed an all too familiar seal.
"No, Elder-dono!"
"Hiashi!" Kaede gripped his shoulder with strength she did not appear to have. "I am sorry. There is nothing more to do."
Neji's world exploded in a flash of light.
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"So that's why. I thought it was because I was a branch house member."
"No. Hiashi is trying to protect you. He tried to keep you two separated until after the council meeting today, hoping the council would not notice how close you've become. But it didn't work. You still found ways to see each other."
Over the past two weeks, Hiashi had tried everything possible, from sending Hinata to work for Tsunade-sama, to assigning another branch house member to trail Neji. Luckily, Neji and Hinata had friends who were not about to let anyone come between them. Naruto's Mass kage bunshin finished rewriting the (drooled-on) scrolls in a hundredth of the time it would have taken Hinata, and Tenten was still apologizing profusely to Hyuuga Yuuhi, whom she had attacked and hospitalized. (It was just that he looked SO much like Neji-kun from behind. It's an honest mistake! Why won't you believe me?)
"Neji, you have to stop this now. I let it go on because I remember what it was like to be in love. But the council meets in an hour, and you've been summoned to the meeting. Just forget about Hinata-sama. I'm sorry for asking you to do this. I understand the pain you can feel when having to watch the one you love from a distance. Neji, I can't lose you."
"Mother... I'm sorry... I can't"
"Neji at least think about it. Why are you throwing away your life."
"You're wrong. I'm not throwing it away. I'm finally living. I can't just move on, pretend it never happened." He stood, unwilling to look at her. "Where will the council meet?"
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"Wake up wake up wake up WAKE UP! This is an emergency!" Hanabi jerked the blankets off her sister and proceeded to violently shake her. Hinata, used to her sister's 'emergencies', pulled the pillow over her head. Mo-chan raced around wildly atop the drowsy chuunin, chittering loudly.
"Go away..."
"Hinata, you've got to get up now! The council is in session!"
"..." Hinata mumbled something barely coherent and tried to shove sister and squirrel off her bed.
"They called Neji-kun in there!"
"What?!" Hinata sat bolt upright. "When?!"
"Just now. This isn't good Nee-san. In fact, this is really bad." By now Hinata was rushing around the room, dragging out random items of clothing. "Nee-san wait, your shirt is inside out!"
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"Hyuuga Neji, son of Hyuuga Hiashi of the branch house, I want you to realize exactly how serious this matter is."
"I understand Honored Elder."
"Do you understand why you have been summoned here?"
"Yes. It is... it is because you feel my place as a branch house member is behind Hinata-sama, not beside her. Because you feel I do not deserve her."
The elder in charge of the assembly glared, first at Neji, then at Elder Kaede who snickered in an unladylike manner.
"Kindly control yourself Kaede-dono."
"The boy hit the nail right on the head if you ask me." He ignored her, turning his attention back to the young man in the middle of the room.
"We have heard reports of your behaving in an unseemly manner around the potential heir to this clan. What do you have to say in your defense?"
"Firstly Elder-dono, Hinata-sama is NOT the potential heir. She is THE heir. She has been named Hiashi-sama's heir, and the remainder of the house will have to accept that. Secondly, no such reports are true. I have sworn only to protect her, and would not cause her harm."
Elders murmured from the half-light, appalled at his forthrightness. Neji could barely make out Hiashi's face at the back of the room. Hiashi nodded at him, and stepped forward. "Venerable Elders, the boy is my responsibility. I have..."
"Peace Hiashi-san. The boy is old enough. Let him speak for himself." Another wizened voice called. "You deny improper activity Neji-san?"
He bristled silently, reminding himself not to snarl. "Are you insinuating that I have had sex with Hinata-sama?"
"Enough of your audacity Neji of the Branch House!" An elder snapped, slamming a scroll down on the table. "On several different occasions you were seen sneaking into her room after training."
"And every time Hanabi-chan has been present. If you asked her, she could have told you that. Unless of course now you are accusing me of having sex with both sisters at the same time! Complicated by the fact that Hanabi-chan is eleven years old!"
"Strike that from the record!"
"No!" Neji glared at the record-keeper. "Leave it there. I want to hear it for myself." His gaze turned back to the Elders' table. "You will not insult my dignity and Hinata-sama's honor with disgusting claims, then have it erased from history. You will not dictate the way this is recorded. Record-keeper, did you not swear to document the whole truth when you accepted your position?"
"... yes, I suppose I did sir."
"Then let the record stand. Elder-dono, I want to hear exactly how you interpret these claims."
"Neji-san makes a good point." Elder Kaede seemed delighted that someone was finally standing up to the fossils around her. "We have to remove that evidence from the proceedings."
"Very well. Second claim. You and Hinata-sama were spotted entering your house together. Hours later she left alone. Would you care to explain what happened to the council?"
Hiashi and Kaede both stiffened, unaware of this.
Neji sighed quietly.
"Hinata-sama... wished to wash my hair."
There was a moment of silence, broken by wild chortling from Kaede-dono's corner of the room.
"Is there any proof of this?"
"Apart from a summer breeze scent and a conditioned shine..." Neji allowed a small smile at the only elder who seemed to be on his side.
"Elder KAEDE! Decorum is demanded!"
"Elders, the incident was witnessed by Hanabi-sama, and also by Tanto Tenten, my teammate and fellow chuunin. They had to leave suddenly, and about fifteen minutes later my sensei and teammate, Maito Gai and Rock Lee came. During the time gap... Hinata-sama...dried my hair... Hinata was fully dressed for the entire proceeding."
"Recorded. Now, I suppose you also have an explanation for the large amounts of time you have spent with Hinata-sama."
"As I said before, at all times Hanabi-sama was present. Hinata-sama confided in me that the elders of this house did not consider her a suitable heiress. Hanabi-sama and myself have been teaching her what is required of leader, hostess, diplomat and mediator. Hiashi-sama will be able to testify that during this time, Hinata-sama has taken charge of overseeing the daily upkeep of the house and intervening between petty arguments."
"Hiashi-san?"
"What Neji-san says is true Elders. She has also been assisting with much of the paperwork that needs to be done. Her stutter is nearly non-existent."
"Finally Neji-san," another voice spoke from the darkness, "we come to last night, or specifically this morning. What were you doing inside a sealed area with Hinata-sama?"
"..."
"Speak up boy, everyone wants to hear."
"Hinata-sama... was trying to ... teach me ... to dance..."
"Pardon?"
Neji closed his eyes and clenched his fists. "Hinata-sama wanted to teach me to dance but it was raining and I caught a chill."
The council didn't fall silent often. It was very rare for a moment to go by when no voices were murmuring. For this to happen twice in one meeting was unheard of. Kaede tried and failed to picture a waltzing Neji. "As they say, fools in love. That's girl's got you wound tight around her finger, doesn't she Neji-kun?"
"... Apparently Elder Kaede."
"Enough of this. Neji-san, you are being reassigned, all your duties will require you to work only among the branch house members. At no time will your presence near Hinata-sama be required."
"What!?" Kaede rose to her feet. "You cannot determine that! As far as I can see all of their interactions have been reasonably innocent!"
"And so they will have no qualms about being separated. I have spoken."
"... I do not accept."
"You were not given a choice Neji of the Branch. You will not be allowed near Hinata-sama without an elder present. You claim to be trying to protect her, so you should see that this is in her best interests."
"This is in your best interests you mean."
"Neji-kun!" Hiashi stepped forward warningly.
"No. It is past time they realize they cannot control me. And they will control Hinata-sama even less."
Outraged, the elder yelled at the young Hyuuga. "You have done little but cast suspicion on Hinata-sama and cause her harm."
"The only time I physically harmed her was during the chuunin exams, the rules of which clearly state that injuries received during the examination were not subject to outside authority. You have no jurisdiction over what happened there. Besides, her honor was restored when Uzumaki Naruto challenged and defeated me. That is retibution, even by your standards."
"Your insubordination will not be tolerated!"
"I promised my father I would guard Hinata-sama with my life. She is a strong kunoichi, but she is easily hurt through her emotions. I will not expose her to any more of the psychological warfare you have put her through from the day she was born."
"You have received your last warning!"
"I will not break her her heart to please an outdated system!"
"You mock the bureaucracy of this House!"
"The bureaucracy of this House cannot accept the fact that I love her and there is nothing it can do."
The elder's eyes narrowed. "Remember Neji-san, you have called this down on yourself." He stood and his hands formed an all too familiar seal.
"No, Elder-dono!"
"Hiashi!" Kaede gripped his shoulder with strength she did not appear to have. "I am sorry. There is nothing more to do."
Neji's world exploded in a flash of light.