A Lily in the Snow

Summary: In order to gain an alliance with the Uchiha Clan, the Hyūga Clan send Lady Hinata to wed the future clan head. Being sent away from the only home she has known, Hinata must brave her new life and clan. The desolate, snowy mountains offer little for new life to grow, but she must try.

When it came to medical care very little went past Sakura's sharp eyes. If someone even had a small cough, she would descend upon them. Many had learned not to take the medic lightly as she could be just as tough as she was gentle. Most times she went for the gentle approach when treating patients. However the stubborn few who did not listen to her found themselves under her monster strength.

Currently Sakura was watching Hinata from across the room. The dark haired woman was reading a scroll while the medic sat cross-legged on the floor. Her green eyes were scrutinizing every inch of the other woman. A slight frown lingered on her lips. Hinata's usual pale parlor was waxy and sickly. Her bright eyes were dim. Even her hair fell limply around her face.

"Hinata, how are you feeling?" she asked, her voice light.

Looking up, Hinata blinked a few times. "I'm fine. Why?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Have you been sleeping well? Eating?"

"I'm sleeping fine." She gripped the scroll a bit tighter. "I try to eat regularly, though I do sometimes miss meals. I lose track of time while in the garden."

Standing up, Sakura plucked the scroll from her hands. "I want an honest answer, Hinata. As your medic I care about your health. Have you been experiencing any negative thoughts lately?"

Her breathing hitched a bit. "I...I'm fine, Sakura. You don't need to worry about me."

Shaking her head, Sakura crossed her arms over her chest. "Hinata, this is important. I need you to tell me if you've been experiencing any problems, physical, mental or emotional, since coming here."

Chewing on her lower lip, she couldn't meet Sakura's intense gaze. "...yes. I can't sleep very well. And I guess I've been having some intrusive thoughts."

Sighing, Sakura took Hinata's hands in her own. "I'm glad you told me. I need to know so I can help you. I've heard that lack of sunlight can cause depression in some people. Knowing what you've been through, we have to be vigilant."

Squeezing her hands reassuringly, Sakura was already coming up with ideas on how to help. She knew that Hinata needed something to lift her moods. Her mental well-being was important to all of them. She had seen first hand when the heiress was at her lowest; it wasn't a pretty sight. Hiashi's demanding personality did little to help the cause.

The first time Hinata had fallen into depression was the hardest. Sakura didn't know what to do as it wasn't something she could physically heal. However they had worked through it together. After the first time Sakura kept a keen eye on the heiress.

Leaving Hinata to her reading, the pink haired woman made her way through the estate. Neji spent most of his days training, so he was easy to find. First she made a quick stop to the garden. Her frown deepened as she took in the state of the area but she quickly moved on.

She found the older Hyūga practicing his forms alone. "Neji, we need to talk." Sakura made sure to close the door.

His brows pinched together. "Can it wait until after dinner?"

"No." She crossed her arms and added, "It's about Hinata."

That got his attention and he quickly dropped what he was doing. "What's wrong? Has she fallen ill?"

She shook her head. "She hasn't been sleeping well. And she's been having negative thoughts. I also think she's been having bouts of crying but she won't admit that."

His mouth turned down. "She didn't tell me…" He started to pace. "What can we do? I don't want any of them to use this against her."

"I was thinking the same thing." Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose. "We need to do something to keep her mind occupied. Being alone with her thoughts will only hurt her."

"What about gardening? She still does that, right?" He was furiously walking back and forth now.

"I checked the garden, and nothing has been done in there since the last time I saw it. I don't think she even has the desire to actually work on the garden, but she's trying to keep up appearances." If Hinata wasn't even gardening, then she was worse than she let on.

Watching Neji pace, Sakura could almost see him wearing a hole into the floor. "I can spend more time with her. Maybe we should monitor her sleep and-"

"Neji," she held up a hand to stop his ramblings, "hovering around her won't help. I'll try to come up with some ideas."

The Hyūga nodded. "I'll try to as well. Thank you for letting me know, Sakura."

The medic went to leave and nearly collided with Kakashi just outside the door. "Oh! I'm sorry! ...did you need something?" She eyed him warily.

Kakashi shook his head and gave her a salute. "Just wanted to see if the training room was free. I'll come back later." Quick as lightning he was gone.

~o~O~o~

Hinata sighed as she stared down at the empty pot. Despite going to the garden, she didn't feel like actually doing anything. What usually brought her joy no longer did so. She had no energy to work and felt sluggish as she moved. Yet even when she felt tired, she couldn't fall asleep. Her lack of sleep was showing with the dark circles under her eyes.

Sakura had noticed and was fretting over her. She hadn't wanted to bother the medic, but even she couldn't hide the physical evidence. Now Neji was alert to her change, and he was doing everything to ensure she was fine. She hated making anyone worry about her. She didn't want to burden them with more than they already had.

She was staring into space, dirt untouched when the door opened. "Lady Hinata?" Kakashi poked his head in as she spun around.

"H-hello, Kakashi. Is there something I can help you with?" She hadn't seen the gray haired man in awhile. Whatever he did for the Uchihas kept him relatively busy.

"Actually I wanted to show you something if you're not busy." He gave what she assumed was a smile as his visible eye crinkled.

"Of course." Brushing off the nonexistent dirt from her hands, she followed him out. He led her to one of the indoor stables. No horses were kept there as they mostly stored dry hay. It was warm, though the hay smell tickled her nose.

In the back Hinata could hear soft whines. Peeking around Kakashi, her eyes widened as she took in the sight. A large gray and white wolf-like creature was laying on a pile of blankets as the babies pressed close to her belly. They were hairless little things that moved blindly for food.

"She just had her first litter of babies. Dire wolves are keen hunters and can survive harsh conditions," he explained.

Reaching down, he gently picked up the smallest one. "She's the runt of the litter, but has a strong will to survive. Would you like to hold her?"

Hinata held out her hands. She barely weighed anything at all. The animal opened her mouth in a tiny wail and seemed to be searching. Hinata cradled the baby in her arms as she looked down at her in wonder. "She's so tiny…"

"Since I have to take care of so many, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind raising her? She'll make a wonderful companion." Kakashi watched as she cooed at the baby.

She started to worry her lower lip. "A-are you sure? I don't want to take her away from her siblings. And I don't know if I would make a good caretaker…"

The older man knelt down to stroke the wolf's head. "You seem to be doing a good job at the moment. I think she likes you. You can leave her here with the others for feeding and come visit when you want."

Hinata smiled at the small pup. "I...I would like to take care of her." She nodded. "I will take care of her. Thank you, Kakashi." She straightened up a bit.

"Thank you for lessening my load. Are you going to name her?"

She pondered for a moment. "Lily. They were my mother's favorite flowers." Her eyes stung with unshed tears. Holding Lily in her arms, she could almost feel the tiny pup's heartbeat. Caring for plants was different from caring for an animal. However, Hinata felt that she was up for the task.

~o~O~o~

Neji was worried about Hinata. More so now that he couldn't find her again. For the past few weeks, she had been missing from her usual places. The garden was empty, though he did note that the plants were watered when needed. She wasn't in her room or the library. At first he thought that she wanted to be alone. But soon he found that she was nowhere to be found. This coupled with her down mood, he was starting to think the worst.

Now he was checking every room for her. So far he had no luck in finding her. A few of the servants that did pass by him did not know her whereabouts either.

"Sakura." She had just stepped out of the library. "Have you seen Hinata?"

The pink haired woman shook her head. "Not recently. She had breakfast and then ran off somewhere. Is she not anywhere in the estate?"

Neji clenched his fists. "I haven't been able to find her all day. Where on earth could she had gone off to?!"

"Neji, wait. Don't just run off like that." Sakura took a hold of his arm. "People will start wondering about your behavior, and then they might ask questions. We want to keep this close to us, so you need to take a deep breath."

Though he wanted to bolt out of her grip, he knew she was right. Breathing deeply, he tried to push his worry back. "You're right. I'm sorry…"

Releasing him, she nodded. "It's fine. I know you're just worried about her, but so am I. I'll help you look around."

The two started searching the rest of the estate for Hinata. However after exhausting all the available rooms, they hadn't found her. "Perhaps she's outside?" Sakura mused.

"In this weather? Unlikely." Neji did not want to imagine his cousin wandering off in the cold mountains. "We should check the rooms again, maybe we just missed her."

"Sakura. Neji." Kakashi walked over them, having popped out of nowhere. "If you're looking for Lady Hinata I can show you where she went."

They exchanged wary looks before following the older man. Forgoing any protection from the cold, they followed him to where the stables were. Kakashi led them to an unused one, and opened the door. Pressing a finger to his lips, they crept inside.

"What…?" Neji's eyes widened as he spotted Hinata. She lay asleep on a pile of hay. Curled inward, she cocooned a small pup. He also noted the large mother wolf in the corner watching them along with her mate. Their pups were all asleep around the heiress.

Sakura peeked over Neji's shoulder. "Are those…dire wolves? I thought they were extinct."

"Almost. Hopefully the population can be brought back someday." Kakashi knelt beside the she-wolf and scratched her head. The male wolf butted his side. "Lady Hinata has been caring for Lily. The pup is hers and will be a wonderful companion." He scratched the male's head next.

"Her mother's favorite flowers…" Eyes softening, Neji watched as she slept peacefully. Her face was free from worry.

Standing, Kakashi gave them both a leveling look. "Sometimes all we need is to be in the comfort of animals. They understand us in a way we cannot. Rin and Obito have been through a lot with me. Even at my darkest times, they were always a constant comfort. I think Lady Hinata can benefit from a companion as well."

There was something tired and haunted in the older man's eye. For the first time Sakura wondered what he had been through. Though he gave off a carefree air, there was always something lurking beneath the surface. Something that he was allowing both of them to see.

"Thank you, Kakashi." She bowed to him.

"Ahh, no need to be so formal with me. Just trying to help." He waved her off. "Let's leave them be for now." Taking one last glance at Hinata and the pups, they left the barn.