A/N: I can just imagine the shocked looks on some of your faces. Yes, I'm alive. Yes, I've updated. Yes, this is the end. I can't apologize enough for just leaving you all hanging the way I did. I simply, and pathetically, lost my inspiration. To be honest, I lost interest in the pairing, I'm not nearly as in love with the series as I was before, and my writing style is no longer the same. The only reason I did this is because people seemed to want to read the ending, and I didn't want to disappoint those who reviewed every single chapter and have even sent me emails asking me to update. (-shamlessly copied and pasted that from profile-) :D;
Also, I no longer plan on posting on here. If, after you finish this, you still want to keep in contact with me for my future stories, check out my profile.
But, anyways, this is it. This is the grand, or not so grand, finale to Define Destiny.
To be honest, it's turned out nothing like I had originally imagined in the beginning. -shrugs- Oh, well. I have to admit that I'm happy with it.
So! After many months of bad characterization, drama, sweet fluff, me being too much of a fan, and all that good stuff, I present to you chapter fifteen.
Chapter 15
Konbu: a gift given to wish the couple many happy and healthy children, from his parents.
She could only grimace inwardly and accept it with a strained smile.
Naga-Noshi: an abalone shell given to express sincere wishes from the giver, placed in her hands by her sister.
She could only nod shakily and share a tear-filled glance with her.
Obi: a symbol of female virtue, given to her by her father, bearing a delicate pattern of swirls in blue and purple and gold and silver.
She could only whisper her thanks and accept it, her heart constricting in her chest.
Suehiro: an elegant bright fan, placed in front of her, open from end to end, a wish for happiness and a bigger and better future.
Oh Neji, her sigh fell from her lips. She had caught his hidden meaning and smiled genuinely, although small it was, and was grateful for his slight hope.
The engagement gifts were placed in a small pile at her side. Hiroki's were at his, and she couldn't help but notice that he was looking rather smug, even if her sister's and Neji's gifts were merely cheap imitations of what could be given.
She smoothed over the silky fabric of the obi lying in her lap, frowning. What a beautiful thing, yet what a horrible situation it was being given for. Brooding, and thinking, she could vaguely hear her father settling things, or chatting idly as he liked to call it, with Hikari and Hiroki's parents and a maid walking in to set down steaming cups of tea.
She sighed almost inaudibly and reached for her own cup, gripping it tightly, reveling in the warmth that issued from it. Then the thought hit her: how many cups of tea had she had today? Too many, she realized. Sighing, more loudly this time, she placed her cup down and pushed it away.
Hinata placed her elbow on the edge of the table, her head resting against her hand, staring at the pattern of flowers on the wall scroll. She missed all the questioning looks and the glare, from Hikari, sent her way.
She just wanted this dinner to end. She just wanted to call off the marriage completely. She just wanted to disappear off the face of the earth with –
No. Bad thought, bad thought. Hinata shut her eyes, trying to clear her mind by focusing on her breathing.
Breathe in. Breathe out. It'd be fun – Breathe in. Breathe out. They could live in some remote village with different names and – Breathe in. Breathe out. There was no need to be ninja. They could be norm –
It wasn't working.
She let out a huff, slightly frustrated. She didn't want to believe that she was even contemplating running away. Because that's what it was, plain and simple. She wanted to run away from her problems like a coward. Pathetic.
"Hinata?"
Her eyes snapped open and she felt a flush rise in her cheeks. "Um, yes, otou-san?"
"Are you alright?" he asked, peering at her with mild concern.
She bit her lip and opened her mouth to answer "Yes," when she realized that this was her chance. She could get away from this personal hell right now.
"…No, otou-san," she murmured, bowing her head. "I – I am feeling light-headed and, and tired…"
She heard Hanabi stifle a snicker and winced inwardly. Please, please, please, please let me leave.
"Why don't you go get some sleep, Hinata?" her father said. "Perhaps you'll feel better tomorrow then."
"Hai," she nodded.
With a sweeping glance at the occupants of the room, she stood and walked to the door, wobbling on the threshold for good measure. Just when she was celebrating the fact that she was free, a voice drifted down the hallway.
"You should not just have let her go, Hiashi," Hikari could never just leave Hinata in peace. She was always watching, always suspicious.
"I should go with her to make sure she doesn't hurt herself,"
Hiroki, she growled in her mind. "Yes, go ahead and do that, Hiroki-san." How could her father not see that he really didn't care? How could he not see that Hikari had plans for everything to be her way?
She continued walking, not even sparing a thought for Hiroki. If he was going to go with her to make sure she didn't hurt herself, then he was going to have to pick up his pace a bit.
"Hinata?"
She ignored him, eyes fixed ahead.
"Hinata?" he sounded out of breath.
Well, too bad for him if he couldn't keep up with her. It was during times like this that she really appreciated being a kunoichi.
Her room was coming into view. A few seconds and she would be able to slip inside and just block out the whole world, if only for a little while.
She came to a sudden stop in front of her door.
"Finally…" she heard Hiroki mutter behind her.
"Well, do you plan on tucking me in?" she said, anger clearly noticeable in her tone, not even bothering to turn to look at him.
"Would you like me to tell you a bedtime story, too?" he asked mockingly.
She whirled around, eyes flashing. How could he be so – ugh, just everything about him annoyed her!
"You –" she froze, the words stuck in her throat. What – what was she doing? This was ridiculous, arguing with this boy like some child. She felt an absurd need to break down and laugh, just laugh all her worries away. But one glance at the person still standing in front of her rapidly killed that impulse.
She counted to ten in her mind and let out a long breath. "Go away, Hiroki, and, and just leave me alone," she said.
An awful sneer appeared on his lips. "Or what?" he taunted. "What are you going to do to me, huh? Hurt me? Or maybe –" He broke off staring with wide eyes at the kunai placed against his throat. "What the-!"
"Please leave," she said softly, trembling as she stepped away from him. What had she done? Had she lost the last shred of her self-control?
"Fine." he said, voice clipped. He turned on his heal and strode away, head held high as if he hadn't just been threatened.
She glanced down at the kunai, her whole body shaking. "Oh-" Without a second thought, she flung it into the garden where it fell into the small pond with a soft plop and sat down on the wooden floor in a rather unladylike fashion, the fabric of her kimono bundling up around her. Hinata gazed out into the distance with a faraway look in her eyes, fingers twirling the loose strands of her hair into little ringlets.
Only a few moments of silence passed before she felt a presence nearing.
"You look really nice, you know,"
She smiled, not even surprised that he was here. After all, he'd always had a certain knack for turning up in the most unlikely of places. "I'm glad you think that."
Naruto sat down next to her and, without thinking or warning, slipped his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together. "I guess you're wondering what I'm doing here, huh?" he said, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
"Um, yes, I am," she said, habit making her glance around nervously.
"Well, I'm supposed to be just delivering a message to you, but," Naruto laughed softly. "I've got ulterior motives, as you can see."
"Should I be distressed now that you've confessed that to me?" Hinata couldn't help but play along.
"Nah, I wouldn't do anything 'indecent'," he admitted with a shrug. "Neji would kill me."
She laughed, shaking her head. "I don't doubt that he would."
"Well, then! I think I actually should deliver my message," Naruto stood, pulling her up with him. Their eyes met. "Sorry," he said sheepishly, and she knew he was referring to the abrupt start and end of their meeting. She didn't mind; she understood it was risky of him to even be 'delivering his message' to her when she was all alone.
"Well, what is your message?" she prompted when he had fallen quiet. She hadn't minded that he had just been gazing fondly at her, but sometime told her it was important.
"This," he said simply. Then – a kiss, but a bittersweet kiss full of such emotion that it left her breathless.
And he was gone as fast as he had appeared in her home, leaving with a whisper of "Don't let that jerk get to you."
Flushed and feeling airy, Hinata drifted into her room, wondering how she hadn't sensed Naruto's presence near by when she had been arguing with Hiroki. It doesn't really matter, she decided as she began changing into clothes more comfortable. As she was folding up her kimono, she heard the sound of rustling paper within the folds. Frowning, she undid all her neat work and shook the kimono, trying to get the paper, if that's what it was, to fall out.
When it did, she suddenly felt her heart beat a little bit faster. She knew that handwriting; there was no way to mistake the messy scrawl.
To Hinata it read, written hurriedly on the outside.
She knelt on the floor and, with trembling hands, reached out for it. She took it, unfolded it gently, and read the words written by the one who had left only a half-hour ago.
Her mouth opened in a small o, and she seemed to have lost her voice.
To decide, to rewrite it all, it was so tempting.
She stood slowly, the paper slipping out of her loose grip to the floor.
"Oh, God, protect us." she whispered to the silence of her room.
Her decision was made.
Finally, together.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
She was nowhere to be found the next day.
The Hyuuga family clan roused up the village, clamorous, angry, disappointed, suspicious. Hikari looked ready to burst into tears, her plan in ruins.
As they began a search for their heiress, Neji was stepping into her empty room, leaning down to pick up the paper that had been left in the same spot it had fallen.
And he smiled.
And he left to go see Tenten, Lee, and Sakura, and the others. They would be happy, he knew.
. F . I . N .