Hanabi Hyūga stepped lightly behind her father as they crossed the threshold of the Sarutobi compound's inner hall. The air smelled different here—wood, stone, and something more elusive. Stillness. Intent. She didn't know what she expected, but not this.
Hinata Gin waited before them, seated in seiza like a portrait in ink and silk. Her kimono, subtly ornate, shimmered with the hue of twilight. Her posture—effortlessly composed. Her presence—commanding without force.
Hanabi's breath hitched slightly, though she kept her expression blank. This was not the girl she remembered.
The one from years ago had felt like a shadow of an heir. Nervous, hesitant, disconnected. A ghost in their family home. Hanabi had learned not to hate her—there hadn't been enough to hate. Just distance. A stranger occupying a title she couldn't hold.
But the woman before her now—she stirred something.
And that unsettled Hanabi more than she wanted to admit.
At last, they arrived.
Hiashi Hyūga, ever the embodiment of control, stepped into the room with the grace of tradition woven into his every motion. Hanabi followed closely, her posture perfectly composed, her face calm but unreadable. Their eyes swept the chamber.
Hinata bowed with perfect form. "Welcome, Lord Hiashi. Lady Hanabi. It honors me deeply to receive you both today."
Hiashi offered a slow nod, his voice low. "We accept your welcome, Hinata. And thank you for hosting this meeting with such respect."
"It is my intention," Hinata replied, lifting her gaze with serene resolve, "to offer this space for clarity, reflection, and perhaps… renewal."
She gestured to the tatami space in front of her, already prepared with three lacquered trays, finely arranged with the tools and vessels of the Iron Country's tea ceremony. A cast-iron kettle hummed with steam, the scent of rare herbs drifting subtly in the air.
"In the Land of Iron," Hinata began, her voice like still water, "the tea ceremony is more than etiquette. It is a practice of breath, of flow. The herbs used help steady one's chakra. The silence invites honest introspection. Sometimes, in that stillness… we find solutions to problems that once seemed insurmountable."
Hiashi listened with solemn attention.
"Today, I prepare this tea not as a kunoichi, nor as an heir lost or reclaimed. I prepare it as a bridge. One I hope may be crossed, if the will allows."
Hanabi's eyes didn't shift, but inside, she couldn't stop watching. Hinata moved like someone who could see—who saw more than most. Each step in the ritual, each precise gesture, radiated a grace that contradicted everything Hanabi thought she knew. Her sister's blindness seemed irrelevant… or false. But it wasn't. And that only deepened the unease rising in her chest.
Hinata began the ceremony. Each movement—pouring, whisking, presenting—was deliberate, refined. There was no falter, no hesitation. Her hands were sure, her spirit centered.
When the three cups were finally served, silence reigned.
Hinata was the first to speak again, her gaze low but her voice clear.
"Much was lost between us. I do not say that to search who to blame. Only to recognize. We were shaped by hands we did not see, and taught truths that… perhaps were only convenient."
Hiashi's jaw tensed slightly.
"I do not hold resentment," she continued. "I hold hope. That if I am allowed, I might come to know you, Hanabi—not as a duty, but as a person. A sister. And you, Lord Hiashi… not in your role, but in your truth. Perhaps even convince you to share something of her with me—of our mother… someone I never truly knew."
She paused, letting the words settle like leaves in warm water.
"After joining Team 8, and later living in the Land of Iron… I learned what it feels like to have siblings. To have a parent. It is not a wound I speak of, but a revelation. One that taught me what I want to offer now."
Hanabi's thoughts churned. Her chest felt tight—confused. How could someone who once stood so small now speak with such clarity, such… warmth? Why did hearing her say "sister" stir something sharp and aching in a place she'd long walled off?
Hiashi, after a long silence, finally replied. "There is resolve in you now. And a discipline that… humbles me."
Hinata inclined her head. "Thank you."
The tea cooled slightly in their hands. Hanabi remained silent a moment longer, then activated her Byakugan.
Her expression flickered.
She looked directly at Hinata. "You have chakra. Strong chakra. Even denser than…" Her words trailed. She didn't finish the comparison.
Hinata smiled faintly. "I have not recovered my sight. But I have recovered something else. And more than that, I would like the chance to know you, Hanabi. That is more important to me now than any power."
Hanabi's mouth parted slightly. She wanted to ask how. Why? What had happened to Hinata to make her become this? But the words failed her. For the first time, she felt something she hadn't expected to feel.
She wanted to stay.
Instead, she lowered her cup and bowed, just slightly, before setting it back down.
Hiashi watched both of them in silence.
Outside, the wind shifted. The full moon had not yet risen, but something had already begun to change.
<<<< o >>>>
From the entrance of the Sarutobi compound, Hinata saw Lord Hiashi and Hanabi off with quiet dignity. She bowed low, her hands resting calmly on her lap as they passed beyond the gate.
As their footsteps faded, a strange sense of satisfaction settled in her chest. She had felt it—just briefly—the formation of a bond. Not yet strong with Hiashi, but present. And with Hanabi… something deeper. Real. The way Hanabi had looked at her near the end, the hesitation in her voice, even that barely-there bow…
It filled Hinata with a quiet joy she hadn't expected.
A sister. Perhaps she had one, at last.
There was so much she wished to say. So many things to share. But it would come, in time. One step at a time.
Her fingers brushed the rim of the teacup she had used, still warm.
Then she felt it—presence. She turned her head slightly, the faintest whisper in the air shifting with intent.
"I sensed you the moment the gate closed," she said softly, not facing the intruder.
A voice answered, casual and amused. "Impressive. Most jōnin wouldn't have."
Hinata turned now, her sightless eyes open, but her attention locked on the source. A man in a Konoha flak jacket stood with one hand raised in greeting, his silver hair unmistakable even to her spiritual senses.
"I don't believe we've met," she said.
"Hatake Kakashi," he replied, lowering his hand. "Former jōnin instructor of Team 7. Current trouble monitor of mysterious dogs."
Hinata blinked. "Dogs?"
Kakashi sighed. "Yes. One of my summons—Pakkun—was abducted earlier today. Witnesses say he was carried off at high speed by a black canine with one eye… small, initially, but capable of sudden growth."
Hinata's lips parted in recognition. "Kuro."
"Ah, so you do know her." Kakashi's tone was only mildly accusatory.
"She's… enthusiastic."
"Enthusiastic?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
Hinata nodded, folding her hands serenely. "Yes. But loyal. If she did take Pakkun, I'm sure it wasn't malicious. Still… I apologize on her behalf."
"Well," Kakashi said, rubbing the back of his head, "he did scream something about being kidnapped by a 'wolf in heat.' So I figured it was better to check in."
Hinata laughed softly, one hand covering her mouth.
"I'll speak with her. And return your ninken unharmed."
But Kakashi didn't smile. Instead, he stepped closer, his tone dropping to something more solid—more cautious.
"Lady Hinata… I would prefer you do so quickly. Kuro erased her tracks completely. My ninken can't locate Pakkun. If we don't find him soon, something unfortunate might happen."
He paused, eyes narrowing. "If it hasn't already."
Hinata stilled. She felt it clearly now—beneath his calm voice, beneath the lazy posture—there was suspicion. Not hostile. But real. Directed at her.
She didn't know why. Not yet. But she could not ignore it.
"Understood," she said gently.
"You're the only one who might be able to find her," Kakashi added. "Will you come with me?"
Hinata nodded once. "Yes. I will."
She rose slowly, her movements graceful as ever. But inside, her calm had shifted.
She would find Kuro.
And perhaps… begin to understand what truly unsettled the shinobi standing before her.