One moment, Hinata Hyuga was as she had been in most timelines. Shy, kind, seeing Naruto's good qualities and his flaws, and liking him but unable to take the steps to tell him of that.
The next moment, that was all changed.
She was still kind, still saw Naruto the same way, but it didn't matter. Hers was the samurai clan of the Leaf, and she was either to be clan heir or would be married off to a prominent clan within Konohagakure in order to strengthen ties within their village. As she was considered too gentle for the position of heir, the latter was deemed her likely fate. So she had never approached Naruto not because of shyness, but because she understood her duty.
Duty and Honor was everything to the Hyuga clan. More than skill with Jyuuken or Kenjutsu, more than the fame of their fabled Archers, more than their reputation for being straightforward and completely above-board - there was Duty.
And almost from birth, Hinata Hyuga had known her duty. This was her place and path in the universe, her fate. She was not ronin to be tossed every-which-way by the circumstances around her. A samurai fixed their eye on the goal set before them and strode towards that goal with the fabled Hyuga stoicism.
Oh, if Naruto had an established clan it would have been different. She would have approached him openly in the Academy, stated her feelings, and awaited his response. If there had been an Uzumaki clan for the Hyuga to ally with, she could have had her heart and duty as well.
But Naruto did not have a clan. He did not have a family. As an orphan with no discernable tie to the Uzumaki clan beyond his name, there was no path for her to pursue or goal for her to achieve there.
On a team with an Aburame and an Inuzuka, she performed well even as she considered the two for her role. Neither was a terribly large clan, but both were well-established within Konoha. Either was a possibility for her in the future, with potential benefits for her clan with either one.
For now, her possibilities were still open for another clan to be selected for her. It was understood that she herself had some input but no real choice in the matter.
Duty. Death was lighter than a feather. Honor heavier than a mountain.
"Huh. Hadn't intended that, but oh well."
"What happened?" asked Naruto nervously.
"Oh, I was able to restore Sakura and remove Yuno, but there were changes to the Hyuga clan. Interesting that they're known for their archers."
"But the Hyuga clan has always been known for their Archers," said Kakashi. "They can see a target in the deepest brush and their precision allows them to shoot a grain of rice off the shoulder of that target. Their skill with the katana and naginata is also well known, as is their displeasure with anyone trying to copy their techniques."
"The nature of a retcon. Ah well. You sure you don't want the Haruno clan to be samurai? It's kind of odd how well a single samurai clan in a ninja village manages to adapt, and I'm curious how a second would fare."
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(Posted Sat, 24 Aug 2013 03:06)
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