Facet of Future

7

Chapter 6

"Hello, everyone. Sorry we're late."

Eyes turned in the direction of the soft-spoken voice, and falling on Neji and Hinata Hyuuga along with their three children. All three were unsurprisingly dressed in formal, three-layer kimonos in the traditional lavender and white of the Hyuuga Clan, Neji and the children wearing their long hair untied and combed straight down over their shoulders and down their backs.

They were however, in stark contrast to Hinata, who had tied up her hair into a bun behind her head, held in place with a ring of silver and mother-of-pearl, decorated with sparkling diamonds and polished pearls. More pearls hung in a simple but elegant necklace around her neck, while diamonds sparkled on elegant silver links from her ears.

It was probably deliberate too, on the part of her family, that her husband and children would follow their family's traditional favor for simple elegance, but embellishing her, the clan matriarch. Their crown jewel, as it were, and crown jewels needed to be shown in all their luster and beauty, with nothing around to detract from it. Quite the opposite, in fact: what was around was meant to reflect its beauty, and magnify it further.

And so it was with Hinata and her family.

Mouths hung open and eyes stared wide at the screen (for the most part) for what was being shown. If Sakura twenty years in the future was a woman in full bloom, then Hinata twenty years in the future was a vision of a goddess from legends and fairy tales.

"…I take it back." Kiba breathed in evident awe and envy. "Neji is one lucky son of a bitch."

"Given what we're seeing…I don't think anyone can argue against that." Shikamaru said in the same tone.

"…how can any of us even hope to compete with her?" Ino whispered with resignation added to the mix.

"…congratulations…Neji…you too, Hinata…" Tenten slowly said, eyes still enthralled by the semi-divine beauty on the screen.

Neji could only stare with a slight tremble at what was on the screen, having taken a step back in shock and surprise, his usual façade of perfect control and stoicism utterly broken. It didn't help that ever since the chuunin exams three years ago, when his hatred for the main family born of his father's unfortunate fate had been broken, he'd gained something of an attachment, a protective streak, and though he would never admit it, even affection for his cousin.

Of course, given her unrequited love and affection for Naruto Uzumaki, Neji had long since accepted and resigned himself to the fact that nothing could ever exist between them beyond the platonic bonds of family. But…if this was the future…then…

Hinata herself had reverted back to how she had once been, fidgeting on her feet and poking her fingers together, eyes fixed on the floor with a rosy blush adorning her cheeks. For the past three years, she'd been very happy that her cousin's hatred for the main family had abated, if not more than that, being well aware of his growing affection for her. She'd never reciprocated them, for which she felt some guilt at how it must be hurting him on the inside, no matter how much he never let it show, but what could she do? Her heart already belonged to someone else…

…didn't it?

She nervously glanced sideways at Neji, and then gave a meep as their eyes met. That seemed to break the spell, at least for two people, Naruto snickering at the sight. "Go for it, Hinata." He said. "Neji's a good person…he'll make you happy, I'm sure."

"Naruto!" Sakura snapped, and elbowing him in the belly. "Don't say that!"

"…ow…why not?" Naruto groaned, clutching at his torso.