Team Harmony

P16: Pressure

When Hinata awoke, the bad feelings she'd had hit an all-time high, causing her stomach to twist with nerves. Slower than usual, she got ready for school because she knew seeing the Uchiha brothers would calm her nerves.

She was putting on her jacket when there was a knock on her bedroom door. "Yes?" She answered. The door opened and her father walked in with a steeled face, forcing Hinata to stand up straighter.

"Hinata," her father said with a soft sigh. "Take a seat for a moment."

On the verge of losing her composure, on shaky legs, she sat down on her bed. "Wh-what is it, father?"

"Unfortunately, some things happened last night involving Itachi Uchiha."

Hinata's eyes went wide and she clutched onto the hem of the jacket so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. "Is he okay?" She managed to get out, her voice higher and on the edge of failing and giving in to crying.

"He's left the village and joined a group of infamous rogue ninja. He attempted to attack a Konoha official and, in the process, slaughtered many of his own comrades. Two of his own clansmen were pronounced dead just a few moments ago," he explained. He watched as his daughter's face crumbled in a mixture of horror, sadness, and confusion.

She profusely shook her head. "No, that's not possible! Father, Itachi-san would never do something like that!" She argued, hoping her father was playing the World's Cruelest Joke on her.

"He did, Hinata. And you have to accept that you might not have known him as well as you thought," he said sternly. He felt for her, truly. She'd recently lost a good friend and was now losing her fiancé. She was losing the person she'd been expecting to rule two powerful clans with.

Hinata shook her head again, standing up with barely hidden anger. "If he did that... then he must've had a reason!" She exclaimed.

Hiashi's hand went out before he could stop himself and he grabbed her arm tightly, causing her to wince in pain. "Hinata! You must never say those words to anyone else, do you understand? They could mistake you for a traitor or as sympathetic to his cause. Do you understand?!" He'd rarely raised his voice at her or grabbed her with such intensity outside of training that she immediately shrunk back, casting her eyes to the floor.

"I understand, father. I-I'm very sorry."

Hiashi sighed again and let her go. "I understand you're hurting, my daughter, but you mustn't forget that you represent the entire clan in everything you do, and letting your emotions get the better of you is unbecoming. Remember that well."

Hinata nodded. "Yes, father." Then her mind shot to her best friend. "How...How is Sasuke?"

"...Itachi put him in a small genjutsu because he tried to stop him. Sasuke may seem different after today as he looked up to his brother, so try to be patient with him." Hinata nodded again. "Fugaku and I will meet tomorrow to discuss the marriage contract."

"What does...this mean for that?" She asked.

"It was stated that should anything happen to Itachi to prevent him from carrying out the contract, it was to be passed over to Sasuke," he explained. "As planned, it'll be announced when you both graduate from the academy."

Hinata bowed her head. "Yes, father." Her father gave her another apologetic look—as apologetic as a Huyga could express—before taking his leave. Hinata let herself drop down onto her bed after a few beats of silence.

"There's...no way Itachi-san would do that, but," she paused, "I know father isn't lying to me. He hurt comrades and family members. Sasuke, too." Sasuke was the most important person to Itachi, she knew this. It didn't make any lick of sense to her, but it happened. It happened all in the dead of the night, while she was sleeping. Itachi left while she was sleeping peacefully. Sasuke was hurt while she was sleeping peacefully. These were facts.