日向導 - A Hyūga's Guide

Chapter Eighteen: Welcome

Mebuki watched as her daughters packed their things into multiple boxes, a proud smile on her face as she heard them talk amongst themselves as if she wasn't there. Years of wanting them to become closer, and to have Hinata warm up to the idea of them being family, she could finally see that her manifestations have worked. The bond between the two women seemed to be that of steel; not breaking away no matter what each of them did.

She felt a hand on her lower back and smiled at her husband who joined her. "They've grown."

"Gone is our shy little cherry blossom, now she's such an amazing woman. Hinata as well, she's opened up a lot more compared to when she was sixteen." Kizashi nodded in agreement. "I'm glad that they trust each other now."

"Will they be okay?" Worry was evident in her voice as her eyes glossed over. Memories of the two girls as teenagers surfaced. She was scared for them, this would be the first time that they'd be away from home for more than three days. When would they return?

"I'm sure they will." He held her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Two young girls came running through the doors of the dining hall. One seemed rather bothered with the close contact she was sharing with the other. Pale eyes darted across the room, trying to take a good look at everything around them.

"This is the dining hall! We eat our food here, and sometimes you'll find my father here reading some important letters." Pink hair whipped around her face, green eyes sparkling as she stared at the quiet girl in front of her. "Do you talk?"

"I do." Dark hair shrouded her face, her bangs obviously outgrowing their previous length.

"Good, I thought you were mute or something. You have a pretty voice, you should use it some more." She beamed. "I've never had a sister before, I'm so excited."

She watched her bounce around the room, clapping her hands with a joyous expression on her face. She was confused, what could possibly be so amazing about having a sibling? She remembered when her mother was pregnant with her little sister and how they both died. She didn't like having siblings.

"What's your name again?"

"Hinata."

"I'm Sakura, but you probably already knew that since my parents won't stop saying it." She grumbled. "Do you have a favourite food, Hinata?"

She shook her head.

"That's okay, we'll figure it out together. That's what sisters do; they help each other figure out the tough things in life." Sakura smiled again and grabbed her hand. "Let me show you the garden, I think you'll like it."

Hinata made no protests as she was dragged out of the room. Sakura's hand was warm against her cold skin, and that made her smile ever so slightly.

"We're finished." Sakura stood in front of her parents, her hands folded together behind her.

"Please take care of each other." Mebuki finally let the tears she'd been holding fall. She watched as Hinata joined Sakura in standing in front of them. Stepping down from where she stood, she cupped her daughters' cheeks and kissed their foreheads. "Behave, eat as much as you can but not too much, check up on one another, and have fun."

Hinata closed her eyes at the blatant display of affection from her adoptive mother. She knew she was harsh on them before; believing things that weren't true because she didn't want to trust and depend on them too much, but she had learned to appreciate the level of care they had for her.

"We will." She muttered, knowing that that was the best response she could give. Her words have constantly been taken away from her while growing up, and she regretted being quiet about a lot of things, but she wanted to make sure that the married couple in front of her can depend on her this time.