She pulled her hair up in a careful bun, her tongue poking out slightly as she focused on her visage in the mirror that sat on her dresser. Mismatched eyes blinked back, sweat forming on her brow as she huffed in frustration and pouted as her hair fell back down in clumps and slight tangles.
"I give up." She swiveled around in her chair to face a direct copy of her that lay on her bed whilst reading one of the many stories they were gifted. "This is hard, Mikoto, can you please help me?" She whined as she swung her legs back and forth.
"You should figure it out yourself. You were the one who told mother that you could do it." Mikoto shrugged at her younger [by ten minutes, she kept being reminded every single time she tried using her 'seniority' to her advantage] sister. "Besides, I don't know how to help either." She muttered as she flipped the page of her book.
"You're mean."
"Yuriko..."
"It's true!"
"If I say that I can't do something, and I can't help you, it's not me being mean." She sat up and crossed her arms. "It's me speaking the truth." She rolled her eyes. "Why don't you get Fū to do it for you?"
Yuriko bounced in her seat, shaking her head frantically, messing up her hair even more. "Then Fū would tell mother, and mother would say 'I told you so', and father would laugh, and you would put up your shoulders and act like you were able to see my shortcomings." She inhaled deeply, replacing the lost oxygen from stumbling over her words so quickly.
"I wouldn't." Mikoto raised her eyebrow, but the sparkle in her eyes said otherwise. "I promise."
"Yeah." Yuriko hopped off of her hair. "I'm just going to ask mother myself so I can save myself from further embarrassment." She opened the shōji door and closed it behind her. Shuffling in her spot for a second, Yuriko took in a deep breath then exhaled as she made her way to her parent's room.
Knocking on it softly, clenching the fringes of her kimono's sleeve, she peered inside the moment she heard her father's voice.
"I...I need help." She said softly, stepping into the room fully so he could look at her.
Sasuke looked up from what he was doing, his eyes filled with warmth as he studied her messy hair and red cheeks. "You couldn't figure it out." He chuckled softly as he beckoned her closer. "Your mother is in the garden but let's straighten you out so she doesn't lose her mind when she sees you." He pulled out the jewelled pins from her hair, combing his fingers through her tangled strands gently before using a brush. "It took you longer to ask for help today."
"It's a special day and I wanted to be perfect without mother's help." She pouted again as she sat on the chair that her mother usually used.
"You'll get it one day." He played with her bangs and patted her head.
"Yeah, but I'm five! I should get it right now..." She crossed her arms and faced him.
"I wasn't able to do anything for myself until I was eight, you're doing fine."
"Really?" Her eyes widened.
"Hn." He nodded. "Now, go to Hinata and take these with you so she can do your hair quickly." He handed her back her kanzashi.
"Okay!" She took her hairpins and waved as she left the room.
Running down the stairs, only being careful as she came closer to the bottom step [she could practically hear Hinata's voice telling her to be careful and stop rushing], she skipped to the back doors of the main manor and yelled for her mother's attention.
"Yuri." Hinata smiled as she let her daughter settle at her side on the engawa of the garden. In her arms was a smaller bundle of soft pink flesh and almost pitch black hair. "Itachi is asleep, please be a little bit more quiet."
YOU ARE READING
日向導 - A Hyūga's Guide
Fanfiction« She's gotten used to it; she craved it from time to time. Never would she have thought that she would get to the point where Sasuke's proximity did not cause annoyance or anger to arise. How far have they come that warmth and affection bubbled in...
