青い骨の美 - The Beauty of Blue Bones

Chapter 2

Autumn
Thursday—4:25PM

She breathed heavily as she walked home with quickened steps. Hinata wasn't one to feel anger all too often, even after acknowledging that she was not the same silly, naive girl from the years leading up to the war, she still did not get as angry as others would have been if they stepped into her shoes for a day. That said a lot as she practically twisted the dirt further into the ground at every step she took. Her younger sister had been kidnapped while she was away from the village.

Somehow, she has managed to put the blame on herself for taking up a mission and believing that everything would be alright.

No maid or guard stopped her as she opened the gates to the manor. No one crossed her path the moment they recognized the darkened look on her face and the way her fists were clenched at her side. Hinata felt her cheeks flush red once her father came into view, and her anger blossomed so rapidly that it overcame the voice of self loathing with ease.

"You did nothing." Her voice was soft yet as sharp as a knife as she trembled in front of him. "She was under your watch and you've done nothing."

Hiashi did not mutter a single word, his arms were crossed at his chest and he stared down his nose to look at her as though she was beneath him. In all honesty, he most likely believed her to be, hence why he studied her and her barely contained anger as she waited for his response. "She was taken at night."

"How—" Her voice was caught in her throat for a split second. She brought her shoulders up to her ears and dropped them back down the moment the angry buzzing in the air began to calm down. "How does someone sneak into the house of All Seeing Eyes without being seen? How do you let something like that happen?" She took a step closer to him, standing on her toes so he could look her in the eyes and answer her truthfully. "Has your pride finally reached its point that you think that we are above the envious rage others have for our eyes? You are repeating the same mistake as when I was a child."

"I am not." His eyebrows furrowed in his wavering patience. Her taunts began to make his hands tingle, yearning to put her in her place as his daughter. "As the new Heiress of the family, Hanabi will always be in danger." He turned his back to her. "You just need to worry yourself about not being a burden on this mission, and make sure you get your Heiress back."

Hinata scoffed. "You're doing it again; you can barely look at me and hold a proper conversation with your eldest daughter even after knowing that I will be the one going after Hanabi. Do you not have any words of encouragement that do not beat down on my already little pride for my name? Do you hate me that much, father?"

"It should have been you."

She straightened her back, refusing to stare down at her feet and play with her fingers as those harsh words left his mouth. "You have made it quite obvious that it should have been me in all the other instances." She closed her eyes. "I wish that that was the case as well, if that means that you can finally look at me as your child rather than as a stain on your reputation. I will bring Hanabi back, but I do not promise that I will return as well."

She left before he could.

Hinata closed her bedroom door softly, leaning her head against it for a second as she steadied her breathing. With one resolute step back, she removed her bag from her back and dumped everything onto the floor. Not caring about the mess she was making, she filled it back up with things she would need and then some. A hot shower was welcomed soon after, and her dirty clothes were replaced with their identical, cleaner counterparts. Braiding her hair as she hopped out of her window, she did not say goodbye to her father, or anyone else, as she left the compound.