Under the Sun

Chapter Two

A baby. This was what was on Hinata's mind when she emerged from her early meeting with the clan elders. A baby. An heir to present to the clan by next spring. The task was a daunting one but not unexpected. For all her training and years spent mastering the techniques of the Hyuga, Hinata had always been aware that her greatest responsibility would be to provide the clan with an heir. She had believed that the job would be simple enough. Unfortunately, it was anything but. The awareness was hanging over her like a rain cloud. A storm of emotions had coursed through her when she first realized that she was struggling to conceive a child.

Two turnings of the moon had passed since she had become the heiress and the devastation wrought by mercenary ninja was still fresh in everyone's minds. But the clan had mourned its losses and was finally starting to rebuild. The weather seemed to be reflecting this. The rain had disappeared to make way for white fluffy clouds and a cobalt blue sky. Hinata passed by rows upon rows of buildings, large and small, on her way to the village clinic. The sun was high in the sky, a fiery orb shining down on the earth below. It warmed her skin. It was nice and Hinata paused to take it all in - the ambiance of a world at peace.

As she breathed in the morning air she tasted its sweetness on her tongue. She was alive, heart beating steadily inside her chest. In the aftermath it was her life that had been spared and she refused to take this second chance for granted. If the elders wanted an heir, she would give them one. A strong and healthy child was what she wished for more than anything.

She resumed walking. The first step would be to visit the clinic. She'd been going regularly for her own sake but this time it would be for the clan's. She came to a more open area and passed a row of orange trees situated beside a paved path. A right turn would take her back to the house she shared with Neji. It was tempting really but Hinata forced her feet in the opposite direction.

Clan life started early for some but most people were still tucked inside their beds, desperate to soak up that last bit of warmth before being forced to face the predawn chill. After her journey to Kumogakure, Hinata had become more or less desensitized to the cold. She could see it raising goosebumps along her arms but its effect no longer made her shiver. Coming home had been a mistake on her part. She gravitated towards her comforts like a moth to a flame.

As she rounded the corner of the path, Hinata hesitated. A soft noise filtered through the silence. A twig snapping in two. She turned towards the source to see a black cat scurrying beneath a crop of bushes. It dove under head first so that all she could glimpse of its behind was a long striped tail. Whatever it was running from, the cat hadn't even noticed her presence. Hinata smiled. Her footsteps were light on the dirt path. Coming and going, silent and invisible. She developed the habit overtime, learning well what it meant to slip away without being seen or heard. Ninja could employ this technique to gain an advantage over their enemies but Hinata wasn't supposed to be worrying about things like that anymore. She was supposed to be moving on from a life of keeping secrets and running from an unknown threat. She was supposed to be making an effort to settle down.

She'd tried. With every fibre of her being she worked hard to forget who she was so that she could become who her people needed her to be. But her body didn't want to comply with their demands. When Neji and she had moved forward with their relationship, Hinata was certain she'd end up pregnant as fast as her mother had. It came as a surprise to all (but none more so than Neji) that after six months of being together freely, she was not only not expecting but struggling to accept the fact.

At first Neji had been by her side, feeding her words of encouragement. But as the days passed with no signs of her being with child, Neji disappeared along with his unyielding faith in her. He hardly spoke to her these days. His feelings were hidden, buried deep inside where she could not reach them. Hinata learned early on not to expect support from the others who saw her as nothing more than a clan icon. But from Neji she had hoped for more concern. She was breaking under the pressure of being unable to conceive. As a women and head of the clan, she was being labeled as inadequate all over again. She didn't need to listen to every whisper or be privy to every rumor to know what was being said about her behind closed doors.