Chapter Text
Hanabi managed to be sick for about a whole week, even when her cheeks recovered its colour and the fever subdued, she insisted she was feeling ill and she needed Hinata to stay by her side a bit longer, although everyone suspected it was but an act of the child to be spoiled by her elder sister, who nevertheless was happy to take care of her little sister.
During the whole length of Hanabi’s illness and even a bit longer, it kept raining in Konoha, and so it did that Sunday, the last day of the summer vacation.
Neji was walking by the hall when she noticed a slender figure wearing a yellow raincoat in the middle of the herbs garden.
“Hinata-sama!” he rushed to her, “What are you doing? You’ll catch a cold!”
Although the rain kept falling, it had diminished to a light drizzle and his reaction was perhaps exaggerated, but Hinata made no comment about it.
“When it has just rained, the herbs are oxygenated and fresh,” she explained in a calm voice with a serene smile on her face, keeping her eyes focused on the plant in front of her from which she was collecting some leaves, “It gives the tea a different flavour”.
Neji looked at her in silence, shocked. As sweet and shy as Hinata could be, she was also stubborn and mysterious, she managed to surprise him nevertheless.
“Fine,” he finally said, “then I’ll help you”.
Hinata looked at him and smiled brightly in gratitude for his help, only to turn right back to perform her self-inflicted duty.
“Do you know, Neji-niisan? I actually love to be out when it’s raining. It gives me a sense of calm”.
Neji smiled. “I see, it’s calming indeed, although I prefer to see the rain fall while inside”.
They kept choosing leaves for a while, until Hinata decided they had enough.
“I think, if you like to be outdoors, you may weren’t able to enjoy your vacation, Hinata-sama, taking care of Hanabi-sama all these days…”
“Oh, no, I did,” Hinata assured him. “Even more, I like to be able to be with her. When she was a baby, I had a tight training schedule, she was always looking for me to play with her but I could never please her. Then, it was her the one that had to train with father because I…”
Hinata lowered her eyes and clenched her fists, a glimpse of sadness in her eyes.
“I’m happy I could take care of her now,” She said with a smile trying to hide her melancholy.
“Hinata-sama, I…”
“Oh!” Hinata interrupted Neji, “Is that Natsu-chan and… Hoheto-san?”
Neji’s curiosity awoke when he noticed the red blush staining Hinata’s face, only then he turned to see what she was looking at and caught a glance of Hoheto placing a soft kiss on Natsu’s forehead as he held an umbrella over their heads. He himself blushed hard, turning hastily to stop looking at them, feeling like an intruder.
Hinata giggled. “Who would have known? Sharing an umbrella is the most romantic indeed.”
Neji looked at Hinata in awe, trying to understand how she always managed to alleviate his tension. If he had to describe her, he would say Hinata was sunshine on a rainy day.
Shaking his head to dispel the thought, he took the basket off of Hinata’s hands. “Let’s go, Hinata-sama, I don’t want you to be ill on your first week back to duty”.
Hinata nodded with a smile. “I bet I can get home faster than you Neji-niisan!” She said as she ran, prompting Neji to run behind her complaining about her cheating.
Back at the hall of the Main house, Hiashi Hyuga looked through the window as his nephew and his daughter were jumping on the puddles and laughing like a pair of kids, a smile crossed his face.
“Are you feeling well, father?” Hanabi asked with a frown as she stepped in the hall bringing tea for her father, confused by his unusually happy countenance.
“Very well, my daughter, very well”.
The crease on Hanabi’s forehead became deeper. Her father had definitely not been acting like himself all summer long, but this might be too much.
“Look, Neji-niisan, a rainbow!” Hinata’s voice sounded from afar.
Hiashi gave Neji and Hinata one last look before turning to take the cup his daughter offered him between his hands, breathing in its marvellous scent. A whole summer to bring the clan together, he hadn’t felt as much peace and tranquillity behind the walls of the Hyuga compound since… well, since Hizashi was no longer with them. Perhaps… maybe to be a fair and wise leader, he didn’t need to be as strict. Maybe, having fun was indeed a necessity for the clan.