Fighting for a Future

Summary: SEQUEL It's almost Hinata's 21st birthday and all hell starts to break loose. Sasuke proposes but tradition holds Hinata back from accepting. How will she choose between her family and love? SasuHina; minor, one-sided NejiHina

Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

Prologue

: Warmest Rain of the Season :

"Will you marry me?"

Hinata was still shell-shocked the morning after the proposal. It was obviously expected; but it still came as a surprise to her and everyone around her. Who knew that Sasuke would be so forthright with it? When it came to this moment, she had always thought that the answer would be so clear—how could she possibly refuse?

Yet she fought it off, tried to postpone her answer. For reasons that she didn't even know or comprehend. As soon as he got down on one knee and proposed, a terrible wall seemed to come between them. A wall that she couldn't pass through, only gaze through at the pained expression of her love's face when she stammered and stuttered that it wasn't possible. Her family permitted her to date, but when it came to marriage—she was promised to Itachi Uchiha.

For the good of the family.

As much as she loved and wanted—no, needed—Sasuke, there was no way that she could turn her back on her family. Being born in such a prestigious family had guaranteed her a life of luxury, comfort and high-class company—not that she needed any of it. But if only any humane feelings were left in such rigid competition. Hiashi had never failed to point out that the only reason she could attend Leaf Academy and thus meet Sasuke was because of their family's monstrous wealth and influence. He also reasoned that everything had their own price, and Hinata wasn't the only one who had to make sacrifices.

The only thing Hinata could do was to marry Itachi Uchiha and fulfill the role of a good wife. Her little sister, Hanabi, was still too young, and Itachi was well over the age of traditional marriage. He was already twenty-seven, not old, but at an age when he should already have children. Hinata was almost twenty-one. The perfect age; one year after officially being recognized as a woman and able to marry.

There was only three months until the arranged marriage ceremony. It was something that had been planned since Hinata's childhood—a future laid out for her. The only choice she had was to follow it obediently; fighting it would result in nothing and would bring shame on her clan. So Hinata had been ready to do just that and fulfill her father's wishes perfectly.

But then Sasuke had come along, streaking across the darkness of her life like a bright meteor, blinding her sight and making the darkness insufficient. In some ways, he was her obsession, her life but now, with the impossible impasse between them—the thought of him brought immeasurable pain to her heart.

She'd been trying to put off this day since the news reached her almost three years ago. But that time, Sasuke convinced her to forget about it—to enjoy the moment when it lasted. And she did. But good things never last forever, it faded too quickly—only to be replaced by the same debilitating darkness that enveloped her life so many years before. How could she live without her light, her life?

Now, three months from her dreaded birthday—something had to be done. Either way, a marriage will be in session. How could she possibly choose?

By marrying Sasuke Uchiha, she would be turning her back on her family, shaming their name and honor.

By marrying Itachi Uchiha, she would be breaking her own heart, not to mention Sasuke's—but then she would finally be making her father proud.

She stumbled out of the doors into the heavy rain pouring out of the sky. She stood, letting it soak her to the bone until her clothes clung to her like rags. Tears streamed down her faces, her heart fighting against itself as it struggled between family and love. Her's was a cage that was inescapable, a cage of rules, regulations and honor. Although she had been handed the key, she dare not venture near the forbidden door.

The rain felt so warm against her skin, so comforting…like it was washing everything away, maybe if she stayed here, she could forget everything. Forget about Sasuke, forget about falling irrevocably in love with him, forget about all the tender moments of those past three years and forget about the heartbreak she was experiencing.

She felt so cold, yet the rain splattered against her skin like droplets of warmth. Her heart was so cold, freezing her from the inside. Tradition against love. The competition raged in her chest. She could feel the old wounds in her heart reopening, ripping it to shreds. Strangely, she felt light-headed, almost floating.

Her legs buckled from underneath her and she crumpled to the ground while the rain battered her motionless and frozen body. It was so warm…

Author's Note: This is just a prologue, so don't complain about it being too short! This fic will be more angsty than the prequel. Hopefully, I won't fail too much at that. I'll be trying to keep Itachi in character, but it'll be hard, since I haven't really wrote anything serious with him in it. Reviews and critique is GREATLY appreciated!

moonhaku