Author Note
Here is a little one-shot, I had this idea spinning in my head for quite some time, so here it is, please review and tell me what you think of it.
Sold. She had been sold, like cattle, to a 'noble' clan. The only 'noble' thing in the Kamizoru clan was their wallet; it was often paraded, showing its bloated flanks and the cohorts of parasites that lived off it. This was the only reason they were considered a noble clan. Their lands were poorly managed, the only reason they were rich was because they lived on a major trading hub, a situation that only improved with the rebirth of Whirlpool country. And because of this, the Hyuga needed them as allies. Hinata wasn't satisfactory as heiress, so they sold her to the Kamizoru. A wife for the second son of the clan head in exchange for better prices. A shameful deal, but that didn't stop the noble and regal Hyuga clan. What was worse was the fact that the Kamizoru were known for their deviant sexual customs, in fact it was what was best known about the clan, there were even rumours of incest and other disgusting things being regularly practiced behind these walls.
Hinata knew what would happen to her. The clan head would come first, then his sons by order of birth, then the cousins. During one week, all the male Kamizoru would come and use her body. There were no ways to escape, the ceremony had already been performed and she could only wait in her new room for hell to begin. Even her status as kunoichi was turning against her. Because her clan had decided so, she could no longer take missions, but she could still be declared a missing nin. Should she run away, she would be branded a traitor and hunted down. But perhaps this fate was better than what awaited her. Below, in the reception room, the Kamizoru male were delving into the depth of carnal pleasures, sharing both their wives and servants, sometimes even female family members. Hinata shuddered with disgust.
The Kamizoru were among those people who came from overseas long ago, barbarians only appeased by the promise of land and power, much like the dark skinned men of Lightning country. But while these men had decency and some measure of honour, the Kamizoru were nothing more than a bunch of depraved and tainted souls. And now, Hinata was the lamb offered to the wolves so that her former shepherds could reap some advantages. But her father had underestimated her. She was a kunoichi, she would endure, and very soon the Kamizoru clan would be victim of an unfortunate chain of accidents that would leave the clan decimated, preferably with only female survivors born outside the clan. She would take control, and all opposition would be crushed. Poisons, sabotage, murder, manipulation, all the tools of the ninja were at her disposal, and she would use them without remorse. And once the Kamizoru had fallen, the Hyuga would follow. Hinata had, during her ten years as a kunoichi, made many friends in the nobility, the Daimyo's grandson being one of them. She would make them pay for what they did to her; she would show her father that your closest relative could be your bitterest foe. And once it was done, she would find him. Naruto.
Her blonde crush had been banished. Not because he failed to bring Sasuke back, not because he used Kyubi's power, but because Iwa had called for it. They learned of his ascendancy, of who his father was, and while Naruto was away, training with the toad sage, the village was plotting his demise. Iwa had left Tsunade no choice, banish Naruto, or face a new ninja war. And to her shame, the villagers had called for the blonde's banishment. She was one of the few that stood up for him, but even his so called friends abandoned him. Sakura was the worst, she dared to pretend to know what he would choose, she dared to say that he would leave the village to protect it. The day she had uttered those words, the pinkette had earned the eternal hatred of the now former heiress. Hinata had not forgiven the village, and she was not alone. Naruto, when he had learned of the village's decision, had been shocked. He only stayed in Konoha for two hours, leaving the village alone this time, without the toad sage's knowledge. Jiraya was busy trying to convince the clan heads to reconsider, but they wouldn't bulge. It was two months later that they would learn of their mistake.
After the decision was made public, Suna broke all diplomatic relation in record time, the Kazekage earning this way Hinata's respect and esteem. Kumo had then widely displayed their offer of asylum to Naruto, flaunting many advantages like the possibility to re-establish his clan or a high rank. He hadn't answered. The world had to wait two months before hearing of Naruto Uzumaki again, and when they heard of him, it was coming from Iwa, a tale of blood and fear. The Yellow Flash had returned, and revenge was his quest.
In a display of might never seen since the time of the Shodaime Hokage, Naruto had attacked Iwa, killing a third of the ninja present in the village. With the Hiraishin and an elemental version of the Rasengan, he had left Rock in ruins. Onoki, the Sandaime Tsuchikage, despite his Dust Release, had fallen before the fury of the last Uzumaki. Since then, Iwa lived in fear, the fear that the last Uzumaki would come back to end what he started, to destroy Rock. What frightened the most Iwa villagers was the fact that he didn't even use the Kyubi. Only now was fear receding in the heart of Rock, after seven years of peace. Seven years during which no one heard of Naruto. It was later learned that, while on his trip with Jiraya, Naruto had hunted down Akatsuki members, taking them out. Before returning to the village, Naruto had already bested no less than five S-rank criminals, and the two months before his attack on Iwa had been spent eliminating the last of them. Thinking about her beloved Naruto brought pain to her heart. She thought back to the last time she had seen him, five years ago, when she had promised she'd find a way to make things better. When she had confessed to him. They didn't spend the night together that time; it was an occasion she now mourned.
Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Hinata sighed. She could feel someone coming, yet the orgy down there hadn't ended. After a soft knock on the door, she told the person to enter. It was a woman, one of the unfortunate souls that were forced to marry in the clan. She had black hair gathered in a high ponytail with a few strands falling on her forehead, her face was delicate but an expression of sorrow and melancholy marred her beautiful face. Her pale green eyes seemed to radiate concern and kindness. She wore a pale lime kimono with a slightly darker obi.
"Hello, my name is Shizuka. You are Hinata, right?"
"Yes, I am. May I ask why you are here?"
"To make things easier for you. I know it will probably sound strange, especially since we barely met, but I think you should have your first time with me. It will make it easier, trust me. I went through this already. Here, you will find comfort only in the arms of other women. Besides, if I'm here, the men will divide their attention, and you won't suffer as much."
Hinata frowned. She had never been attracted to females, but what Shizuka said made sense. Perhaps it would be better to accept it. Meanwhile, Shizuka had moved to sit next to her, putting her hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry" she murmured. "Everything will be fine."
Shizuka began to kiss Hinata's neck, the former Hyuga not resisting. She didn't know what to do, so she didn't do anything. Her breathing began to quicken as Shizuka's hand reached for her obi and removed it. Then her instinct kicked in. Her eyes narrowed, she softly pushed Shizuka away, ignoring the confused look of the woman. Activating her Byakugan, her suspicions were confirmed. A smile formed on her lips.
"What a pleasant surprise."
Shizuka looked at her with wide eyes as Hinata rose to her feet and discarded her ceremonial kimono. Clad in only her panties, she went to her possessions and took a concealed storage scroll, spreading it on the bed.
"W-what are you doing?" Asked Shizuka, becoming worried. Without looking up and while unsealing her jonin uniform, Hinata answered. "Well, I'm preparing to defend my new home from the Kumo nin currently slaughtering my new family. It's a pity I won't be able to save even a single man though."
She put on the black pants, then the skin tight top before donning her flak vest. She then proceeded to equip her weapon pouch, completely ignoring the currently freaking out Shizuka.
"W-what do you mean Kumo nin? They are killing everyone?"
"No, apparently they are concentrating on men, some of them are even having fun with a few of the women, and they don't seem to be complaining or resisting, quite the opposite."
Shizuka seemed slightly ashamed.
"Th-that's because they … trained us … to be submissive and accept whatever they want to do to us."
Hinata finished putting on her sandals and began to head out.
"Too bad, I'm gonna crash their party. You'd better hide under the bed, they never think of looking under the bed."
Without another word, she escaped the room.
Tetsuo Manzuki entered the seedy tavern, looking for his target. For seven years he had searched, tracked, investigated, following every lead, no matter how small, and now he had found him. Aliases after aliases protected him, he had changed himself completely, discarding his old garbs and style, sometimes even changing his hair colour. He had disappeared, but not anymore, he had been found. Then he saw him, slouched over in his chair, comfortably hidden from view in a corner. The patrons threw curious looks to Tetsuo, but it didn't come as a surprise, it was rare to see a man dressed in a fine silk kimono in company of the scum they were. Murderers, rapists, slavers, the worst of mankind was concentrated in this place. And of course, there was him.
As Tetsuo made his way toward him, he detailed his attire. He wore a black vest over an equally black skin tight shirt, black pants and black sandals; a katana was strapped over his shoulder. Currently, he was Danzo Kuromoto, a blade for hire. His dirty blonde hair fell to the middle of his back, spiking a bit. Tetsuo took a seat in front of him. Without looking up, he asked the question he probably asked to all the people who came to him.
"Who do I have to kill and how much do you pay?"
Tetsuo chuckled a bit. Straight to the point, he would enjoy working with the boy.
"You have been difficult to find, Arashi Ikazuchi."
His eyes immediately darted upward, and he looked at Tetsuo with a calculative look, wondering if the middle aged man in front of him was a threat.
"You must be mistaken. That is not my name."
"No indeed it isn't. But neither is Danzo Kuromoto. Or Hayate Akatsume. Or any of your other aliases." Tetsuo leaned forward, looking straight at him in the eyes. "It is your real name that interests me."
'Danzo' was now thoroughly tensed. He watched with the hawk's gaze as Tetsuo slowly took a slip of paper out of his kimono before pushing it towards him.
"It's not much, just put some blood on this paper, and we will see if the name you were given is indeed yours to bear."
The youngster carefully took the slip of paper, looked at it for a few seconds, as if deciphering the complex seal on it's surface, the put it back down and bit on his thumb, drawing blood. He then pressed his thumb on the paper, not really caring of the result. He didn't notice the paper turning green or the seal glowing slightly, as if in contentment. Tetsuo smiled.
"A wonderful day indeed, I am pleased to have finally found you."
"How could this day be wonderful? They sold her off! And to these …" The young man sighed in despair. Tetsuo's hand landed on his shoulder.
"Don't worry my Lord. Come with me to your home, and you will soon find a way to win your beloved, may it be by voice or steel. And no one will be able to oppose you." The eyes of the two met, and Tetsuo's grin widened as the young man in front of him perked up, looking at him intently. "Uzu is powerful. Much more than the Kamizoru."
A feral grin grew on her lips. The Kumo forces were already enjoying the girls' company, not even thinking of securing their objective –her. It would be their undoing. Slipping into the room, she watched with disgust as the three kumo nin joked around the prone form of one of the Kamizoru wives. What disgusted her even more was the pleased smile on her sleeping face. Perhaps they wouldn't smile so much with the castle painted red.
"Alright, alright, enough fun for now. We gotta find that Hyuga girl that Shinzo guy talked about."
"You mean me?"
The three ninja wiped around, facing Hinata. And as soon as they had, their faces lost all colours.
"I-it can't be!"
"Th-they want us to abduct her?"
A vicious smile came to Hinata's lips.
"Yes, my dear husband offered you to abduct me, Konoha's Lioness. I guess he'll have to be … punished."
Hinata sprang forward, spinning in mid-air, driving a kick in one of the men's jaw with such force that the man's neck broke. Taking advantage of the momentum, she slammed her palm into the forehead of the second opponent. If the burst of chakra that fried his brain wasn't enough, the front of his skull was crushed inward, peppering his brain with shards of bone. Landing on the third man's chest with both of her heels on his torso, Hinata sent him a small friendly smile before jumping off him while sending a huge burst of chakra into his chest, killing him instantly. Landing deftly, Hinata sprang into the corridor, taking completely by surprise a group of four ninja that were talking. Their activities with the Kamizoru hostesses had left them exhausted and they couldn't react in time. Before they realized what had happened, they were dead. Activating her Byakugan, she saw that she had already eliminated nearly a third of the enemy strike team.
Using a nearby window, she jumped into the courtyard of the manor, landing on the neck of a Kumo ninja, breaking it, and killing his two friends with palm strikes to the heart before they could react. Turning, she began walking toward the reception hall where the remaining Kumo troops were. Judging from the chakra signature, the formation the Raikage had thought about was one jonin for two chunin, but obviously the jonin had decided it would be better if they all stayed together and enjoyed themselves while the chunin did the work. And they weren't even aware that a third of their troops had already died. 'Since they're all together, no need to be discreet anymore.' Hinata leapt towards the door, a feral smile plastered on her face.
Eight trigrams: Lion's rage
Slamming her palm through the door, she let the lion made of pure chakra charge into the room. Before anyone could react, it had pounced on a jonin, completely destroying his chakra network before attacking another jonin. This technique didn't last long, but it was fast and a single hit was enough to kill. While the lion, rapidly shrinking in size as the chakra dissipated, distracted the kumo nin, Hinata took out two kunai and charged at a group of three jonin, slashing their throats open before they could react. Using one of them as a spring board, she jumped high in the air, using what little control she had over the remainders of the technique to order it to jump towards her. As she met the lion in mid-air, the chakra was reintegrated into her reserves. Landing gracefully on the clan head's table, she looked at the twelve survivors with an amused expression. They were shaking in fear, they knew who she was. One of the chunin broke the line, but a kunai to the head stopped his run quickly enough.
"Now, I believe that, as a newly married member of the Kamizoru, it is my duty to protect my new land. I'm quite sad that you killed my husband though."
Shinzo Kamizoru, who had been quivering in fear in a corner, now only realising just what he had asked, did the most stupid thing of his life.
"N-no, I-I'm here! I'm alergh..."
It must be noted that it is quite difficult to speak with a kunai going almost completely through your neck. Shinzo untimely demise didn't seem to affect Hinata, well, if you forget the hand extended towards him due to throwing the kunai. The Kumo ninja on the other hand seemed pretty disturbed.
"As I was saying, I am sad that you killed my husband, now I'll have to find a new one. Oh, and you intruded on my property, so I have no choice but to kill you all."
Looking over the survivors, Hinata estimated her chances. Five jonin and six terrified chunin, all of them exhausted after fucking the many whores of this house. Her smile becoming more vicious, Hinata dashed forward, unleashing a storm of shuriken along the way. Those who tried to dodge found themselves peppered with metal throwing stars, nothing too life threatening, but a disadvantage for the fight to come. Two chunin and a jonin decided to stay where they were and hopefully buy time for their comrades to either escape or restrain her. It was for naught. Landing in front of the three, Hinata suddenly thrust out her palms.
Eight trigrams: vacuum palm
At point blank, the two waves of condensed air crushed completely the chests of the jonin and one of the chunin, sending splinters of bone and drops of blood flying. Taking advantage of the chock of the last chunin, Hinata slammed her fist into his windpipe with such strength that the man's neck snapped. Turning to the last eight opponents, Hinata eyed them lazily.
"I understand why the Raikage didn't send any kunoichi on this mission; they would have killed you all. No matter, I will."
Hinata moved her hands into a cross, and two identical clones appeared at her side as horror overcame the eight men across from her.
"What?"
"She can use Shadow clones!"
"We have to escape!"
Before they could even try to, the three Hinata charged at them, throwing a wall of kunai while they ran. In barely two seconds, they were on the enemy, two chunin falling to the onslaught of fast moving kunai while the six that survived were further impaired in their movement by the kunai sticking out of their flesh. Taking full advantage of this, the three Hinata slaughtered them easily.
Looking over the scene, she decided she would clean up any possible mess right away. Without hesitation, she sliced open the throats of any Kamizoru-born woman, leaving only those from outside the clan. The wives of the clan head and first son, she placed them under a genjutsu that would compel them to leave and hide themselves in the forest. For the children, she decided to be merciful, something she hadn't been in years. She placed them under a genjutsu that would cause them to believe that what happened was because whatever god was up there was pissed at their family and wanted retribution, thus pushing them to turn to religion. That would leave Hinata with free reign over the clan. Deciding that pushing a bit more wouldn't hurt; Hinata ordered what few servants were still alive and awake to take the children to a temple to be treated.
All the other women, she would either bribe them with freedom or threaten them of retaliation to keep them out of her way. Her former clan had underestimated her. They hadn't taken seriously the rumours about her presence in the Kumo Bingo Book, and certainly not those about a Flee on Sight order, they didn't think she had the connections necessary to defend herself, but they were wrong. With the Kamizoru wealth at her disposal, she would become one of the most powerful feudal lords of Fire Country. But first, she would make an example of these fools. She ordered a few servants to gather the corpses of the Kumo troops in the courtyard. Just as Hinata was preparing to leave the reception room, Shizuka came in, looking utterly lost.
"W-what happened?"
"They attacked, I killed them. Now, I'm in charge, and a lot of things will change."
Hinata looked at Shizuka with a calculative glance as the older woman chewed on her lower lip.
"So … there are no survivors of the Kamizoru clan?"
"Children only. But they'll turn to religion. Believe me I took care of that."
Shizuka didn't seem particularly disturbed by that, she seemed to hesitate about something.
"If I help you … Will you give me my freedom?"
"And … What exactly would entail your help?"
Hinata was curious, if this woman thought she could help her it would be best to listen to what she could offer.
"I have a lot of leverage among the women; it wouldn't be difficult to convince them to leave the Kamizoru clan, making you the last of them, besides I am quite familiar with the clan's finances and possessions."
"It seems to be a good deal." Smiled Hinata. "Gather the girls and tell them of the situation, I'm going to finish taking control of the situation."
Hinata then ordered to have the thirty bodies of the attackers cut into pieces and sent back to Kumo with a warning: 'Don't provoke the Lioness.' That should take care of Kumo.
Before the end of the night, all the surviving Kamizoru wives were asking to be allowed to leave the clan, and all had their wishes granted. It gave Hinata a lot of paperwork to deal with, but she was used to it. After quickly taking care of it, she went to her room, refusing to use the clan head suite until it was completely cleaned. Now, standing in front of her bed, she couldn't help but imagine what she would be able to do with Naruto once she found him, and it made her horny as hell. Discarding her garments, she summoned two shadow clones. The clones, just as naked as she was, looked at her with an amused expression.
"Are you sure we're not lesbians?"
"No, I'm attracted to Naruto, a man, that would make us bi. Not very unusual for a kunoichi. Besides, it's just taking masturbation to the next step."
The next day, Hinata and Shizuka sent a host of letters informing their neighbours, the Daimyo and the employees of the Kamizoru of the tragic events of the previous night, along with convocations for the mercenary that ensured 'peace' on Hinata's new lands. Hinata also contacted mercenary companies known for their relative honesty and began negotiation.
On the third day of Hinata's reign, the leaders of the mercenary companies hired by the previous clan head arrived at Hinata's mansion. They took their dismissal with various levels of anger, but after one of them tried to hit Hinata and met a gruesome death, they all agreed that leaving was in their best interest. After that, Hinata found herself with full control of her lands. It didn't take long for the mercenaries she had contacted to get the hint, and they flocked to her land, all of them eager to get a well paid job while not risking too much. Hinata went farther.
She offered them to become her personal troops. As long as they served her, effectively kept order and weren't too harsh with the population, they would have a safe job, a regular and healthy pay and a place to call home. They all accepted. By the end of the third week of her reign, Hinata had purged her fiefdom of all banditry, purged the local judiciary system, forts of her new guard were being established throughout the land and trade was better than ever. The next issue she wanted to address was a potential cooperation agreement with Whirlpool, their neighbours from across the see. A trade agreement with them would give her plenty of money to begin her search for Naruto, and since there were rumours talking about a possible integration of Whirlpool into Fire country and the presence of another ninja village on the island, it would be extremely beneficial. She honestly didn't want to hire Konoha, she had developed a deep hatred for the Leaf and she would sooner take her own life than call upon Leaf Shinobi.
As she mulled over her thoughts, Shizuka entered her office, looking thoroughly peeved.
"What is it?"
"Your former clan." Shizuka answered dryly. Hinata felt annoyance come over her. The Hyuga had ordered her to come back to Konoha and return to her duties. No doubt they wanted to get a hold of her new possessions and put her back under control. Of course, she had answered their request with a firm refusal, but it looked like they weren't willing to let go.
"What now?"
"They took the matter to the Fire Lord."
Hinata paused for a second. Then she lost her temper and let loose a volley of swearwords that would be enough to make a complete battalion of sailors blush like schoolgirls. Hinata was incensed, how dare they try and use her more? It was unforgivable, the Hyuga would pay.
"Shizuka, have the horses prepared. We will travel light, you, me and five guards. Captain Genji will lead our escort. We leave in two hours at the latest."
Shizuka nodded and left the room. Hinata had suspicions that her first advisor and her guard captain were more than friends, and the bounce in Shizuka's steps confirmed this. She would have to use this to increase their loyalty to her. Gathering a few papers, she prepared to leave for the capital of Fire Country. Quickly going through the wardrobes left behind by the now freed women, she picked up one or two expensive looking kimono and sealed them in scrolls. She made a mental note to train her guards to use chakra to improve their performances. As she finished packing, she heard a knock on her door.
"Lady Hinata, a representative from Whirlpool is there, she wishes to talk to you."
"Lead her to my office, I'm coming right away."
Hinata quickly finished and made her way to her office. Inside, she saw Shizuka discussing enthusiastically with a mint-haired woman and noted that tea had already been served. Her guest wore black pants and an equally dark shirt, Uzu's red swirl sitting on the shoulder Hinata could see; on top of it, she had a dark blue flack jacket looking a lot like Konoha's, except that there weren't any pouches on the front. The woman, when she saw Hinata, immediately set her cup down and bowed to Hinata.
"My Lady, it is an honour to meet you."
"Likewise." Said Hinata bowing her head slightly. "I don't believe we were introduced. I am Kamizoru Hinata, at least for now."
The mint-haired woman smiled. "Fu Takimushi, head of the ninja forces of Whirlpool."
A glint appeared in Hinata's eyes. She had to befriend this woman; it would be very beneficial for her long term goals of both Finding Naruto and improving the security of her lands.
"If I may, what is the head of Whirlpool's ninja forces doing in my humble mansion?"
Fu snorted at the mention of the word 'humble,' the Kamizoru mansion was anything but that.
"I received word from the man that recruited me, apparently he found the descendant of Whirlpool's last daymio, I'm supposed to meet them at the Fire Capital where he'll be pledging loyalty to the country. When I heard there was a change of leadership here, I thought it could be good to make contact. You're not one of those pervs, right?"
Hinata couldn't help but giggle. She was beginning to like this woman, having her as a friend would be refreshing.
"No, I'm not like the Kamizoru. Now, Shizuka, have you finished packing?"
"Yes milady, the escort will be ready to leave at any time now."
"Huh? You're going somewhere?"
"Yes, the Fire Capital, would you like to accompany us?"
"Well, yeah, you seem cool for a noble."
This time, it was Hinata's turn to snort. "I'm not a noble, I'm a kunoichi."
Fu smiled widely. She would enjoy travelling with this girl.
Hiashi looked out the window, into the streets of the Fire Capital. The Hyuga were powerful enough to have a mansion in the richest part of the Capital and a permanent representative at the Fire Lord's court. A testament to their might indeed, mused Hiashi. Lately, Hiashi had felt the weight of years becoming heavier and heavier, and he had looked forward to retiring and leaving his place to one of his daughters. When he was still the heir, he didn't understand how his father could be so tired after dealing with just paperwork. But the charge of clan head was much, much more.
Petty disputes caused by bloated egos were his daily lot, he had to fight tooth and nail to avoid any civil war amongst the clan, something that wasn't helped by the last concession he had to make to appease the Main House. Thinking back to his eldest, Hiashi felt disgusted with himself. The Main House had always despised Hinata, he knew that much, but he never thought they would go as far as forcing him to choose which one of his daughters he would send to the Kamizoru. They wanted him to choose Hinata or to force her to sacrifice herself, something they knew she would do, even though Hanabi always treated her coldly. In desperation, he had decided that it would be decided during a match for the title of heiress. He had told them that a clear victor would be necessary to determine who would be the heir. Hinata had fought bravely, but he had seen that she was holding back. She was letting Hanabi win while giving the impression that her younger sister was stronger. In the end, Hanabi was declared winner, much to the Main House's satisfaction, and he had been forced to explain what Hinata's loss entailed.
His eldest did not snap, she did not scream, she did not lashed out. She stood there, shocked. Then, she left the training ground and went to pack her things, without a word. Hanabi didn't even move, didn't even care. Looking at them, Hiashi felt only failure, for his daughters were sister only in blood.
The following week had been hell for Hiashi, as he constantly blamed himself for the hell his daughter was going through. He kept wondering what would have happened if he had been a better teacher, a better leader and, most of all, a better father. He found little comfort in the fact that the Main House had now gained his enmity. During the first week, he had ruthlessly branded several Main House members that, admittedly, didn't really deserve it. But he had been merciless, claiming that his lack of firmness until now had been detrimental to the clan.
Then, he had learned of what happened on his daughter's wedding night, how the whole Kamizoru clan was slaughtered, how the women married in the clan all went to the new clan head for the right to escape this name. Only one Kamizoru remained … Hinata. He had sent a letter calling her back to Konoha, hoping for an occasion to see his daughter and explain, but she had refused. The terms were polite, but he was a ninja and a politician, reading between the lines was second nature for him. Hinata had clearly said that she wanted nothing to do with Konoha or the Hyuga. Of course, this didn't go well with the clan. The Main house hoped that her return would appease Hiashi, and the Branch House hoped that with her return they would be able to show her that they truly appreciated her, something they didn't really show until she was sent off to the Kamizoru. And so, the whole clan, for the first time unanimous, had agreed that everything had to be done to have Hinata return to Konoha. And thus, they had told Hiashi to go to the Fire Lord and ask for his mediation, something he had done readily, hoping to at least get the chance to talk with his daughter.
And here he was, looking at the street, letting his mind wander. Wishing to take his mind off of his estranged daughter, he thought about the biggest political event of the year. A new feudal lord Was going to join Fire Country, the lord of Whirlpool. Hiashi couldn't explain why, but he felt he should be familiar with the country, at least by name. But as far as he knew, he had heard only once its name, when that insufferable tomboy had joined his class at the academy. He didn't even remember her name; just that she was nicknamed the Bloody Hanabero. The Lord of Whirlpool was said to be immensely rich, and his fiefdom was situated just across the Kamizoru lands, it wasn't hard to guess what his clan would want to do with Hinata afterward. They would negotiate with her: Marry the whirlpool lord and you will get control of the Kamizoru lands.
Something caught Hiashi's gaze. Hinata was walking down the street, talking with a mint-haired woman. Behind them was a black-haired woman, probably in her thirties, sending longing gazes to a tall man wearing a complete suit of armour bearing the Kamizoru crest, gazes that the man returned. As he paid more attention to the mint-haired girl, Hiashi's eyes narrowed. She had on at least one of her shoulders the crest of Whirlpool, a crest he now recognized immediately as the one present on the back of most of Konoha's flack jackets. This made his brow furrow in confusion, an expression that was difficult to extract out of Hiashi. Suddenly, both Hinata and her friend turned and looked at him straight in the eyes. The look of pure hatred in Hinata's eyes shook him to the core. With a heavy sigh, Hiashi left the window, going to bed early. The audience with the Fire Lord would be tiring, he would need his energy.
Thoughtful as he was, Hiashi failed to notice Hanabi, looking strangely at him.
Senju Tsunade was in a bad mood. Scratch that, she was more pissed than the Kyubi could ever hope to be. The reasons? Everything was going downhill. First, Naruto gets banished, then a new hidden village arises, on the ruins of Uzushio no less, and expresses interest in joining Fire Country, third is Hinata, one of her best jonin, being sent as a bargaining ship to a clan known for it's depravity, fourth, after the Hyuga realized just how bad they had fucked up, they try to get her to come back and as a result drag her to the Capital, and to top it all off, she learned this morning, just after getting out of bed, that all five Kage were here, invited for whatever the Whirlpool Lord was up to. It was infuriating. Leading her little group, Tsunade could do nothing but fume. Behind her, Hiashi and Hanabi were trying to keep up with her brisk pace, something difficult to do if you want to stay collected and dignified. Arriving at the Daimyo's castle, Tsunade didn't need to wait long before being introduced into the court, and then stepped to the side, letting the Hyuga defend their case.
Hinata looked dispassionately as the Konoha delegation stepped in. Tsunade looked thoroughly peeved, but it did not concern her. Hiashi looked stiffer than ever and Hanabi looked arrogant. Why did she think it would be a good idea to let her be clan head? She should have destroyed the little traitor when she had the occasion. Hinata was draped in a dark blue ceremonial kimono decorated with cranes sewn in white, and had a white obi tied around her waist; her hair was gathered in a single bun, two needle-like hairpins keeping it in place. Hiashi wore his usual robes and Hanabi wore similar clothes. Looking around once more, she took in the Daimyo's guests. The new Tsuchikage, Kitsuchi, son of Onoki, was looking carefully at her, gauging her strength and visibly deciding not to attack her. Gaara was impassive as always, but Hinata had had a very friendly talk with him during which he had promised to help her find Naruto. Mei Terumi, the Mizukage, was here mainly because Whirlpool would be an important stop for Water Country's trading fleet, so good relations were necessary; she didn't care for the rest. And finally, A, Raikage of Kumo, looked thoroughly nervous, probably because the only Kage-level Hyuga recorded was in the same room as him, and the fact he had tried to abduct her certainly didn't help.
As the Fire Daimyo stepped in, followed by his grandson and heir, all talk stopped in the room. The Daimyo's son had died a few years back, protecting his son. Hinata and her team, at the time still chunin, had been close by and had tried to assist them. While Kurenai and Kiba had stayed with the dying man, trying to save his life, Hiata and Shino had pursued the bandits that had abducted his son and disposed of them, returning him to safety. Even though he had lost his son, the Daimyo had been grateful for saving his grandson's life. Now nearly a man, the heir was one of Hinata's most prominent political supports. The Daimyo took his place on the throne, his heir standing right behind him.
"Very well. The Whirlpool Lord shall arrive soon. Let us deal swiftly with the matter brought before us by the Hyuga of Konoha. Hiashi-san, please expose your pleas."
Taking a step forward, Hiashi bowed low. "Thank you Daimyo-sama. The Hyuga request that my daughter, Hinata, return to Konoha and our clan. As you know, she was to marry in the Kamizoru clan, but they met an … untimely demise." At this point, A seemed to grow even more uncomfortable. "Due to the death of the Kamizoru, we wish to have Hinata return so that she could resume her duty as a kunoichi of the Leaf and as a member of the Hyuga clan. For reasons we do not know, she refused to obey and remained in the Kamizoru land. We of the Hyuga hope that your wisdom will be able to convince her to listen to reason."
The Daimyo nodded, then turned to Hinata, giving her a ghost of a smile. Hinata, smiling good naturedly, took a step forward and bowed low.
"Daimyo-sama, if I recall well, the trade of human beings is forbidden in the Land of Fire, correct?"
The Daimyo frowned, not liking where this was going. "That is correct."
A predatorial smile made its way to Hinata's face as she unsealed a few scrolls. "Daimyo-sama, would you please be so kind as to read these letters exchanged between the Kamizoru and Hyuga clan?"
A servant recovered the letters and brought them to the Daimyo, and quickly a frown made it's way to the elderly man's face. Then, he turned his gaze to Hiashi and, in a surprisingly informal act, tossed a scroll at Hiashi. As he looked upon it, Hiashi's eyes widened and his jaw went slack. He couldn't understand it, he couldn't accept it, but it was here, right in front of his eyes. Members of his clan had negotiated trade privileges with the Kamizoru, clearly stating that Hinata would be the counterpart. And Hanabi was one of them.
"I take it you weren't aware." Was the Daimyo's only comment. He wasn't a shinobi, but years dealing with courtesans and politicians gave him a knack to detect lies and treachery. Hinata smirked to herself.
"As you can see, the Hyuga traded me in exchange for material advantages, thus qualifying their crime as trade of human beings. Thus, as per the law, all ties I may have had with the Hyuga are cut, giving me full independence and the right to demand reparation. I will leave the sum to your appreciation, Daimyo-sama." Said Hinata with a bow. That only served to incense Hanabi.
"You should be grateful you little wench, that our clan accepts to take a failure such as you back among us, and yet you refuse, like you are actually worth something!"
Hiashi paled, never before had Hanabi acted like that, and she chose to do it in front of the Daimyo. Did her arrogance know no bound? Hinata turned to her former sister, a smirk on her face.
"Think what you want, little girl, I have better to do than listen to your whining. The Hyuga are not above the law, and you'll get what you deserve. Deal with it."
Hanabi, her pride attacked, forgot all about where she was a darted toward Hinata, intend on making her shut her mouth. She was upon her elder sister before anyone could react, and was backhanded before she could react. Moving with frightening speed, Hinata shut her chakra points before grabbing her by the throat. Her face was impassive, and now Hanabi was beginning to fear this woman she used to despise so much.
"So weak, yet so arrogant. Learn your place, child. I am jonin, you are chunin. That alone should have shown you that I held back during that match. Your arrogance will be your undoing. It has already been that of your clan."
Without a care in the world, Hinata threw the Hyuga heiress across the room, letting the brown haired girl bounce three times on the hard wooden floor. Hiashi slowly made his way to Hanabi, picked her up, and supported her as they made their way to stand once again in front of the daimyo, awaiting his judgement. He was defeated, and the Hyuga were humiliated by his daughter's foolishness. The Daimyo looked at them with contempt.
"The Hyuga have slighted Kamizoru Hinata, and as such will pay a sum of 40 million ryo as compensation. Additionally, half of the lands owned by the Hyuga will be placed under her care for five years, and she will reap all the profit coming from them. Failure to comply will be met with more sanctions. You failed to control your own clan; I would advise you to step down if it didn't give power to … this." He said, looking at Hanabi with disgust.
With a dismissive move of his hand, he signalled that he was done with this affair. Just in time, as a servant came to him and murmured something in his ear. Immediately, a pleased smile came to his face.
"Ah, it seems our main guest has arrived."
Hiashi and Hanabi went to join Tsunade on the side, earning a dirty glare along the way, and Hinata went to stand on the other side, looking with interest. The door at the other side of the throne room opened and in walked a legend. Clad in bright red samurai armour, a sword in a red sheath at his side, recently cut blond hair looking like his father's spiking above a headband bearing Whirlpool's swirl, blue eyes darting around the room, Naruto Uzumaki looked regal. Hinata felt her mouth fall slightly and her cheeks heat up as she took in his appearance.
'Wait, HE is the Whirlpool Lord? Karma, I love you'
Tsunade was looking at him in shock, Hiashi was paler than ever, but certainly not as much as the Tsuchikage. When Naruto's gaze crossed Hinata's, his eyes softened and a small smile came to his lips. It disappeared immediately as his eyes returned to roaming around the room. Behind him was Fu, in the same attire as before, and a middle aged man dressed in a dark red silk kimono, his greying hair kept in a low and short ponytail. The three of them stopped a few paces away from the throne and got on their knees. Ritual phrases were spoken, and a cup of sake was shared between Naruto and the Daimyo, representing their link as Lord and vassal. Once the ceremony was complete, the Daimyo offered to Hinata and Naruto to share a meal with him and his grandson, no doubt to try and get them to cooperate. Of course, they accepted. Before leaving the throne room, Naruto turned to Tsunade, almost like an afterthought.
"Oh, by the way, Hokage-sama, could you please remove my clan's symbol from you flack jackets? I feel that Konoha lost the right to bear my clan and fiefdom's crest."
He then left without looking back.
Years passed, things changed.
Hinata and Naruto became lovers two hours after being reunited, and celebrated their marriage after one year. The Kamizoru lands became part of the Whirlpool fiefdom, making it the richest and most powerful fiefdom of Fire country. Uzushiogakure's rebirth made it more powerful than it ever was. Nomadic clans flocked to the new village, seeking a home and shelter, and many survivors of Kiri's bloodline purge joined it, too hurt to return to Water country after what they lived there.
Fu Takimushi became renowned as Fu of Whirlpool, most powerful Kunoichi to ever be. With three Kage level shinobi defending the land, Whirlpool's power was undisputed and feared throughout the world, yet they didn't seek more power, being content with their peace. A cold alliance was made with Konoha under orders from the Fire Lord, and soon Suna formed an enthusiastic alliance with Whirlpool. Kumo tried carefully to keep a low profile, doing it's best to avoid any problem, as did Kiri and Iwa.
Konoha, while still the home of the Hokage and a symbol as the first ninja village, was considered as little more than a corpse The Will of Fire Hashirama believed so much into was considered dimmed, if not all together dead. Whirlpool ninja would always look upon leaf shinobi with mistrust, calling them traitors and ready to betray their comrades. No matter how much the Leaf tried to make amends, no one, not even themselves, could forget how they willingly betrayed the son of their greatest hero, even knowing of his parentage.
Tsunade Senju retired after a decade and a half of reign. She was last seen three days after she announced her retirement, stepping into the Senju compound. Rumour has it that she lives there, among the remains of her fallen clan, taking care of a small garden, waiting for death to come.
Sasuke Uchiha, after killing Orochimaru and his brother, had wandered the elemental nations for eight years before returning to Konoha. The Village, eager to have a new hero to stroke the Will of Fire, pardoned him immediately, only worsening their reputation, and groomed him to become Hokage. Sasuke tried to make amend by sacrificing everything to the village he had betrayed, and hoped to become the Rokudaime Hokage to have a chance to talk to his former friend and make amend. Four years after his return, as Tsunade retired, his wish was granted. But never once did Whirlpool answer his requests for a meeting.
Sakura Haruno tried to drown herself in work, hoping to escape her self-loathing, and failed miserably. Sasuke still expressing no interest in her, she lost what little hope she had and began to throw her life away, drinking much like her master did. During these nights of pain where she drank her grief away, she had many one-night-times, until she woke up one morning in the bed of the Rokudaime. Both laughed bitterly at the irony. Soon after, they began to share a relationship built around shared regrets and pains.
Jiraya of the Sannin had told Naruto about his role as Godfather during their training trip, and Naruto had forgiven him. But he couldn't face the feeling of failure he felt when his apprentice was banished. Deciding to live in seclusion, he retired to Mount Myoboku where he spent his days meditating and writing poems and philosophy. Naruto would occasionally visit him, sometimes along with Hinata. The old hermit finally left his toady retreat when Naruto told him of Hinata bearing his first-born, and went to settle in Uzu.
Kakashi Hatake, seeing in Naruto's banishment his final failure, resigned as a ninja. He spent days after days staring at the memorial stone, accusing himself of having failed his teacher. Finally, being called back for a mission of extreme importance, he was given closure when he tracked down his former teammate, Obito Uchiha, traitor to the Leaf, and took him with him in the afterlife. His name was added to the memorial stone to be remembered as one of Konoha's greatest heroes.
Having lost their most charismatic and inspiring leader, what could have been Konoha's 12, a group of legends, became simply a new generation of clan heads and jonin. Shikamaru took after his father, becoming Jonin commander of the Leaf, Ino Yamanaka became another head in the history of her clan, much like Choji Akimichi. Kiba Inuzuka managed to become head of the Hunter-nin unit, but the flame had left his eyes. Shino Aburame, without an exemple of constant change, became another Aburame, the only thing that distinguished him from his clansmen was his seat on the council.
Neji Hyuga was consumed by remorse after loosing all contact with his cousin, and found his relationship with his teammate strictly forbidden by Hanabi. After they went against the rules, and ended up with Tenten pregnant, Hanabi sanctioned them with cruelty, ending both of their lives before they could become parents. Rock Lee, having lost most of his enthusiasm before the event, ended his transformation after this. Shaving all kind of pilosity from his body, he dressed only in black and became Konoha's most feared assassin, the Black Wraith, loosing his identity in the process.
Asuma and Kurenai Sarutobi lived their lives as best as they could, coping with the fall of Konoha, they had two children, and lived as happily as could be until Kurenai died on a mission. Gai Maito took his students death hard, and Lee's complete transformation even worst. Thinking that nothing was left for him in this word, he ended his life. With his rival and friend on his final mission, two of his students dead and the last lost to himself, his burial was lonely and cold. No one noticed the bald man standing in the shadows, or the lone tear that slid down his cheek.
Hanabi and the Hyuga clan were hit the hardest during these years. After Hanabi's stunt in front of the Fire Lord and the revelations that took place this day, the Hyuga lost most of their support and prestige, suffering from the scorn of both the nobility and their fellow ninja. Hiashi retired two years after the incident, leaving the clan in Hanabi's hands. She quickly proved that she was a strong leader, but strength isn't all. When it came to negotiations, she had difficulties, being too forceful. It was on these occasions that clan members, both Main and Branch House, would mumble remarks about Hinata's greater competence in these fields, causing Hanabi to resent her sister even more. She married two years after becoming head of the clan, giving birth to a boy with dark blue hair. This faint reminder of her sister alone was enough to gain the child her enmity. As the years went by, she saw more and more of her sister in her child, coming to mistreat him. She was a hard and merciless teacher and often young Akimitsu would leave the training with his mother in tears, with bruises all over his body. His situation worsened when another Hanabi birthed another child. His little sister, Hana, was far better than him at everything, giving to the clan a full repeat of the previous generation.
Sixteen years after his birth, Akimitsu Hyuga was mortally wounded on a mission. Covering himself in exploding tags, he rushed the enemies to give time for his team to escape. The tags were of poor quality, the last expert in tag making, Tenten's father, having left the village after his daughter's death, but his sacrifice still gave victory to his team. Using a hawk summon, they rushed him back to the hospital. As Akimitsu lay on his death bed, his friends came to him, and he offered words of comfort and friendship. The last to talk to him was his mother, who had lost all semblance of Hyuga countenance, and was openly crying. The mother had finally realised how precious her child was, but it was too late. And Akimitsu had not forgiven. His last words were insults to Hanabi, curses cast upon the woman who had given him life. At his burial, unexpected guests appeared, the Whirlpool leading family, in Konoha for the first time. Hinata murmured soft words to the deceased, calling him her son in all but blood. Hanabi tried to reconcile with her sister, but was rejected.
Two months later, while Hanabi was still broken from her losses, the Branch house rebelled and rose to fight against the main house. As their clan killed itself and their house burned, Hiashi and Hanabi could only watch. The Main house had fewer members, but the Caged Bird Seal decimated the Branch. On this day, the Hyuga hallways were painted red, and the Branch was defeated. Fearing rebellion, extremist members of the Main slaughtered even the Branch members who hadn't fought, exterminating them to the last, elderly and children included. This day, Hiashi took his life, Hanabi lost her daughter, and the Hyuga lost their souls. Konoha, disgusted by their clan, banished them, casting them out onto the roads. The diminished and broken clan found their way to a port, embarking on a boat, never to be heard of again.
Author Note N°2
And here it is, the end. So, tell me what you think of this one-shot,please!
And once again, praised by Syynex!