"Let's go north, Love. Only for tonight."

Chapter One: In a Time of Many Fires

Long before the founding of Konoha, the Land of Fire had several small villages constantly at war, sometimes with each other but mainly with the neighboring lands. Within many of the villages were special clans that were dedicated to the art of ninjutsu. Other similar clans did not have village homes at all, but were migratory, like the Inuzuka clan. Other clans worked together naturally, like the Akimichi, Nara and Yamanaka clans, who lived in the north. One clan, the Hyuga clan, had a well-kept settlement in the center of the Land of Fire. Entire armies would invade the Land of Fire, hoping to conquer the wooded terrain. The armies were rarely of shinobi status and possessed little of their sense of honor. They would raid homes, violate the innocent and had no real strategy to their killing, except to wreak havoc.

During this time, ninja who would normally ignore the bloodshed, took a stand. On the edge of a waterfall, a kunoichi from the Fire Land made a pact with a lightening using enemy that this spot would mark the permenant boundry between their lands. They would actively keep rogue armies, no matter where they came from, from crossing this line and hurting the other land's villages.

The kunoichi's husband, who was not a fighter, went to the Hyuga village and the Aburame village…. He told every Mitokado, Utatane and Inuzuka that he could find; he traveled deep down to the bottom of the northern mountains to inform the Nara's and their friends, only to discover that they already knew of the pact. "We know everything that happens in this land before it happens. Even your wife's pact."

"Then why weren't you there? You could have supported her!"

"Too troublesome…"

Only Lightening and Fire clan agreed to ceasefire. The other ninja clans tried to take advantage of the two Lands, but rarely succeed. The kunoichi's husband, desperate to find help, went west to the desert. There he met a young man like himself who asked him not of war or ninja…

"What do you think of the tailed beasts?"

"They should be expelled from the Lands!"

"They are beings of chakra, can't you see the opportunity in that?"

"The Hyuga have shielded us from harm these 7 years. I don't think we need demons as well. The rogue armies have all but been disbanded. Can't we finally have peace?"

The young politician from the desert laughed. "You should hear the plans that my people from the Canyon have…" He turned and walked away, and the kunoichi's husband never bothered to return to Wind again.

But the fighting continued between Ninja. In time, it became known as the Great Ninja War. Fire and Lightening fought against Earth. Wind supported Lightening but not Fire. Water was still struggling against it's own islands and did not bother with the mainland conflict.

The Kunoichi settled in the Hyuga village and began to take on students. Well, one could not call it he Hyuga village anymore. Since the time the Fire clans first started working together, more in more of them bought property around the Hyuga compound to live there. The kunoichi trained her students tirelessly with the help of a Hyuga she amired named Hoshi. This Hyuga was different from his brothers. He was very ambitious, especially for a being born in what he called, "The Outer Ring."

"I am so far on the branch, I am a leaf. This is okay to me. I will work with what God gave me. Weakened Byakugan and all." Hoshi, with his pale brown eyes, would smile when he said this. A smile that everyone believed.

Hoshi considered himself a man of science. Oh, yes, he was a ninja, but he found working behind the scenes of war slightly more enjoyable. He fought with the kunoichi when necessary, but he also worked with her husband.

"When I was in Wind, Mozaemon spoke of nothing but the tailed beasts! People are losing their lives in this war, and he speaks creating another conflict!"

Hoshi patted the husband's shoulder. "He has a point – a small point. Harnessing the power of a tailed beast could give a shinobi amazing powers. But the ninja of Wind are idiots, do not worry so about them. While they do have a demon in their confines, I have been up to new jutsu that would make the nine-tailed demon stop in his tracks." Hoshi winks.

The husband laughed. "A Hyuga, developing jutsu? It's unheard of! Perhaps you really aren't one after all."

"My wife is expecting. I will soon be a father. What do you think of that?"

"Another fine generation is being born. Your daughter… son… umm… child, will certainly be a leader and hero, just as you have been a good man to us, Hoshi."

Years passed.

The kunoichi who had forged a large step toward peace in the Lands was dead. Her students mourned her. Her husband, who had became the First Daimyo of the Land of Fire cried over her grave. Hoshi brought many flowers to her grave.

"Thank you," he said over her grave, near the Hyuga compound. "For your encouragement. And for teaching my sons." Two preteenage boys stood behind their father, one with the usual dark hair, but dark skin. The other with the usual pale skin, but shocking white hair. Hoshi guided his sons home, which was far from the village square. Hoshi had long ago abandoned his name and his sons knew of the Hyuga only as everyone else did. They did not have Byakugans, so Hoshi saw no point in informing the boys of their lineage.

When the boys were small, their father told them to choose surnames for themselves. He gave his usual, warm smile as he sat in their home, waiting to hear the boys responses.

The younger one lifted his small eager hands and the air and said, "I shall be known as Mizumaru Ikariko!"

Hoshi laughed. "You are a child of Fire, boy."

"That's why I'm hot water."

"Take it as you wish. And you, Taro?"

"Father, I wish to be Taro Konoha."

Hoshi's smile faded ever so slightly. "A leaf, son?"

"Yes," Taro smiled so happily on that day. "What will you name yourself, Father."

Hoshi stared at his first son, his white teeth bare as if he were a dog. "Well, I would call myself Uchiwa, my son."

"Hoshi Uchiwa! Hoshi Uchiwa!" The smaller boy cheered.

No, not "Hoshi." I will never be Hoshi again….