Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and Characters, but I do actually own the quoted text in here. This is a re-cap of my series so that, one you don't have to go back and review, since its kind of long, and two if you are just starting, you could jump right into this story and go back the read them later. I do suggest you read them, but this should give you a general gist. Italics are from my stories and not italics are Minato and Kushina in Heaven.
Warning this is an incredibly long chapter because I had forgotten how much I had put into this series until I started writing this. If you don't need this refresher, I"d skip it. Its a summary of the last 21 stories! That's 329,025 words! I"m not summing THe Pieces Move into place or Water Way here. Please read them as well.
Prologue
"Shit!" Shikamaru's fist joined Neji's in the ground. "They grabbed all the girls. The exams, that's the connection."
Minato sighed as he remembered the chaos the lead up to his son's leaving the village. He turned to Kushina.
"He really has gone through a lot hasn't he?" His wife nodded. That day nearly two and a half years ago had been hard for them to watch as their son raced against time to save several of his friends, including his crush, from rapists. They had almost made it out of there without incident, but not quite.
Neji began his attack as Naruto reached in for Kyuubi. He began to glow firey red. He was focusing on Hinata. He had to save her. He opened his eyes to reveal vertical pupils. Hinata gasped as he looked at her. One look at her battered form and he let loose his chakra to Neji, just in time for him to expand the field to encompass the entire group. Neji nearly tripped at the amount of chakra he was receiving from Naruto. He held his form though and the rocks bounced off the jutsu.
Then they had figured it out. It had come with mixed feeling for all of them, it seemed. The sand trio obviously hadn't cared. Lee's reaction had been the brightest.
"He's always ok with me, yeah!" His immediate response had lightened their hearts as Lee and Hinata went after Naruto. Still, Hinata's was by far their favorite.
"Don't go. Onegai." Her cried slightly as she hung on to his chest. He looked down at her head. His arms came around her.
They knew that those two would make an outstanding pair, supporting each other in everything. This journey was a big one for the two.
"You are so much like your mother." Hinata started at the change in topic. "Your sister is a lot like me but you are like your mother. She had her own way of doing things. I had forgotten how hard she had worked to get noticed. I may not understand you yet, but," Hiashi paused and looked at her, "I do believe in you."
That was truly a wonderful day for the group. IT had taken some of them longer then others to accept it, but in the end they all did.
Kiba looked at Lee and Naruto, who had been join by Ten Ten, Neji and Ino, who had pulled on Shikamaru, and they were now in a general free-for all, with Naruto in the middle. He was smiling the biggest, brightest smile in the universe and he dodged and punched and kicked.
"Yes, all except Sakura. She didn't find out until a bit later." Minato nodded.
"Yeah, that was when they all found out about his childhood."
The three drunks came closer and were spouting off profanities.
"Oi, you shouldn't make friends on the anniversary of Kyuubi. Especially with him." The man leaned near Hinata-chan.
"Yeah, he shouldn't have any friends anyway. He doesn't deserve them."
...
"I- They ignored my words." Naruto hefted himself up and sat facing away from the group, "They wouldn't listen to me no matter how much I spoke. In the end the only attention they gave me was to move me out of the orphanage, it was decided that I could live on my own since no one had adopted me yet. Third gave me the apartment and a stipend. Then I went to the academy."
"I wish the village had given him a better childhood. How could they see him in that light. He only made one friend!" Kushina smiled sadly, placing a calming hand on Minato's fist.
"Yes, but what a friend she was."
"I'm celebrating my birthday." She looked at him confused.
"You are supposed to do that with friends. And presents." Naruto-chan looked at the ground and mumbled. She leaned closer and asked him to repeat himself.
"I haven't either." She looked at him, then smiled brightly.
"Then I'll be your friend and give you a gift."
...
"Like a Hokage? Papa says the Hokage knows a lot of Justus and is strong and protects people and people like him." Naruto-chan nodded.
"Yup I'll become a Hokage!"
...
"I want you to promise something. Promise upon our friendship." Another affirmative. "Do not come near me until I am strong. Promise me. I don't want to lose my precious friend. Please?" All was quiet until he heard her crying and running away. He took that as an affirmative as he left the alleyway and trudged home.
"She watched him from the shadows as everyone shunned him. They shunned him, and didn't even tell him why. At least not until that idiot"
"That Naruto is the Nine-tailed Fox!" Naruto-chan's eyes widened. Naruto's hands clenched. "In other words, you are the monster that killed Iruka's family and destroyed our village!"
"Yes the trip down memory lane was tough for our son. But you must admit Hizashi's boy benefited a bit." He chuckled with Kushina.
Neji's world had zeroed in on his contact between him and the girl kissing him. Her soft lips massaging his and her arms caressing his chest and shoulders. He felt a need well within him, to hold this woman, to touch her. He couldn't though; his arms were the only support they had. His desire to do this and more was so great that he let out a soft moan. Ten Ten immediately tensed and released him, much to his disappointment. She looked down at his flushed face. He looked into her eye and saw the emotion there. He could always read her emotions through her eyes. He saw concern, care, and desire that warmed his heart.
Kushina smiled. "Yes, and also that was when Youko started to take an interest in Naruto's doodles."
"Hinata-chan? What is so interesting about his doodles?" Hinata was just staring at them. She shook her head. Reaching into her pouch she pulled out a notebook and began srcibbling something down. Ten Ten and Sakura stared at her in confusion. Naruto was also watching with interest, but not as close. That and Kyuubi was talking quite animatedly.
When did you start drawing those 'doodles'?
When I started getting bored in class, why?
You don't recognize them?
Sure I drew them 4 years ago...so what?
Those are- You don't- ...You can't- ...How-?... Maybe-?... Yeah that could be- ...This is poassible- Naruto left him alone. Once he started talking like this, he would be incomprehensible and irritatingly superior for several hours until he decided to let Naruto in on the joke.
"That was definitely an interesting discovery, though he didn't put two and two together until much later." Minato nodded.
"No one did. We were all wondering how Sakura took the news. We needn't have worried."
"He was twelve. He found out the day he graduated from the academy. Mizuki told him. He used what he knew and tried to convince Naruto to help him steal a seal from the Hokage." Sakura sat on the grass. She hadn't spoken to Naruto about it, or anyone for that matter. She needed to get it out. "He just told, laughing the entire time. He told Naruto he was worthless, un-wanted, evil, a monster. He told him no one cares about him. And he was right!" Ino sat next to Sakura. She was breaking down. She hadn't known what to think of Naruto containing the Kyuubi, but whenever she thought about him or saw him all she saw was Naruto, bouncing, smiling through all the crap this ignorant village gave him. He was caring about everyone, hurting no one, well, except Orochimaru, and fighting to help. She couldn't see Kyuubi in that face. "We would have lost him if Iruka hadn't been there, if he hadn't started to care. All because we weren't watching!" She was sobbing now. Ino's arms came around her. Sakura was always sensitive to the feelins of her friends, too much so. Most of her friends tried to break her of it. She yelled at her friends instead of breaking down, but she still cared nonetheless.
Kushina smiled at Minato.
"Yes she is very important to our son. But I personally was watching Hinata, and Neji."
"Naruto-kun isn't a monster. He isn't. He is Naruto. He is Uzimaki Naruto." Hinata was panting to keep herself up, even with the help of Sakura. Hiashi looked back at his daughter. Suddenly, he was reminded of a cry from years ago, She isn't a monster, anyone who says that is the monster, for not recognizing what she is, a hero! He looked at his daughter with wide eyes. "He is the most courageous, brave, and caring shinobi any of us know. How can you, who see people as tools or things dare call him a monster. You are the monster here!" She wasn't shouting but it was definitely more forceful than Hinata had been in years.
...
"I wish I could be there for him. I'm too scared. He will never want to be around me." She began to cry into her hands. Neji slowly put a hand around her shoulders.
"I used to think that." Hinata looked up at his eyes. He wasn't looking at her, he was staring at the ground. "Hinata-sama, how can you be around me?" Her eyes widened. "I nearly killed you. I hated you. Now that Naruto... After our fight I realized I did have family and I was ignoring that." Hinata had stopped sobbing and was listening to her cousin. She thought he did still dislike her. She thought he was tolerating her because he was training with her father. "I was so afraid. How could I have been so selfish. I- I wanted to be there for you, to show you what you could do to improve. But what if you already hated me?" Neji looked into her eyes. She could see utter terror in his. "I wanted to tell you, Can we be- I mean- Could we become- cousins? Friends?" She looked at him a moment then looked down. He felt the world crash to a halt as he took it as a rejection. Then he heard her tiny voice.
"How about family?" She was tapping her fingers together in her nervous fashion. He smiled slightly and hugged her tighter.
"Family."
"Yeah those two are important to our son and to our friends still down there. I"m glad they are becoming closer." Kushina smiled.
"Speaking of caring, We can't forget Iruka. That goofy teacher definitely is worth his salt." Minato smiled sadly remembering the boy he had been, and what he had said to that boy.
"Young-one. Please. Take Naruto into the village." Iruka cradled the infant in his arms. "He is an orphan that carries Kyuubi. He carries Kyuubi for the village..." He fainted and fell to the ground. Iruka knelt next to Him and turned Him over. The crystal eyes opened to see Iruka and Naruto. He reached up to stroke the babe's cheek "Naruto, I'm so sorr-" His arm fell, breath ceased, light left His eyes, in that instant, He died.
"He had grown so fast, and yet it wasn't until much later that he had finally come to peace with that night."
"You will get all the children into the mountain pass. Keep them there and watch them." Iruka looked at him angrily. Ever since he had graduated into being a chunin he had been watching the children. Even if he was a teacher, the other teachers were chunin and they still helped the main forces.
"I can do more than that. I am better than just baby-sitting you know!" Ibisu looked at him a moment.
"Iruka, I will explain once, then I will never hear you say that again." Iruka gulped at the deadly tone of voice. "There is nothing, absolutely nothing more important to the shinobi of this village than the children within it." Ibisu disappeared with that. Iruka sat there a moment. He remembered Asuma, "Iruka, I'm so glad you are a teacher here", and Gai and Kakashi, "Reason? It's the beauty of YOUTHFULNESS!", "Iruka, children." They all had been trying to tell him. Even back in the fight, "They give everything. Y-y-you are the r-r-reason" Children and the future. That was the strength behind Konoha. Iruka knew then that Yondaime had given his life for the same reason. Naruto.
He was always there for their son.
"Naruto, What exactly happened tonight that has you out here?" Naruto looked at him than at the ground, then in a halting voice explained the evening's events and dialect. Iruka was startled to note that Kyuubi talked to him in normal situations, not under meditation or anything. But now he did understand why Naruto took off. "What has your second voice said about this?" Over the course of the conversation, Iruka had come to note Naruto's depiction of the fox as a strange uncle; knowledgable, tricky but mostly trustworthy. He just put the past out of his mind for the moment.
"Kyuubi has been talking my ears off for listening to the shinobi that long without putting a kunai through his throat. He says he doesn't quite understand why I don't tell her." Iruka could see Kyuubi's point. Nearly everyone in Konoha knew of Hinata's crush except the object of the crush himself. Likely, Kyuubi figured it out as well.
"Naruto, I don't think they will deduce anything from this one incident, but you should tell Hinata before you leave. Especially if it will eventually work both ways." Iruka shuddered at the thought of him leaving for three years and coming home to find Hinata in an insane assylum. Naruto kept his eyes on the ground but rose with his sensei. They went back to the village. Iruka offered him some late ramen but for the first time in either of their lives, Naruto turned it down and went home. Iruka tagged Kakashi on a roof and explained the situation. Kakashi disappeared, presumably to call off the frantic search most likely taking place.
Iruka just sat on the roof contemplating Naruto and Kyuubi.
"He truly is a good influence on Naruto-chan." Kushina smiled.
"Yes. Yes he is."
"Naruto," Naruto looked up from his ramen, "Good luck!"
"Those last few days before he left Konoha with Jiraiya were really something." Minato chuckled.
"Well lets see, first there was Hinata and Kyuubi's influence. That was after Naruto learned to summon foxes like he can toads, including Youko himself."
"Hinata, I have been merging with Kyuubi." She looked at him startled and a little confused but he wasn't looking at her. "My chakra has made a connection with yours. Every now and then I feel your extreme emotions and feelings." Hinata's eyes widened. "It was why I was watching you earlier today. I felt your startlement at pain. And tonight, I felt your panic." He finally looked at Hinata sadly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to form the bond. I- I mean I know- Well, if you- if you don't want to be my friend I'll understand." He lowered his head. Hinata looked at him. This did explain a few things. She looked at him a moment.
"What about me?" He looked at her. "Can I feel you?" He stared at her a moment then relaxed. He nodded.
"Kyuubi says that the bond will be both ways after you reach out to me for the first time. It won't be telepathy but it will be feelings and ideas."
...
"But- But- I have Kyuubi! I'm his container. Everyone blames me for what happened. They will hate you for siding with me. You can't- I mean Your father- No one can like me, its too dangerous. We proved this ten years ago. We-" His tirade was halted by her lips on his. He froze for a second before responding. They broke the kiss and she whispered against his lips.
"And if I don't care? What if we are strong enough now? What if my father knows and approves?" She looked into his eyes, "What if I want this, Hokage-future-san?"
...
"Naruto-kun, you don't have to pretend. Please?" She looked into his eyes with her watery ones. She always hated it when he hid his true face. Neji saw Naruto's face change slightly. His eyes became softer, cheeks lowered slightly, and his smile shrank a little, until it was a content grin. Neji and Ten Ten just stared as they saw Naruto truly smile for the first time. Hinata smiled at the face. Naruto wiped her tears with a finger.
"Alright Hina-chan. Its okay. I won't hide from you again." She leaned at his chest as he eveloped her in a hug. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up he saw Neji smiling at him, Ten Ten behind him. He tensed a moment then relaxed. Separating himself from Hinata they walked home together.
"I think they were so cute together." Minato eyes his wife with the fear of man at a woman going all teary eyed.
"I had this made for you several days ago, but I wasn't sure when to give it to you. You won't be able to open it until your Byakugan returns but still...here" She unwrapped the box and found a locket. On the front was a seal and on the clasp there was another seal. She looked at Naruto. "I only have a few things from my parents and the seal on the metal in the front of the locket is one of them. I don't know yet what it does but I wanted you to have it so that when I do I can show you my cool justu." She smiled at him and nodded.
...
In the light of the moon was the girl. She danced on the water, it swirling around her and she turned. He remembered her from the mission for the Bikochuu. He thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, but she had disappeared before he could learn anything else about her.
"N-N-Naruto-kun?" Naruto nearly stumbled at her voice. Hinata?
"Ano, Hina-chan, Will you show me? Please?" Naruto looked at his hands under the water as he asked this. Hinata blush but pumped chakra into her feet. Carefully she stepped out of the water and on to the water's surface. Slowly she began to turn again, forming her personal style. Naruto watched in awe. He noted that she was a little nervous. When she stopped she looked at him. He smiled and spoke gently, as if worried he would shatter the moment."Awesome."
Those lavender eyes that seemed to draw in the moon as much as the Jinchuuriki. His lips graced hers a moment before she drew hers to his. His lips accepted hers as they explored each other with their lips. Parting they panted. Looking at each others eyes, slightly glazed in bliss. Naruto sat back on a ledge, pulling her with him. Sitting on his lap, she nestled her nose under his chin. He nuzzled her cheek with his nose a moment before licking her ear.
Kushina squealed.
"Our little boy has a girl of his own!" Minato just edged away in concern.
"Hina-chan...when you danced on the water three months ago I thought I'd never see anything more beautiful. Until the other night..." At once Hinata felt all the emotion Naruto had felt at standing in front of his godess. She pulled away to look at him.
"Come home, and I'll show you whatever you want to see." It was a whispered promise, one of a lifetime, and they both knew it.
Kushina smiled.
"He's really something, isn't he?" Minato smiled
"Yes he is. And he has some really good friends"
"Naruto, you are our friend. We don't mind letting people know." Neji's voice was quiet but firm. Shikamaru placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"If they don't get used to it now, they never will." Looking around, Naurto saw that Shino and Lee were also paying attention. He felt his emotions well up within him. Looking down he blushed slightly at the attention he wasn't used to. He felt a hand on his back. Turning, he saw Hinata join his side opposite to that of Neji.
"Naruto-kun." He could sense all that she was trying to tell him. Her acceptance, her care, her love. He smiled and nodded slightly to his friends. The conversations resumed around them as they walked into the market. Shikamaru and Neji saw the looks. Sakura and Lee heard the whispers. Hinata and Kiba saw Naruto's reaction. Suddenly Sakura stopped. Since she was at the front with Ten Ten everyone else had to stop too, else she'd be run over. Ten Ten looked at her friend, confused. Sakura turned on her heel, away from the old coots that had been saying things about Naruto and walked up to Naruto.
And wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck. Naruto stood there like a deer in headlights. He heard her whisper in his ear.
"You'll always belong here, Naruto."
"Yes, and they gave him quite the send off."
They walked out of the village. On the way they saw Naruto's frieinds.
Shikamaru leaned against a pole with Ino carrying a potted flower behind him and Chouji snacking on chips besides him.
Lee gave Naruto a thumbs-up as Ten Ten smiled and Neji nodded from the roof above.
Sakura stood with Kakashi and Iruka on a balcony waving as the two senseis nodded.
Turning one last time he saw Kiba and Shino come up behind Hinata. Kiba grinned as they gave her a small shove. That started her running.
"Naruto..." He was the only one to hear her whisper as she enveloped him in one last hug. For a moment she remembered a talk she had had with him once. How Sasuke left because he thought he could find more power out in the world and with Orochimaru than in Konoha. Naruto had said he could see Sasuke's point but he didn't think he agreed with the Uchiha. Pulling back slightly, she looked into his eyes, memorizing his crystal orbs one more time. "Make sure to come home." With that order she closed the distance and the two shared a kiss.
She pulled away gently. He whispered against her lips.
"I will..." She smiled.
"You'd better." She pulled away entirely. Naruto smiled at her, his goofy smile truly happy. Waving at all their staring friends he jogged towards Jiraiya. Seeing the look on Jiraiya's face he started thinking of ways to get out of the teasing he was surely about to hear. At the gate he turned.
"I'LL BE BACK, BELIEVE IT!"
"Yeah, but once he was gone, they missed him more then ever."
"Hinata-chan..." Then she threw her arms around Hinata and cried. Ino sighed with relief. In truth, she had been tailing Sakura for several days trying to get her to deal with it. It seems what she needed was someone who understood.
Sakura was sobbing as she hugged Hinata.
"He's not here! No jokes, no pranks, no goofy smiles, no no HIM! I miss him! His laugh, his insults, his confidence, his determination, all of it." Sakura sobbed on Hinata's shoulder as the hieress joined her in crying, though her's were silent this time. He was missed. It wasn't just her. She wrapped her arms around Sakura and they both cried for a moment.
Ino missed the gaki too. She could tell that so did her teammates. Shikamaru was more lazy than ever and didn't seem to joke as much. Chouji was refusing ramen on the grounds that it was the right color anymore. Shikamaru thought that meant Chouji missed Naruto's yellow hair reflecting off of it, because he couldn't see any difference in the ramen. Lee missed having another 'loser' around to talk and spar with. He also could see that Neji missed the blonde as well. He knew Ten Ten hadn't made a decision about Naruto but he hoped they would be good friends when the goof returned. Neji was brooding more than usual and Ten Ten was concerned about Neji. The Hyuuga had also made a point to be around his cousin whenever they were in the village. Even Lee could see Hinata had been taking it hard. Kiba missed Naruto like a brother. The idiot was the only one who would join him in a good, full argument and not leave it feeling hurt. Shino hadn't been effected that he noticed, other than an occasional concern for their teammate, but with Shino it was hard to tell.
...
That night after Neji walked home with Hinata, she went into the backyard by the koi pond. There was a large flat rock that she could sit on. She enjoyed meditating there. She sat there for the first time since Naruto's departure and thought of him. All week she had missed him. Now she felt along the bond they had formed gently. She hadn't wanted to disturb him and his training. She received a rush of happiness and relief. She could feel doubt and worry, but also happiness and relief. He had been worried about her! She could feel that he had wondered if she didn't want anything to do with him anymore. She smiled slightly at that thought and began sending him images. She sent him the images of the week of training and her team. Then she sent him images from today. She tried to portray how useless she felt only for him to send a feeling of reassurance and care. She blushed as she saw images of herself in his mind. She showed him Sakura and all of them. She could feel his concern then his smile. She smiled at that and promised to do this before bed most nights if possible.
Minato chuckled.
"But they all came closer together because of it. Hinata and Neji, for example. It was about time they started being family.
"Why? Why can't I be that person? Someone who stands up for their friends. Why do my friends have to protect me? I always fail my friends when they need me! The words and attacks and I'm just there, useless, helpless! Why can't I be the person that tells people to back down! I've been meek! I'm tired of it! Sick of being weaker and softer! Sick of knowing I'm a mistake and not being able to prove it wrong. Why can't I be that person who helps! WHY CAN'T I BE STRONG!" That last word was when she struck Neji's shoulder. She stopped cold. He coughed and grunted at the impact but still grabbed her wrist, keeping her from retracting it.
"Hinata-sama. Is that truly who you want to be? Someone who uses their power to force other's to listen? Someone who shows other's their anger and distaste, in a way that leaves a lasting effect. Someone that hurts another because they're angry at the world" Neji just looked in Hinata's eyes. He was determined to get her to hear him. She couldn't do this. He wouldn't let her. He wouldn't let her turn out like he used to be. "Hinata-sama, please. This isn't strength. It isn't strength that shows people who's boss, it's anger. It isn't courage that allows one to shout, it's cowardice. Do you really want to become that person. This person..." He coughed again as he sank to his knees, still holding her hand. She had nicked the top of his lung on that strike, but he needed to, needed to make her see. "It isn't worth it. Nothing is worth giving up the strength and courage you have now. Nothing is worth you giving up who you are."
"He was right. He was helping Hinata to see what he had learned himself. So she never had to feel what he felt that day"
"I know, I remember every hit." Naruto looked startled by the sorrow in Neji's normally controlled voice. "I don't understand her ability to forgive yet." Neji looked away, into the woods. Naruto noted his fists clenching at his sides. "Naruto, you gave me a chance to have a family and friends. I would like to try and re-pay the favor some." Naruto looked at him, confused. "I want to watch over Hinata-sama for you while you are gone training." Neji was looking into Naruto's eyes now. In any one else, Naruto would have though those eyes were pleading with him. He realized that in a way, Neji was asking for forgiveness from him too.
"He had a lot to learn about his cousin. And she had a lot to learn about from him."
"Hinata-sama." She looked at him. "I did not mean to alarm you. I was curious and concerned. I would like to discuss this with you later if possible." He looked at her. He tried to project his feelings of concern and hope.
"Father always told me two things; I was to never practice rain dancing again, and I was to never let another Hyuuga see me through their Byakugan without my own active."
"Get some sleep." She nodded as he stood and walked out the door. Standing outside the door, he heard her change and get into bed. She tossed and turned for several minutes. When it didn't cease he glance in the room. She was facing him, asleep. She couldn't seem to find a comfortable position, even though she was asleep. Neji slipped into the room, intent on waking her to find out what plagued her. However, when he rested his hand on her shoulder, before he could shake her, she went still. She turned into the hand and sighed. Cradling the hand between her cheek and hand. Smiling she slept peacefully. Neji smiled and sat next to her. He decided to let her sleep.
"Yes, he needed to learn about his cousin"
"Uncle Hizashi was father's brother, right?" At his nod she continued, "After father became head of the family, he became part of the branch family. I heard they didn't get along anymore." Neji looked at her a moment before nodding in agreement. She wouldn't have met his father, but he knew people still spoke of him. "I know that being female, means that if I marry inside the clan before my sister becomes head, I won't be part of the branch family, however, I doubt that will happen." Neji also nodded. He had thought of this already. Girls in the line of the main family had a choice. When the new heir was chosen, they could marry within the clan and keep their main branch status. This was done because the Byakugan passed greater through girls than through boys. Hanabi's mother had been the daughter of such a woman. "Do I have to hate her?" Neji looked at the young girl, startled. "I have always resented my sister, and worked to be better than her. I wouldn't talk to her when I was younger. When she was in the hospital during the chunin exams, I visited her with father." Neji winced slightly but continued to pay attention. Hanabi was working up towards her current dilemma. "I didn't know anything about her. Hinata-ni-sama is my sister and I know almost nothing about her. Why? Because I was told that it wasn't fair that I was born second. I deserved it instead of her. Why? Why should I resent her? It wasn't her fault either!" Hanabi looked close to tears at this point. Neji sat, stunned. This little child had understood something that had taken his father an extra decade to figure out. He thought over how he used to think about Hinata.
"Hanabi-sama. You don't have to hate her. They were right it isn't fair that you were born second. But it also isn't fair she was born first. Or that it was her father that is head of our family. You don't deserve to be in the branch family. She doesn't deserve to be hated for being heir. She is in the same boat we are, Hanabi-sama. But, no one else can see it. Hinata-sama needs our support as we need hers. Lets support her, ne?" Hanabi looked at Neji a moment. Wiping her face she nodded. Thrusting herself at her cousin, she fell into the first hug since her mother's death.
...
A thought occurred to him. If his uncle had been training Hanabi and he had hated the main family, that meant that Hinata had been left alone. Just like him. He looked over at his cousin. While he had known she hadn't had the best relation with her father, none of the family had had much to do with her until recently. She had been completely alone in a home where she was supposed to inherit everything. No wonder she hadn't been home often and when she was, she hadn't said much. This also explained why she was so shy.
"Not just learn, but grow."
"You do not deserve to be near Hinata-sama. You will never be allowed near her. " Neji's eyes were scrunched in pain as he thought about his options. He realized that he had dismissed running away, and he figured that it was because this was about Hinata. His cousin wouldn't run from something no matter how impossible if she believed in it. He knew that there was no way for Kieshi to enforce his proclamation, however, Neji felt that he did need to earn the right to be near Hinata. She had forgiven him, his uncle had forgiven him, Naruto had forgiven him, and he hadn't needed to do anything for them in return. He looked up at Kieshi. He wouldn't back down. Not this time.
...
Neji was sitting on a hospital bed. Shino had listened as he had haltingly told the story. He was still in shock. Shino had handed the little fox to Neji and went to pull Kiba out of the way. They had taken Hinata, Kieshi and Neji to the hospital. Kieshi, they found out, was fine, just inebriated and had a goose egg the size of his fist. Hinata had avoided any direct blows to her main internal organs save her stomach. The second blow had grazed her stomach, and the first was causing some sort of chakra problem. They had to look at Neji. He knew he had taken several hits in his midsection and had felt the loss of chakra near his lung. He hadn't been listening until Ten Ten arrived with Lee and they told him Hinata was in surgery. He just backed up and leaned against the head of the bed. He was so ashamed of himself. He was holding the fox as he reviewed what had happened. He had let Hinata get hurt, because of him. Hinata-sama. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't know what to do. How do I deserve being near you? I don't know what to do. Naruto. I'm sorry. Naruto. Naruto. Naruto!
Suddenly Neji opened his eyes to see a dark red cave. Looking around he, and the fox in his arms, stood up and started walking. Neji thought for a moment that he was dreaming, but he decided against the notion. He continued down the path until he heard a voice. Suddenly the fox kit jumped out of his arms and sped down the hallway. Neji ran after her.
"It seems we have a visiter."
"Naruto, Where are we?" Naruto scratched his head as he thought.
"Ehh. My mind I think." Neji looked at him. He just kept thinking, meaning he didn't really know, but it was an educated guess.
"How?...Why...?" Neji was at a loss how to phrase his next question. Kyuubi was listening with interest at this point.
"You completed the bond." Neji looked at him in confusion. As some light dawned on him he looked towards Naruto.
"Naruto?" Naruto was glaring at the fox. He turned to Neji sheepishly.
"Ano...Well...Remember how I told you I had other bonds started. Well..."
...
"Gomen, Neji-ni-kun. I'm just trying a new form and its taking a lot of effort. I'm sorry to make you worry." Neji frowned. Her tone was apologetic and familiar. He watched her bowed head a second before it hit him. It was her old voice. The one she used before Naruto came around, before they became friends, before she found confidence. It was a shield she used to use against the world. Just. Like. Naruto. He frowned at this change in her behavior. He looked at her hands to see them fisted. If he pushed her further on this, she would probably even start the finger touching thing again. But he didn't know what to do. He wanted her trust, and pushing her would be a step in the wrong direction for Hinata, who had been forced to do what others thought was best for her most of her life, and then pressured to do more when she couldn't meet standards or thrown away. Pushing her would be too much like that, but he felt that he couldn't leave her like this.
He rose and knelt in front of Hinata. She looked at him in surprise as he knelt on one knee uncertainly. Her worried eyes firmed his decision.
"Its okay, Hinata-sama" He pulled her into a hug. She just froze. "You don't have to tell me. I can wait until your ready." Hinata's hands came around his shoulders to fist in his shirt as she buried her face in his neck. Neji rested his cheek against her ear as he waited. He was content to let her take what she wanted from this hug. He felt her inhale as she took in his scent. Her voice mumbled against his skin.
"Arigato, Neji-ni-kun. Arigato, Itoko." Neji sighed softly as he held her loosely. Over his shoulder she saw Ten Ten sit across the clearing and smile. Pulling back she felt Mui's happiness and Naruto's concern. She looked at her cousin. "Arigato." He nodded.
...
Neji swallowed as he stepped onto the river. He hadn't shown this to anyone yet, not even Ten Ten, though she knew he was working on something. He knelt on the water, using his chakra to hold him, and placed his palms to the surface of the water. Gently he pulled them, pulling a stream of water with them. When he got to a standing position, he held it for a moment before releasing it. Panting, he looked at his cousin. Hinata's eyes were frozen wide.
Hinata was thinking hard. He has water as an element too! It is the natural element for anyone with my gift of the Byakugan. Hinata saw his problem immediately. She closed her mouth, having realized it was left open, and stepped onto the water gently. Unlike with Neji, she made light ripples as she walked because she was mixing her chakra with the water and using the current to hold her up as opposed to her chakra on the bottom of her feet.
...
"I'm sorry I reacted the way I did." He stood and faced her, bowing. "Hinata-sama, will you please teach me?"
...
Neji knelt on the water, watching his cousin. She was smiling gently as she intoned the wisdom that felt older than either of them. His eyes were wide. Her face, the position, her kindness, it was familiar. A dream he had had nearly every month came back to him.
-Dream-
He was floating with his eyes closed. He could feel their eyes on him. Hiashi-sama, the council, fate; he could feel them damning him. He would look up and see their feet. He tried to move, to defend, but he just floated there. He felt himself falling. He landed on his hands and knees. Looking forwards, he saw the feet of his clan's main family. He tried to stand and look at them but a council member shoved his shoulders down harshly, nearly putting his face into the dirt. Everyone laughed. He looked at the ground in embarrassment. He heard someone walk up. He recognized her hesitant steps. Hinata-sama. He gritted his teeth in humiliation. She had been hurt so much because of him, now it was his turn to hurt. He waited for her harsh words, cold tone, and unforgiving strike. He saw her turn to her family. They dispersed as if by some invisible signal. She was merciful to allow him privacy for this humiliation. She turned to him. He clenched his eyes and felt her hand.
She used her soft hand to lift his chin. He looked into her lavender eyes as she lifted him from the ground to stand before her. He saw her smile at him. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning he saw Naruto. Naruto went to Hinata and they walked away. He began to follow when something caused him to turn around. He saw Ten Ten behind him, waiting. She reached for him. He stood there frozen. She touched his face and his muscles unclenched. She cooed in his ear and he forgot his trepidation about his family. He placed his hand around her waist as her hands felt his neck. He pressed against her as she whispered in his ear.
Then she shoved him away. He looked at her in confusion, then he saw the council member. The palm was at her chest. It would have killed him if she hadn't shoved him away. Hinata-sama came running up. She shoved him away from the member of their clan's council and got hit herself. He watched as they died, doing nothing. Darkness surrounded him.
-End Dream-
Neji bowed his head, looking at the water. He started. The water! He was on top of the water, without his chakra holding him up! He looked back at his smiling cousin in shock. Hinata had been waiting for him to realize this. His surprise was so comical that she started giggling. Neji looked at his cousin as she giggled in amusement. He smiled at the sight of her being so carefree.
...
Neji's eyes widened as he heard the request that all clanheads make at some point in their lives. She had just ask him to be her second, and she had used the entire oath, explaining that this wasn't for political reasons, but personal devotion. Neji was about to argue. He was a branch member, how could he protect her with his seal. Then he stopped himself. He had just told her he would help her convince her second to accept. He smiled slightly as he realized what she had done. Sneaky Hyuuga Heiress.
...
As she looked around, her friends came forward, followed by the adults, save Hiashi and Neji. After they had all said hi and Sakura had scanned her, Hiashi came over and knelt in front of her. She looked at her father. She still had tear streaks on her cheeks and probably looked filthy. He always hated it when she looked like that. She looked down, completely ashamed of herself. Suddenly, Hiashi swept her into his arms. He hadn't hugged her since before her mother's death. She gripped his shirt as she felt tears gathering again, though this time they were in happiness. She looked up as he finally pulled away and looked back.
Behind him, waiting anxiously, was Neji. She looked up at him. He looked so kind now. He used to look so hateful and scared, but now he was vulnerable, worried, kind. She stood shakily, being exhausted, and went towards him. He was looking between her and his toes. She stopped in front of him.
"Itoko-" At his name, Neji broke slightly.
"Hinata-sama, I swear, I will never believe that again, Please, Hinata-sama, I didn't, I don't, I just I-" He was cut off when she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. He felt her tremble as his arms came up around her and his face buried itself in her shoulder. This hug, full of need, full of hope, full of love, they both needed it painfully.
"And grow he did, until he was able to help Both Hinata and Naruto."
"Neji-ni-kun." She had seen concern and confusion in his eyes. She wanted the comfort. The comfort she had been denied the day She had died. She thrust herself into his chest, crying again. He looked down at her, bewildered. What should he do now? He wrapped his arms around Hinata slowly, noting that Hoshi was now on her head. He was wondering what to do when he felt Naruto's concern hovering at the edge of his conscious. He thought back to the first time he had visited him and tried to repeat the experiment. He thought about Naruto desperately, not knowing what to do with his cousin.
He opened his eyes to see Kyuubi's cage, again.
"Yes. He grew in other ways as well."
"I want this- this feeling, but..." Neji looked at Ten Ten. He knew but he wasn't ready to give her what she deserved, "please, Ten Ten, wait for me?" He was looking steadily into her eyes. She looked at him then grasped his hand. Lifting it she placed it in the middle of her chest, over her heart.
"Forever..."
...
The two weapon's smiths watched out the window as Naruto joined the group, laughing. Their daughter was standing next to the Hyuuga boy, both relaxed. Briefly both were transported back in time, to a similar scene. A young girl standing by the brother of the heir, all due to someone the village hated. They smiled knowing they had made the right decision.
...
"I'll always wait, Neji-kun. We all will. Because we care about you." He didn't say it, but she knew. It wasn't just her and Lee, it was also Hinata. He loved him. She would wait an eternity. She pulled him with her arm around his neck. "You aren't running away this time." Neji looked at her as they met in another kiss. Her free arm wrapped around his shoulders in passion as his free hand traveled to her side, feeling her stomach and back. It manuovered upward until it felt her soft breast. She gasped in the kiss as she felt his hand. Her head tilted back in pleasure as his hand massaged her in blind desire to please his woman. Neji nuzzled and kissed the exposed neck as he allowed his hand free rein. He didn't have any experience what-so-ever, however, his body seemed to intuit the actions. His hand traveled from her breast down to her buttocks to pull her against him. He felt her chest against his as his hand squeezed her thigh.
Ten Ten felt his strong chest against her soft one. She didn't know how he knew what to do, but she wasn't complaining. She looked down at his eyes. Her hands came down and traveled his chest, feeling the chiseled features. She nuzzled his cheek as her hands traveled his back. Neji dipped her into another breathless kiss. This one contained all her passion even as it contained his. She felt tremors in his body as she leaned against him. When the kiss broke, she rested her head on his shoulder as he turned her body to rest against his comfortably. They sat there feeling each other's closeness. Ten Ten could hear his heartbeat in her ear as she cherished his proximity even has Neji felt her breathing and prayed for this to last a little longer.
...
"He...I thought he liked me, but I don't know. He won't even be near me most of the time." Hinata saw the sad face on Ten Ten and felt her heart go out to her. She filled in some blanks about the mission. It had been tough, something had happened to Neji and he had needed to be near Ten Ten. She knew from experience that when you are down often you just want to be near the person you love, if for no other reason then their love makes you feel safe. She figured she could clear up something for Ten Ten.
"Ano, I looked at the marriages in our clan. If a branch member marries outside the clan, the spouse must be branded with the caged-bird seal." Ten Ten glanced at Hinata to see her looking at Neji's back. "Our council dislikes adding new things. Once you have that seal it can never be removed. The main family and any member of the council can activate it." Hinata had practically spat the word "seal". She had spoken of her council with contempt as well. She watched Ten Ten as she thought about it.
"Hinata, could you...tonight, I mean... could you...?" Hinata smiled.
"Be scarce? Aa, I have a form I'm working on and it is best done by myself. I will meditate. You two talk."
"I cannot protect you from my family. I...You are in danger when you are with me." His eyes closed as he said this. Ten Ten stood up sharply.
"And I'm not in any danger at all when I'm not around you? I'm a kunoichi! I can handle danger! I can defend myself!" She stomped in front of him and knelt down. Gripping his chin, she stared fiercely in his eyes. "I can deal with anything, as long as you are here to help me bare it." Neji's eyes widened as he stared into her determined gaze.
"But, the council-"
"Is being changed! Your cousin and uncle are working on it. The changes can already be seen in your home. I can tell the difference in the people! Believe in them! They need your support now! Just like I do." Ten Ten's gaze dropped to the ground as she fell down to her knees with the last statement. Neji looked at her, slightly frightened. Her voice was quiet and unsure now. "I wanted to be near you, to help and support you as you guarded your cousin. I just thought maybe...you...I...everyone needs support, even you." Neji hated to hear her voice sound so defeated. He realized that she was right. For years she had been his backbone. When everyone else told him one thing or another, she simply would smile or cheer him on, believing in him all the way. She had given him her determination back before he even realized they were friends.
His hands fisted on his knees.
"I do...I do need you. Ten Ten...I'm sorry. I'm so weak. I was weak. I can't let you be hurt because of me though. Please, Ten Ten." He was close to tears. The idea that his family would harm her was too much for him. He felt her hand glide over his cheek, wiping his single tear away.
"Being afraid isn't wrong, Neji-kun. Fear isn't a weakness. Needing someone isn't failure. Courage isn't the absence of fear, just the understanding that something is more important than fear. Am I more important, Neji?" Neji looked at her. He thought back. Hinata had been afraid and had needed Naruto. He did not consider her weak. Naruto had needed friends, people, and he was one of the strongest people Neji knew. He saw Ten Ten. She needed him. She was always strong. His voice caught in his throat as he realized how much this must have hurt her. His finger gently lifted her chin.
"You are important..." His whisper was against her cheek as his forehead protector leaned against her forehead. He felt his cheek soak with tears as his arms wrapped around her, pulling her close in relief and happiness. "You are very important to me..." They knelt there for some time in their embrace. Ten Ten was content to let him stay put. She wanted him to know that she was there for him as long as he needed her.
...
"Shhhhh, Saiai." She rested her head on his chest as he pulled her close. He closed his eyes as he relaxed.
"Those two are just so cute together." Minato smiled. His wife was as hyper as their kid.
"Neji's relationship with Ten Ten was also important as he became closer to his family. They really support and need each other"
Hiashi leaned towards his nephew. "Please be breathing when we return. Hinata will be upset as well." With that the Hyuuga pair left. Neji turned to Ten Ten and Lee in wonder.
"Was I really out for a while?" Ten Ten nodded, looking like she was about to burst into tears again. Lee was the one that spoke up.
"When your heart stopped they called a doctor, but he said there was no chakra left in your brain. You were like that for nearly 15 minutes. You were medically dead."
...
She was smoothing Neji's forehead when she realized he wasn't breathing. Heart doing a double-time, she felt for his pulse. Her gut leaped to her throat as she screeched.
"LEE!" Her uninjured teammate looked aver at her abruptly, confused. "GET A DOCTOR! LEE! PLEASE LEE!" She was feeling his pulsing frantically as Hanabi came over and activated her Byakugan. Ten Ten looked at her wildly as she scanned her cousin. Her whimper was barely heard as Ten Ten grabbed Neji's hand. "NEJI!"
...
Ten Ten sunk down to the floor of the forest. She had been so worried, scared, terrified that she would have to go on without him, like that. She had accepted that he could die in battle. Disease would give her time to cope. But this hadn't been foreseen, forewarn, or anything. She couldn't handle that.
She must have sat there for several hours before she rose. It was close to sunset. She slowly started wandering back home. She hadn't taken more than two steps when a familiar pair of arms grabbed her shoulders, spun her, and engulfed her.
"Don't do that again!" Neji's breath came ragged. He looked into her eyes quickly before drawing her back into a hug. Over his shoulder, she saw Lee collapse to his knees in relief. "Ten Ten, please, don't disappear like that again. You said you would be home for dinner. Dinner was three hours ago!" He shook her slightly. She looked at his worried face and broke down. It was too much. His death, waking, everything. She cried into his chest as he held her close.
"They were going to need that strength. They all were going to need that strength. As they grew, so did their world. Slowly they learned of powers and dangers and friends beyond them."
"A demon's chakra is divided in three parts, not two. Our chakra is divided into instinctive, intelligent, and intent, in that order. Our chakra amount increases as you progress through the levels. The lowest level of our energy is instinctive. This is as it sounds, instinct. A reaction without thought to stimuli. This keeps us alive. The second level is intelligence. This is harsh, calculating. This is what wins battles and scares enemies. The final is intent. That is our personality and morality. This is how we are able to live instead of survive." Kyuubi stopped and looked at Naruto to see if he was following. Naruto was indeed. He was actually trying to understand how this affected him using the chakra. Kyuubi looked at him a moment. "Whenever anything affects us, our reactions are also in this order." Naruto's eyes widened as he assimilated this. It would explain why whenever Kyuubi's chakra came out he was out of control. He tried to think of a way to use this to get around that when he realized something.
"When you were summoned here, your instinctive chakra came first!" Kyuubi nodded.
"I believe it was kept stationary somewhere until the second stage joined it. Once that happened it was released where it would see someone from Konoha and thus assume Konoha was responsible for the summons and head there to destroy it. I think the three separate chakra's came here half-a-day apart. By the time me and my memory caught up with the rest of me, I was already in you." Naruto looked at Kyuubi. His eyes looked slightly sad.
"So you weren't responsible for the destruction on Konoha." Kyuubi eyed him warily.
"I am and I'm not. I am responsible for what my chakra does, and I do accept the responsibility, however, you are correct in that there was no way I could have stopped it, nor would I have caused it to happen had I the choice. I feel deep remorse over the loss of that day."
...
"Well, Shukaku is the current Ichibi, has been as long as our recorded history, and he is in charge of wisdom. His element is wind. Then Genbu of earth has been the Nibi forever and a day. He is in chrage of knowledge. Isonade of the water has been the Sanbi for a couple centuries and is in charge of suffering. I believe Suzaku, the fire pheonix, is the Yonbi, also been around since the dinosaurs and she's in charge of fun or partying. That one doesn't always seem to fit the legends. Mui of the water is the most controversial bijuu in our records. She has quite the history. You should look it up in The Water Hawk, it is generally accepted tht Mui is the topic of this story. She has power over all elements to some extent as the Gobi and is in charge of harmony and balance. Seiryu of the ice is the current Rokubi, that has changes twice over the last several centuries, and she is in charge of grace and motion. Byaka disappeared from the radar 15 odd years ago, but she was of wind and in charge of strategy. Orochi of earth is the Hachibi right now. That is the position that changes the most so it might have changes in the last 50 years or so. He stands for conquerer and is constantly being overthrown. He doesn't control earth, that is simply his base element, his real element is souls of the dead. Youko of fire is kyuubi and the most powerful. He stands for rulers, just, loyal and true. They all symbolize the forces in our world and theirs. There isn't a lightening user right now but Orochi replaced one so they'll cycle back in eventually."
"And made friends in the process."
Naruto watched as the heat wave blasted towards him and immediately pushed it back from Yuuki as her cry of fright reached his ears. He felt Kyuubi in his head, guiding him through the job as he tried to see Hiroto. What he saw brought his heart into his throat.
Hiroto was surrounded by red chakra that he recognized from his dealings with Kyuubi as demonic. He heard Kyuubi breathe a name in awe Suzaku... Naruto sent a questioning thought to him as he forced more heat back. Suzaku is a phoenix, ancestors to your "song birds" as I am to kitsune except foxes aren't extinct and phoenix are. Suzaku is the Yanbi, fourth tail. Hiroto's a Jinchuuriki.
"So... now you guys know." He was sitting off to one side. It occurred to Naruto that he hadn't noticed either of their changes in this process of escaping. He was fidgeting, trying to look non-chalant. They were stuck on this ledge for a while, until they get a sign from their proctor as to what to do next. Yuuki spoke next.
"Is your bijuu Suzaku?" Hiroto gave her a short nod. Naruto thought of a way to introduce Kyuubi gently.
"That is what Kyuubi said." Hiroto looked at him suddenly. Yuuki nodded.
"Seiryu had the same thought. I hold the six tailed dragon, Seiryu of the ice." Naruto nodded.
"I hold Kyuubi, the nine tailed fox of fire." Hiroto looked at them both, who were looking at him with a gentle smile each. They both recongized his fear. He sighed.
"Well, yeah, I got Suzaku of fire, four tailed phoenix." He grinned slightly at them "We're all bijuu?" They nodded.
He handed two of his charms to them. His charms were his blonde hair braided into a hair ornament. "Here, if you burn these I'll know and come. We're friends and friends help each other."
...
"We are researching demons." Shikamaru added.
"Specifically the tailed beasts." The woman frowned.
"Why are you looking up them?" Her voice was neutral, but Sakura bristled at it all the same.
"Because we have friends that contain them! There is nothing wrong with that! Now are you going to help us or just stand there?" Sakura panted from her outbreak as the woman giggled.
"Chill out, jeez. My name is Yuuki. I recently re-ordered all the demon stuff. Come on, the Bijuu section is over here."
...
Shikamaru shook his head as he came over to stand with Hiroto. He looked at Hiroto, but it was Ino who asked a question.
"Parakeet? Birdie? Pigeon? Canary? What was with the birds?" She and Temari had returned during the scene. They came over as Shikamaru looked at Hiroto in lou of an answer. Hiroto sighed in aggravation. Suzaku was squawking about wanting to show him how much of a song bird she was, which wasn't helping Hiroto's peace of mind.
"Well, I carry the fire bird of the bijuu." Shikamaru and Temari's expressions didn't change. Ino turned questioning.
"Firebird of the bijuu?" Hiroto smiled.
"Suzaku the Pheonix is the Yonbi." He smiled as Ino's eyes widened in excitement in stead of fear. He laughed slightly. "The lady is mighty annoyed at being called a pigeon or a parakeet, canaries at least sound good." His goofy smile was contagious as Ino and Temari caught it. Shikamaru simply shook his head as they headed out.
Trust this jinchuuriki to remind him of Naruto.
...
"But not all their interaction with the bijuu were pleasant."
I am Mui, the Taka no Gobi of the Mizu. Hinata really looked and saw the hawk shape now that she wasn't startled out of her mind. Really, Mui was a brilliant creature. Her blue feathers glittered in the water as she stood from her perch. Her graceful neck arched up to a gentle head and fierce beak. Her eyes were lavender as Hinata's, though she had pupils as black as night. Her claws were more scaly than those of a hawk or falcon. They looked almost like a dragon's. Her tail contained five beautiful feathers that were currently folded behind her for balance.
150 years ago I wandered into the human realm, fleeing from the one who meant everything to me. I was found by a wonderful young woman. I was very weak at the time. I knew he would find me if I remained as I was. I made a pact with the woman. I would give her a gift if she would hide me with her body. The woman agreed. I hid in her body and gave her a gift of sight through my power. I named it after my best friend, Byaka.
The Byakugan?
Yes. That woman's name was Hyuuga Hitomi. I have the power of Illusion. Each of my tails represents an element; Fire, Water, Lightening, Wind, and Earth. The tallest is Water because that is my personal element. I use water to bend light and create illusions. The Byakugan sees through all sight barriers. It was passed on to her children. When Hitomi grew older, she requested her eldest daughter to continue her promise to me. Honoko was a wonderful friend. I continued this way for one more generation before a male from the family council found out. They were worried that I would leave and thus end the Byakugan. They devised this seal on you. It is a cruel seal that uses the life chakra of the carrier to cut me from the outside world. It shortens the life of my carrier to a great extent. In fact, it is impossible to survive childbirth. You're no exception, I'm afraid.
...
"Aya? Hyuuga Ayane? My mother held you last?" The bijuu peered at her. Hinata knew then. "Did the council decide to put you in her?"
Of course. Just like they decided with you. The head of the family was the only one who knew outside the council. Hinata stopped listening. That meant her father had know. He knew! He never bothered to tell her.
...
She couldn't stand it. She didn't want to be in his sight. As she dashed past him, she realized she was crying. When she saw Neji, she didn't want him to see. "Crying is a weakness. Never show weakness." Her father's voice rang in her mind. She had never been alowed to cry or grieve for her mother. She had had enough!
...
Neji looked on in horror as his cousin let out a full throated scream that sent chills through his entire body. Her back arched as her eyes scrunched in pain. Neji tried to get his hands free to no avail. His cousin's arms came out eagle-spread and her eyes opened in release. In a rush of blue chakra, a giant bird that Neji had seen once when he was young, soared over them. In a splash of red, Hinata grew feathers and wings. Looking down at her cousin, Neji saw that her eyes were lavender with large endless pupils. She wasn't Hinata. Leaning closer, she opened her wings and banked their rapid descent.
...
"I forced her chakra through the seal." At Neji's questioning sound she continued. "Mui could escape this seal easy. So could Kyuubi-sama, or any of them, except Ichibi-sama in Gaara-san. They would just have to live with the consequences of killing their hosts." Neji's panicked looked drew her gaze as she smiled sadly. "Yes, Kitsune-san is still seal because he won't kill Naruto, the same with Mui. They care more for our lives then our own family."
...
"Spirals are used in seals in one of two ways. The first is a spiral that takes chakra and it flows through the spiral, gaining momentum, until it comes out stronger then before, and the second is the charka comes into the spiral and looses momentum as it flows. All chakra has a direction it naturally spirals in. In both of your seals, the spiral is designed to increase the strength of the chakra and then fed it into the seal, thus sealing the bijuu with its own chakra. Naruto's seal is the first one" she pointed to the spiral on the left, "it is in the direction the chakra flows and as it increases it becomes focused. Your seal, however, is the second one. As the chakra gains more power, it also looses focus, it becomes chaotic. Generally chaotic chakra is thrust at one's enemies in the form of a general destruction jutsu. However, your seal is sealing it, forcing it back on itself and Shukaku continuously. Bijuu are more chakra then we are. If he isn't completely insane in that seal, it wasn't for lack of trying." Temari and Kankuro looked at Gaara thoughtfully. All three reviewed everything they remembered learning about Shukaku.
Minato smiled sadly.
"Our race has much still to learn about consequences."
"Yes. It is comforting to know that demons can make mistakes as well though." Kushina giggled.
"Apparently 150 years ago she disappeared." They all stared at her. How do you hide from the most powerful demon around? "It said that a great roar resounded in the heavens as Mui fled from the arms of her mate to this world. Kyuubi was so heart-broken that stopped allowing students to approach him. He has spent the last century looking for her." Kiba looked at her confused.
"Why did she leave?" Sakura grinned like a cat.
"No one knows. Some thought it was because she had disobeyed him and he wanted to punish her, some thought it was because she wanted to leave him and he wouldn't allow this."
...
Kyuubi sighed as he went over the incident, not knowing that his mate was doing the exact same thing. The two listening would find complimentary stories when they compared notes later.
We were so happy, Youko and I. We were both in the Bijuu and we were happy with our friends.
Mui was such a beautiful creature. I could never put it to words, but thanks to our link I never had too.
I thought I understood how he felt about me. I wanted young. Both of us had been together nearly two centuries. I know that it was soon, but I thought he loved me that way.
When she asked me about it I got scared. Kits! I wasn't ready! It scared me that I would mess it up or that they would be hurt or I couldn't protect them. So I hid. I hid behind my anger.
His roar of anger overwhelmed me. I knew I had overstepped my boundaries. He was the lord of the Bijuu after all. I was a lower class that had somehow made it as the Gobi.
She fled. By the time I had calmed down enough to realize what I had done she was gone. I looked everywhere for her. Nothing mattered as much as her. The only time I stopped was when Hachibi pulled his twice-a-century war.
I hid with the Hyuuga, but then got trapped, because I will not take a life like that.
I have only one thought since I started looking for her.
I have only had one wish since I was confined
Even if I never can explain to her, even if I die trying..
Even if he hates me, even if I loose my freedom..
I JUST WANT TO KNOW MY MATE IS OKAY!
...
"Mui was a water bijuu, ne? When I miss Hinata, I find warm water and I remember what it feels like with her chakra in it." Kyuubi let the warm water lap into his fur as he too remembered his beloved. He buried his head in the crook of Naruto's arm as sobs began to shake his form. Silently, he let the tears come as Naruto sat there with his friend as they shared the water and the memories. He knew what it meant when you couldn't see one that means so much to you, when you don't know what happened, and you would be alright just knowing they were going to be fine.
Jiraiya sat on the edge of the pond, drinking his sake. He glanced at the fox as he huddled in the chunnin's arms. At times like this, Jiraiya saw the man, the shinobi that Naruto would become someday.
"It is at times like that when I am most proud of our son." Kushina smiled.
"Similarily, HInata has been making us proud. She's growing into a fine young heiress." Minato smiled softly, wrapping his arm around his wife.
"Aa, heiress, kunoichi not to mention a fine young woman."
"Kiba-kun, Shino-kun...we are supposed to train while we are on this mission, right?" The two boys nodded. They both had been thinking of new training exercises. Hinata breathed a moment before she continued. "I think that we should train differently." They looked at her, waiting. "We all have many attacks that we can use, but maybe we could learn each other's attacks." Her voice got quieter and quieter, but the two were used to that. Whenever Hinata gave an opinion, that was how it was heard. Kiba looked up at her as he thought. Between the three of them, Shino usually made the decisions because he was the surest person there. Hinata was too shy and Kiba too impulsive. However, Shino wasn't doing it as a leader but rather as a textbook. He simply stated rules or facts that fit together, but Hinata was the person that had the makings of a leader. Both Kiba and Shino had seen it. She had the ability to see what people could do. She simply lacked confidence.
"I think that if we knew each other's moves, we could insert our own in between them or to enhance them. I don't think we have to be able to perform them in battle, but simple recognize each of them. We learn to counter specific moves our enemy makes in school. I think we should learn to enhance specific moves our alias make as well." Shino nodded as Kiba smiled his goofy smile.
"Sounds like a winner to me! Where do we start."
"We need to know each other better. I think we should tell each other about our lives." The last word was so quiet that both boys had to guess at its identity. Once they figured it out, they looked at each other. It made sense. All three of them used family styles. Shino knelt near the other two as Kiba nodded.
...
The days passed while they were undercover. The trio grew in strength from their respective jobs. Their teamwork grew in leaps and bounds as the nights progressed. They went from learning each others' moves to practicing reacting as the person started that move. They discussed strategy for the moves and created their own team style. Akamaru, Mui, Hoshi, when present, and Shino's insects took all these sessions in good humor and did what they could to help. Kiba and Shino each learned more about Mui and about Hinata's water dance. Hinata and Kiba gained a greater understanding of the life and anatomy of insects. Shino and Hinata learned to interpret barks and yips to a certain extent and grew closer to the canine member of their group.
In the mines where he was working in the dark, Shino's sensitivity to his insects grew exponentially as did his appreciation for his other senses. Kiba, likewise, was learning much about using senses besides his eyes, though he always used his nose, his ears had needed some work. He was also learning about geology in leaps and bounds. Where the rock came from, why, how they were made and where to find them. Both boys were excelling in their time in the mine.
Hinata was likewise excelling in the kitchen where she worked. She continued to tend the fire and provide flour, but on any given day she kept an extra eye on someone else and learned what they were doing in the kitchen and why. Soon she was helping Itsuko keep things on track. If someone was lagging behind Hinata would gently suggest another person, who was speeding ahead could help. Itsuko would make it a loud order a second later, with her voice ringing throughout the kitchen. Hinata wished that she had that voice inside her somewhere.
...
We are a team. We must now think complete as a team. If someone isn't strong enough, then so are we all." Kiba looked up into the eyes of a man that as a boy he thought he would never be close to. When they had been paired up Kiba saw Hinta as too weak and Shino as too solitary. He grew to know Hinata, but Shino remained a mystery to him for some time. True he had come to recognize body language form the boy, but it wasn't until this mission that not only did he realize that he had a true friend in Shino, but that they were both becoming men in the process.
...
"I'm such a mess, I shouldn't be so weak." Ino shushed her as Ten Ten wiped her face with the cool cloth. Sakura frowned at this.
"Hinata, what would you rather be?" Hinata looked at her as the others stopped. The old man smiled slightly, he thought he knew what she was getting at. "What would you rather be, that you shouldn't cry when your family is in danger?" Hinata looked confused.
"Strong, strong enough to not cry and to hold my head high. Strong enou-" Sakura interrupted her at this.
"To not be effected? To not care?" Hinata, indeed all of them looked at Sakura startled. "Should we be strong enough that when a life is destroyed we can go on? That when someone is hurt, we can simply walk past with no hurt of our own? That when someone needs something, we can ignore them, wait for them to follow a different road to find what they need? That when someone loses everything, we grin and ignore them so they can bare it alone? Is that strong enough?" Sakura stood before them. Ino stood and held her close, she knew that Sakura was thinking of both her teammates. Hinata looked at them. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Iruka standing behind her. He walked around the side Ino and Sakura had just vacated.
"Hinata-chan, you are strong. Strong enough to see something wrong and to try and fix it. It isn't weakness that sheds tears, but the strong. The strong are those who are willing to see the pain in others, rather then ignore it in face of their own discomfort. They are never truly happy that way. Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched, and those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the important people who have touched their lives." Iruka placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder as he looked at Hinata. She smiled and nodded. They all pulled into another hug at that.
...
"How could a wind user help me hone my element?" She wasn't answered aloud, but rather mentally.
By training your element, dear.
"I don't understand, My elemant is Water."
No, my element is water, so you can use it. Your element is wind.
...
She began her dance, slowly at first, but picking up speed as she got used to the wind. She understood now. She was two parts, the part of her that stayed with her family and valued the traditions, that allowed herself to continue a circle, like the flow in a stream. But there was another part of her, a part that was free, that flew in the direction of her life of her own will, the part that loved Naruto. The water was her family, its tradition, its history, its style, but the wind was her's, her individuality, her kindness and her determination.
She felt Naruto smile at the image she sent to him as her water streams and air streams crossed, interacted, and separated again. Her dance was evolving as surely as she was. Now that she used it, she knew that she had felt it all her life.
She knew this was who she was.
...
Neji? His confusion and relief spread through her body from him. She had formed a link with him.
...
"She even went undercover a few more times. That was where she started to learn what it truly meant to protect her village. That strength is helping her as she grows into her position within the family. Especially when it comes to her cousin, father and sister."
"Neji, will you please give Hinata to me?" Neji opened his eyes from concentrating on Naruto's soothing presence to look at his uncle.
"I'm sorry uncle. She requested I not let up on my chakra until she awakened." Hiashi frowned at this.
"It would be better for Kione-sensei to look at her." Neji shook his head, knowing it wasn't going to do him any good at all.
"Iie, I'm sorry Uncle." He looked at his uncle, trying to figure a way to do this that kept his promise to Hinata and not die in the process. He could feel Naruto's worry as he had been unconsciously transmitting all of the scene to the blonde.
"Neji. Release my daughter. Now." He knew that tone, though it hadn't been directed at him in many many years. He steadied himself and forced himself to face his uncle's stare as he saw the hand sign related to his seal.
"I will not break my promise to Hinata-sama." He looked at Lee and nodded to him. Lee shook the surprised look off his face and swiftly crossed the room to where their teammate lay. He stood there to wait for the final decision to take her out of there or just stay put. They had talked about this before. If anything cause a conflict between Neji and his clan, they were to get each other safe first, deal with the Hyuuga later. He wouldn't tolerate any other response in this matter. He looked back to Hiashi-sama. "I swore to hold this until Hinata-sama awoke, Hiashi-sama, and I fully intend to." Hiashi stared at the Hyuuga's determined stare. He looked at his daughter frantically. With all the chakra flying around, her seal could be doing any number of things, very few of them good. He felt a hand on his arm.
Ten Ten looked at the clan head in annoyance. She had just awoke to hear some of the argument and after making sure she had the energy, and fighting off Lee's concerned hold, she reached for the Hyuuga.
"Hinata-chan wouldn't have told him that if she didn't believe it would work out. She had to have known you would end up here. She should have been able to guess how you would react and still she made this request of Neji. Trust them. Becuase you are not getting through that chakra." He looked at her face and then looked beyond her to her parents. Both had erected a seal shield around that end of the room, protecting the bed and their seats from the whirlwind around his family members. He sighed and, while glaring at Neji, he nodded and sat down.
...
"I am disappointed Tou-sama." He looked at her in surprise before schooling his features.
"I hardly see why my actions could be seen in a negative light." Hinata's gaze hardened.
"You threatened Neji. More than that, you were forcing him to chose between your threat and my decision." Hiashi's voice hardened at this.
"Your health was foremost on my mind-" Hinata interrupted him for perhaps the first time in her life.
"For the first time in my life, Tou-sama, I do not care." Hinata was beyond pissed. Hishi's eyebrow rose at this. "You had no right, as my father, or as his clan leader to threaten him in that fashion. You had no idea what I had done or what could be done to help me."
...
"Even as loyal as he is, he still contains the seal-" Hinata cut him off.
"He stood up to you. I doubt there is a more frightening opponent in our clan, or one whose opinion he cares more about." Hiashi stared at his daughter as she controled her strained breathing. Hinata finally responded to Naruto's calming presence and regained her sanity enough to realise she shouldn't be yelling at her father. She sighed and spoke again in a more controled tone. "Itoko and I have come to terms about our past, Tou-sama. You and I still need to discuss ours." She began to walk away.
"Hinata it is my right as your father to protect you." Hinata turned her head as she opened the door.
"Tou-sama, if Itoko had stopped his chakra, my body would have been torn apart by the chakra trying to leave my body and I doubt most of the people in the room would have escaped without some injury." Her quiet voice carried to her father as she closed the door. He sat back hard. He felt Neji follow Hinata to the kitchen and they sat with Hanabi. He looked out at the garden behind his office. So many secrets surrounded those he cared about.
...
"Hinata," He waited until she looked at him. "Defeat your sister this time." Hinata stared at him in confusion. He nearly always said something to the effect of 'do better then last time' but this was different, "I am fully aware that you have been holding back against Hanabi for a few years. Your desire to not hurt her increased your inability to Use the Juuken effectively. I did not say anything because it was to our advantage that the counsel saw you as weaker then your sister, however that is no longer the case, rather the opposite is now true. In addition it is time Hanabi learned your true ability with your Juuken." Hinata was staring at her bowl. She understood what her father was referring to, she had always balked at hurting her sister, even when the feeling wasn't mutual. She sighed and realized that he was right. It was time.
...
Hinata was panting slightly. She gratified to see that so was Neji. They had been at it for over an hour. They were breaking even currently. Neji had started to use water a few times, but Hinata had distracted him first. She didn't want her father to know Neji could use water. It wouldn't be a big leap of logic to guess who had helped her cousin. She wasn't supposed to work with water. This was one of the things she was currently annoyed with her father. She had a who list right now; her mother, Mui, her cousin, her sister, her past, her power, the family, his trust, she didn't know what to do about it, but it would come to a head sooner or later. She spun as she looked for another opening in Neji's defenses. She could go faster, but she was having fun relaxing with her cousin, if only her father weren't there. She wanted a comfortable spar, not this one where she had to watch both herself and her partner. She had spent a lot of time on that mission growing. She had learned, practiced, and she was better now. She had found strength, acceptance, leadership, and understanding that she had never seen before. Now she would bring that to her clan and her village. It was time the Hyuuga remembered why they were in Konoha.
Father, I am not a child any longer. It is time I received some answers from you. I need to start making my own decisions." Hiashi looked at her, half in anger, half in confusion. Hinata wasn't this forceful. Hinata's eyes turned pleading. "Please, Tou-sama, Give me the trust that I can give you." Hiashi looked at her, startled. Her plea was heartfelt, sincere. She wasn't trying to pull away from him, just the opposite, she was trying to reach him, just like Neji had.
...
"why did you go that far?" Hiashi looked at his nephew as Neji sped up the pace of their training. "Why did you threaten to use the seal? Why can't you trust?" Hiashi's eyes widened at this as he easily kept up with his nephews blows.
"I do trust-" Neji seemed to be interrupting him a lot tonight.
"No, you don't. That is why you trained Hinata to activate her Byakugan around every Hyuuga. That is why you tell her she shouldn't touch the water. That is why you sent her to Kurenai. That is why you almost activated my seal. That is why you never resolve your past with her!" His hits were coming even faster now as Hiashi felt himself drawing on years of forgotten training to keep up with the currently active Chunnin. "You don't trust our family. Our village. Our strength. Me. Her! Who do you trust." His last hit was a fist and it would have landed had his wrist not been caught. Hiashi stared at him panting. He was looking Neji in the eyes as he tried to reconcile this man with the words just spoken and the past he was trying to cope with.
"I cannot trust our family because they do not care about her. I cannot trust our village because they do not know her. I cannot trust strength that wasn't there. I want to trust you and her though. I do not know how."
...
"Why?" Hiashi sighed. He hadn't been able to explain this to Hinata. For some reason he simply couldn't.
"Because she would become powerful." Neji's confused look was expected. "Hinata was born my heir, and yet there was some incidents surrounding her birth. I didn't want the council's attention on her. They might have figured it out. So I made her insignificant. I pushed her harder then was proper during open training to make it seem to the untrained that she couldn't keep up. Then I discarded her. Kurenai was a friend of a friend, though she doesn't know it. I trusted her. I don't think she knows that either. I wanted Hinata to become strong enough to stand up to the council on her own." Neji looked over the courtyard resolutely. He could see where Hiashi was coming from. The council controlled people it took special interest in, they became puppets. Neji didn't know what to think about Hiashi's method though.
"There was another reason, Neji." Hiashi looked across the courtyard sadly. "I had a dream, when I was young." Neji watched as his uncle's face turned inward. Hiashi was remembering something hard. "I had a dream that I would get rid of the division between the branch family and the main family." Neji felt the world freeze around him. He couldn't believe he was hearing this.
"But you are the clanhead! You could get rid of it, at least prevent it from being put on children! Why? Why didn't you?" Hiashi looked at Neji sadly as his nephew leaned forward in his earnest, then his eyes turned higher, to where Neji knew was his seal. He could feel the weight of his seal, now more then ever.
"I tried. But the council stopped me at every turn. I wasn't flexible enough to see a way around it. I couldn't see a better way. Then I lost my support." Neji looked at him in confusion. Hiashi continued his explanation, absently stroking Hoshi, who had come over to sit on his lap. "My father was very much for the seal solution. He believed in it, even when his son bore it. Then he died and I took over. I fought for years, but the council was too old-fashioned. They hadn't known any better. Through the years I gradually replaced the council with younger members who had a more futuristic outlook." Hoshi jumped off his lap and raced out the gate at this point, Neji wasn't sure he had ever seen the fox move so fast. He should be worried about Hinata at this. The pet was very in tune to her mistress but Hiashi's next sentence distracted him. "Then three things happened that destroyed my resolve."
"Although Hinata's birth was stressful and I was concerned with protecting her, her birth didn't really have an impact on my plans...until one of my best friends disappeared during a mission. She was part of my team, her, myself and Asuma were a genin team around 20 years ago. She never came home from that mission. She was Hinata's godmother, and my insurance for her. My teammate could have, and would have stood up to the council and was smart enough to stay five steps ahead of them. After that mission, our team fell apart. The three of us were part of a larger team and we lost two members that night. Without that support from my team I became a lot more concerned over Hinata's wellbeing. Then when she was four, I lost one of my last two support beams. Your father died." Neji looked at him in surprise. His uncle never talked about his father. He glared at the pond as he listened.
"Your father was one of my closest friends before I became clanhead. After the appointment we drifted apart some, but he still supported me as much as he could. He had a son to worry about as well, especially after your mother's death. His death hit hard. That was when I started my plan for Hinata. She would be as strong as I could make her." Neji shook his head to clear it from the pain of hearing about his parents. He didn't cry then and wouldn't cry now. He looked at his uncle who seemed content to let him have his time. He was feeling a grown up. He felt as if his uncle was treating him as a confidant. He took a deep breath. His uncle needed him. He needed this.
"And the third event?" Hiashi's hands clenched as he breathed heavily.
"Aya died..." Neji's eyes widened at the pain in Hiashi's voice. Hanabi's birth had killed his wife. Neji had never heard either Hiashi or Hinata mention Aya-hime, as he had known her. He barely remembered her, but he knew that Hinata did. He looked at Hiashi as the older Hyuuga tried to get himself under control.
"Then you gave up." It was a question, but not one. Hiashi felt deflated, as if all his energy had fled at once.
"Yes, without those supports, I gave up. I've still been replacing the council, but now it has been in preparation for Hinata. When she takes over, the council will be ready for her. She will be able to help the council mold this clan back into a family. That is my last hope as clanhead; and my best gift to my daughter."
Minato smiled sadly. He knew it had been hard on everyone when Kushina, Haruka and himself had disappeared. But for HIashi, who lost his brother and wife within the following six years and with two children. He wished there was something he could do. Kushina lay a hand on his wrist.
"The Hyuuga clan is slowly coming together. THey have their problems, but Hinata and Neji are helping Hiashi heal them."
Hinata's fists shook as she listened to the people who belonged to her family's counsel. THey sounded more like whiny girls younger then Hanabi. She stood when another remark about how their power was loosing ground was spat across the floor.
"Power? What power do you refer to Koketsu-san? Power over our clan? Power over the village?" She walked around the table to stand in the center of the circle of the two dozen-odd members. She lookd at them sternly. "Why d you mention us loosing power we weren't to have to begin with?" She had been reading in the Hokage library. From their she had learned about the structure of the clans in the generation before her, even slightly before her father. She gave her attention to the first member that was speaking coherantlky to her question.
"The clans have always been the backbone of Konoha. We should be involved in the decisions made by the village counsel and the Hokage." There was a general murmer of agreement. Hinata looked at him.
"Hai, we were the back bone of Konoha. Three main clans and 15 minor clans. Our three main clans, Hyuuga, Uchiha, and Namikaze. We were responsible for the three founding pillars for our village; Passion, Reason, and Knowledge. Passion, our devotion and will to believe in our morals and help others to be free. Reason, our moral structure to provide free and lawful world for people. Knowledge, to pursue ideas to better ourselves, not through hardship or power, but through freedom and cooperation." She murmered these statements quietly, almast in awe at the power and wil behind the writer. When she had come across these statements many years ago, she had engraved then in her heart, believing that one day the clan would be this again. She glanced at her father to see his startled reaction. She hoped he would be proud of this. She returned her gaze tot he counsel member, "The hyuuga were charged with Passion. We were to prevent law from suffocating us and data from drying us. Where has that will gone? We are not a power in Konoha, but rather a power of Konoha, at her beck and call, not the other way around." She was cut from saying anything by the outrage that followed her statement. When everyone had quieted enough to hear one person, Hinata wasn't surprised to see Shimabu standing to talk.
"'Give Konoha our assistance'? You sound as if we are lords in a neighboring castle. We are Konoha citizens. We live, work, eat, sleep, play and die here. This isn't our ward, it is our home. We can't ask for a reason to give our assistance better then that!" Hinata watched as Susumu stood.
...
"Then what worth are we as a clan of Konoha?" She looked at her father, now standing and looking across the way at the disgruntled man. He glared at all of them. He had known most of them all his life and much of theirs. Of the members here, only 7 remained from his fathers counsel. "If we cannot perform our function, maybe we have lost all worth." He saw Chayami sit down stunned as the others focused their attention on him. "The shinobi give their lives for this village, both in life and in death. They do not do for those with power, or those who deserve it. You know I was a shinobi when I took this office. I will remain a shinobi until my death. We shinobi fight for something more precious then power and more important then duty. Power, Duty, these things mean nothing if they accomplish nothing." Shimabu stood sneering.
"And what is it you fight for o holy shinobi?" At this Hiashi stopped looking at the counsel and focused his gaze on Hinata. She too waited his answer, an answer she had asked herself many times, why did he do any of this? "Our future in our children. Every shinobi, whether he understand it or not fights for the children of tis village and future they hold."
...
"Both of those decisions are out of your hands and not much of your business, Chayami. The Second is decided by the heir alone. When the decision has been reached and accepted, then the counsel will be informed. As to my younger daughter, we will wait until Hinata's 18th birthday before placing the seal upon her head encase she finds a husband within the clan, making the seal unnecessary." Hiashi watched as Hinata picked up where he left off, deftly guiding the conversation back to the topic of working closer with Konoha. He was grateful, Chayami and Shimabu had risen to talk back at him. He watched as Hinata gently worked the conversation to what they could do rather then if they should do it. He smiled slightly, his daughter had the subtly of a whisper. Subconcsiously un-ignorable. He listened as the counsel discussed her suggestions. They did have merit. He had discussed them with her earlier. They really were all her ideas.
"Even if they don't like it, the Hyuuga Clan will heal."
"Enough is enough." Hiashi and the rest of the adults looked on in confusion as she turned to her friends. Neji was the only one that looked slightly confused. It was then that Hiashi got a taste of the kind of leader Hinata could be, if needed.
"Kiba, Lee follow Akamaru after you find Ibiki-san. Hoshi, lets go." She leaped off after the fox, who had taken off the second her mistress had commanded. The other chunnin had followed. The adults followed a step behind the others. Hinata glanced back at them. She sidled to Shino and asked him to finish bringing Neji and Chouji up to date, then she fell back with the adults. She sent a brief reassurance to Naruto and then asked him to wait a bit. He sent her luck and backed off. She whispered towards the adults.
"You need to let us handle this. Especially you, Tou-sama. You will want to interfere, do not. This is my fight."
...
Hinata watched as her blood started to boil. Four more members of her family's counsel had arrived with Hanabi. The young Hyuuga still seemed oblivious to what was going on. Her father seemed equally confused. Hinata signaled for her friends to get in position. She had known it would come to this for some time now.
Several months ago, Hinata started noticing some of the counsel grouping together. That in and of itself wasn't bizarre. However, they started making random comments on things they shouldn't know much about, shinobi business. Still, it was more curious then threatening at that point. Hinata watched for a week before she talked it over with Shikamaru. She was hoping he could figure out what was going on. Then the counsel's hints at her being heir were getting stronger and outside the meeting she was hearing requests to seal her sister and secure her own future in the clan. She had left it alone until Shikamaru had gotten back to her.
His had clues that hadn't made much sense at first. A missing person here, and loss of hours there. However, when he put that in front of Hinata and her knowledge of the inner clan's politics, someone in the clan was molding the clan's decisions from behind the scenes. There seemed to be two themes. The first was to get Hinata as clan head, meaning sealing Hanabi. The second was to separate Hinata and Neji.
Hinata started paying more attention to the location of her sibling and cousin at that point. Over the next week or so she determined that Neji wasn't in any danger, except maybe from overworking. They seemed to want to separate them, by keeping Neji busy outside the clan. Hanabi, on the other hand, concerned her. Several times she had caught a member of the counsel walking her to town, but the member had disappeared when someone else accompanied them. She silently started adjusting her sisters schedule to keep her near friends at all times while she looked into the issue. Over the last week it was becoming stronger. Today they had even mentioned it during the meeting. She had started thinking they were stupid enough to try to place the seal on her sister without Hiashi's consent. It would be breaking a law, but the only one who could be punished was the one actually performing the act, under Konoha's law. Hinata knew that there were people in her clan willing to die for the clan counsel members. But they didn't need to, most of the clan had the seal on their forehead. That was enough.
...
"Chayami, Hiroshi, Kisuke,.. " she said everyone's names as she looked around the gathering. They were all looking at her, some glaring. She skipped the actual sealer. The sealer was a branch member. She had known it would be. She had already narrowed down the list they would choose from to three. She was disgusted with them.
"You are our counsel members, most of you. Tell me, are you taking care of our clan?" She was seething. Chayami finally shouted at her.
"Yes we were! You would have the clan disregard tradition. Traditionally the heir is choosen and the siblings are sealed the same day! Our clan cannot loose more power! We were only trying to get the clan back on track-" Hinata interupted him. This wasn't the counsel chamber, she didn't have to listen to all of his self important speech.
"By doing what? Kidnapping a member? Breaking a Konoha law, one we helped ratify? Scaring a 10 year old girl? Intimidating a man with children, wife, siblings and parents simply because he has a seal already?"
"Ibiki-san. I charge these four with kidnapping of my sister."
...
"Hinata-sama! I will never go against the main family again." Hinata started as his head raced back downwards to the ground so fast she was sure he's hit his head on the dirt.
"Shiro-san, don't worry-" She stopped as he looked up at her and held out a kunai.
"I now pledge, Hinata-sama. As Hyuuga Shiro, I shall follow, trust and aid Hyuuga Hinata as my leader, with family and alone, in life and in death. My blood to my family of my village." He allowed the kunai to nick the top of his hand as he spoke the Blood Loyalty Oath. Hinata had three choices. She could refuse by spitting on the hand. She could ignore it, making his oath a personal one only. Over she could allow some of the blood on her own hand, completing the oath to her. Hinata hesitated before performing the latter.
...
She deactivated her Byakugan and landed on the mine, prepared to jump away if it went off. It didn't. She activated her Byakugan again and the dirt blew up in her face. She shook herself as she let her mind spin. It had reacted to her Byakugan.
...
Neji! Hinata raced towards him, shouting as she gathered the water that had been attacking Lee. Neji! She felt the wind swirl around her as Naruto became aware of her panic and tried to contact Neji. She felt Neji's confusion from Naruto, but he hadn't deactivated his Byakugan. NEJI!
...
"Don't worry Hinata-chan. The council knows what it's doing. Chayami-sama is a better leader then you could ever be. Orochimaru-sama understands us better then you do." Hinata snarled at that name.
"Your sister will be a fine figurehead for the council, Hinata-chan. She understands what it is to be a Hyuuga." Hinata wanted to snarl at her but instead she forced herself to take a deep breath before they tossed her and the rock in the center of the river. The river was only a few feet over her head, but it was enough. She waited until she was almost out of breath before pushing off the ground enough to break the surface. Another breath and she landed closer to the shore. She tried again, gaining another foot towards shore. On her third jump, she fell when she landed. She tried to get up and get her feet under her. She was running out of air. She looked around for help in the element that had brought her the most comfort all her lifetime. The water grew darker. She vaguely wondered if the sun was setting, not remembering that there was at least another three hours of daylight. She didn't remember the water being this dark.
She never felt the wet silt touch her face as she lost herself to darkness.
Kiba dove in the water as Neji forced the water away, revealing Hinata on the bottom of the river. Kiba cradled her in his arms as he removed the tape from her mouth and leaped out. He landed next to Neji and Shino.
For a frightening moment Hinata was still as Kiba pumped on her back. Finally, she coughed and tried to roll over. Neji helped her, holding her in the easiest position to cough out the water. While he was doing that he saw the seal and removed it in anger. He felt Naruto's relief immediately, but his focus was on Hinata's bond that reappeared. She shivered and leaned back into him. Hoshi placed a paw on her arm as her breathing eased. She looked up and around hazily.
"Shino, Kiba..." She reached for them as she snuggled back into her cousin's protective grasp. Neji felt her need for him in his mind as well as her need for her teammates.
...
"You five are arrested for conspiracy to drown a Konoha Shinobi and treason of conspiracy with Orochimaru." The five glanced at each other as the few council members with their wits still somewhat intact went for them.
Hinata saw the explosicve a second before it exploded.
...
"We need everyone to calm down this instant! We need to help the injured, we need to take care of the wreckage and recover what we can. We need to begin rebuilding. For this to happen everyone needs to pitch in and help out." She turned to her left. "You 10, start moving the injured over to the sparring area, it's flat for care. I want you three in charge of that." She pointed out a council member and two branch members that she knew would work well together. She looked to her right. "You men start to move all the rubble over to the far corner; wood on the left and other on the right. You kids work on getting the nails out of the wood as it is piled up. You three, locate your staff and get dinner started for everyone, assume twice the normal mouths. The group in back, you start recovering all the papers and files from the wreckage and place them on a box over by the small offices. You eight, start sorting them. Let's go! if you don't have a job yet come over here!" She turned to each group as she assigned jobs with authority in her voice. She saw looks of surprise and skepticism, but also relief. Many who weren't sure what to do could now helping out. She leaped lightly down from the chair.
Turning she saw that Sakura and Ino had already joined the Medical side. She directed the rest of the shinobi to help out and turned to delegate the rest of her family that had crowded around her. Slowly the area looked less like a disaster zone and more like a campsite of organized activity. Her father showed up eventually and began helping organize the files found in the remains of the building. Hinata smiled as she placed another board on the pile of wood and looked over the family. Everyone was working together. It felt right.
Kushina sighed. What a mess they were.
"THey are going to have their hands full when Naruto returns home." MInato chuckled.
"Especially with his sensei. I was so relieved when she turned up. I can still remember the last day I saw Haruka." Minato sighing remembering the day as Naruto had seen it.
"Oi, Ero-sennin, this one has a seal of some kind on it?" Jiraiya turned in time to see Naruto pick it up. Leaping towards his pupil he knew he was too far away.
"Naruto DON'T!" All of a sudden they were in darkness. Actually that wasn't true, it was just night. Once their eyes adjusted they saw that they were still in the same clearing. Suddenly several shinobi landed in the clearing. They were battling each other. They didn't notice Naruto or Jiraiya. Naruto looked at Jiraiya in confusion when he saw that his sensei's attention was focused on a battle behind him. Turning he saw a woman fighting another shinobi. The difference with this fight to Naruto was that the shinobi she was fighting had a curse seal.
"Haruka..." Glancing at his startled companion before focusing on the fight. The woman leaped across the clearing sliding away from her opponent. Her opponent disappeared. She looked around frantically before his foot connected with her neck. She rolled with it but he had disappeared again. She cried towards her comrades.
"Fujiiro! Get over here." Hearing an affirmative, Naruto turned and had to blink. In front of him was a young Hiashi.
"Byakugan!" He activated his kekkei genkai. "36A...127C...274H...108D...215B" He continued in this vein, confusing Naruto. Looking at the woman, he saw that she was spinning and looking everywhere. Then they heard a groan as her opponent flew out of thin air and landed, pinned to a tree by a spear. Suddenly there was a loud roar. Spinning, she looked beyond the trees to see something that Naruto thought he would never see outside of his mind.
Kyuubi.
The woman spun and started to deal out orders to the shinobi around her. After giving some of them, she bit her thumb like she was summoning something, but instead of pressing it to the ground, she pressed it to her neck. There was a whirl as a man appeared in front of her. He was incredibly upset.
"Haru-chan. I- I-" He seemed close to tears.
"Yondiame, I'm sorry for pulling you away from the scene I know you just left but we have another problem." The man seemed ready to droop. It looked as though he barely cared. Then she pointed behind him. He turned. Naruto saw his eyes go wide.
"Haru...Is that who I think it is." The woman stood by him firm.
"Byaka confirmed it, that's Kyuubi, the nine tailed fox." Yondiame stood there a moment, before he steeled himself. About to walk off she stopped him. "What do you think you're about to do?'
"Defeat it." She looked at him like he had grown another head.
"YOU CAN'T KILL KYUUBI. NO ONE CAN. NOT IN THIS STATE, YOU LITTLE IDIOT!" She was nearly screeching at him. He stood there, calm as ever.
"Then what, let him destroy Konoha? That is where he's heading, you notice." She shook her head. "I'll seal him." She looked at him quickly.
"That requires someone with a flexible chakra system and a sacrifice! You know that!" Her voice was dead quiet. He nodded.
"A newborn can handle it. You know that."
"But, a newborn? We don't have any...Ohhhh no you don't!" Yondiame turned to her.
"It's the only way, you know it." She turned to him, hands grasping his sleeve.
"No, not him, not Naruto. After watching me, how can you do this?" Yondiame's hands covered hers.
"Watch him, he'll be an orphan now." With that he disappeared. She screamed after him. Naruto was feeling slightly numb. He watched her spin and give more orders to pull back to Konoha. Naruto watched as everyone leaped out of the clearing and after Kyuubi, who was indeed making his way to Konoha. Suddenly, Hiashi shouted a warning to Haruka. She leaped out of the way just in time to avoid Orochimaru's attack.
"Ku ku ku, you won't get away from me now." She looked at him angrily. Naruto saw her eyes looking weird as a seal appeared behind Orochimaru.
"You will never bother Konoha again!" Suddenly she heard another warning shouted to her. Turning she saw the man she had pinned with a spear pointing at her. Looking down, she saw her bottom half disappearing. Looking over at Orochimaru she saw him swipe some of the seal before it engulfed him completely.
Hiashi ran towards her, but he was stopped by a seal under his feet.
"Fujiiro, this is Jikan Hayai no Jutsu. Please don't get caught. Listen, Orochimaru can't return for ten years. Use them!" She ripped off her bracelet and threw it to him. "Give this to Hinata for me, first birthday and all." She also threw a kunai on the ground. Hiashi couldn't move as he tried to free himself, to reach her.
"Haru-kun!" She slipped into the jutsu further. She turned and reached to one side. Naruto turned to see a young Kakashi heading straight for her. Naruto heard her whisper as she disappeared.
"Ashiteru, Koi-inu-kun." Kakashi landed where she had been a second too late, screaming. He fell to the ground crying out.
"NOOOOO! Koneko-chan. Please. Don't go."
"Thankfully she was able to get free of that jutsu. That led to some interesting questions and relevations for Naruto."
Naruto was just standing there when he felt Kyuubi go very nuts. Then suddenly, someone ran into him full speed. They tumbled head over heels a good two or three meters before the person righted herself and grabbed Naruto by his ankle, holding upside down, but stopping his momentum.
Placing his hands on the ground, he twisted out of his attackers grip. Standing he saw the same girl he had just seen. Turning to see what Jiraiya thought of this he was surprised to see his normally level-headed sensei charging at he woman.
"Who the hell are you!" She jumped away, looking at him confused.
"Aren't you Jiraiya?" He stood in front of Naruto, panting. He was practically snarling.
"Of course, and your disguise won't fool me!" She looked at him strangely. So did Naruto, he had never seen his sensei display such a lock of control and thought.
"Why would I wear a disguise?" She looked genuinely confused. Jiraiya continued to snarl at her.
"because the person you are impersonating has been dead for 16 years!" Naruto saw the look of astonishment cross her face.
"Sixteen years." She muttered to herself in shock. Jiraiya, however, seemed beyond enraged.
"I won't let you get away with dishonoring one of the best kunoichi I've known!" As he leaped for her she muttered to herself.
"I wasn't aware you thought so highly of me." Naruto barely heard her as she continued to dodge Jiraiya's assult. She didn't dodge all of it, but he was too infuriated to fight properly. Naruto had never seen him so out of control. Finally, her eyes glowed slightly and Jiraiya tripped. He seemed to be struggling against invisible string. Ignoring the voice in his mind saying this was a stupid idea, Naruto leaped at the person who had captured his sensei. She turned to him. He saw her eyes. They were vibrant purple with vertical pupils. Then he was hanging upside down by his ankles again.
"Enough! Jiraiya-kun, I don't know what happened to make you think someone would even want to impersonate me but surely you recognize this justu?" Jiraiya had calmed down as he lay on the ground. He looked at what was happening, his eyes wide.
"Ha-Ha-Haruka?"
Naruto took this moment to truly look at her. She looked to be about 20, several years older than himself. Her strawberry-blonde hair fell past her knees in its high pony-tail. She was about his height now, which placed her just shorter than Jiraiya, lean, and had those woman curves girls get at that age. Her blue eye sparkled on her soft oval face above a firm pink mouth. Her motions so far had been fluid and precise and quick. Her outfit was pretty standard, black capri pants with a ouch on one side and open toed boots common to most of Konoha shinobi. She wore a black high-neck without sleeves, covered by the standard vest, though hers was blue. Her hitae was on her neck, reminding him briefly of Hinata, except hers was thinner and tighter, worn more as a choker. She had two short white braids hanging from her hair on one side and three on the other, attached with blue and green beads and she had blue half-gloves Kakashi-sensei wears accept hers had turtle shells on the back.
"Makoto's seal was the Jikan Hayai, fast time. It creates a shrinking dimension that is held by chakra. Time goes faster out here than in there. From my point of view, I've been gone 5 years, not 16. I'm only 22. The only reason I survived is because of Byaka." Jiraiya frowned as he processed this.
"Who's Byaka?" Haruka looked at him a moment. So long in fact, that Naruto began to elaborate. "You mentioned her and well, you said she helped you, but I saw you enter the dimension alone." Haruka nodded, smiling.
"I'd forgotten what it felt like for no one to know. Byaka is my Bijuu. She is the seven-tailed tiger."
...
"Give me a break, the last time I saw you was through a scanning jutsu two days before you were born!"
"Your father's actual name was Minato of the Namikaze clan. He went by a nickname, thus very few people knew his real name. He was a great shinobi. Calm, collected, heh, slightly stubborn. That might be why he got on so well with Kushina." They were sitting on a log and just talking now. "Uzimaki Kushina, there was a fireball if you ever saw one. She was the temper as he was the reason. You know, they always thought you'd end up with her red hair and green eyes." She looked at the ground thinking.
"Why am I named Uzimaki after my mother then?"
"Because the Namikaze clan didn't keep surnames. Your surname is that of the closest current family member not born of the clan. For you that would have been your mother." At his confused look, she continued, "The Kekkei Genkai of the Namikaze family was so powerful that their members were in constant danger. Thus this system developed to help hide the people. Unlike most families with Kekkei Genkais, the Namikaze family wasn't entirely comprised of shinobi. Actually, they were mostly bookworms." She giggled as Naruto thought on this.
"Your mother was from the whirlpool village. And yes they did have friends, but with who your father was and all, he was watched very closely. The war had just ended so Konoha was weary of foreigners for a while. Thus the only people they told were Jiraiya and Tsunade. I found out by accident. I found Kushina during the pregnancy. It was late enough that there was no mistake. Your father was going to adopt you, then marry Kushina when things quieted down a little. I never saw him so proud as the day he told me it was his son inside her. Your parents loved each other, and you, so much." She sighed as she looked down sadly. Naruto digested this. It was a lot. He was happy about one thing though, his parents had wanted him. It left a warm feeling in him. He had been wanted.
...
"I'm the one that developed the seal that currently holds Kyuubi inside you. Your father helped with that."
...
"I will excuse this only once, Naruto, because I do not have my mask, but I am ANBU and you cannot spy on me when I stress it. The penalty is death by law after interrogation. Do not do it a-gain!" She tossed them towards camp with her last decisive order. Jiraiya helped Naruto to his feet, shaking. Naruto hadn't ever seen his sensei shaking. He decided that this was one time, he'd better do as he was told the first time and not to push it. As he sat down, Jiraiya looked at him.
"Don't take that personal. It would have killed her to harm either of us, but she accepted the risk when she accepted her position. Naruto, don't tell Hinata about her until we talk to her. She is supposed to be dead and we might want to keep it that way." Naruto nodded slowly, he could hold off telling Hinata something for a night or so.
...
Fujiiro probably had left a message right after the fight in case she got out, probably saying to contact him and that she was a baka for not letting him help her. Fushi was just fine waiting for her to contact him of her own right and helped her out by keeping Chonbo active with communication. She would have to thank him for that later. Tai had probably used it as a diary of sorts, leaving only important updates for her should she return. Inu, she hadn't expected anything, it would have been too painful for a while and then he would have given up. Akai was the one she needed information from, but that would be nearly 100 reports!
...
"I was found in the woods myself. I have no idea who my parents are, but your grandparents adopted me when I was 6." Naruto looked at her with wide eyes.
...
"Where did she live before my grandparents adopted her?" Jiraiya looked at him sadly a moment.
"I'm not sure. She wasn't allowed in the village for a few years, and then she wasn't welcome until she was 10 or so. Even then she was always careful about the sections of the village she walked. Those first years, though, she lived in the woods. Byaka helped her learn to hunt, I believe." Naruto looked at him in complete amazement.
"She was alone for six years?" Jiraiya shook his head slightly.
"Apparently, Byaka taught her enough to perform simply missions. She started working for our village as a shinobi when she was 4. A child is a great spy. She met Sandiame and Asuma that way." Naruto frowned as he mulled over this. He had had it bad when he was a kid, but this was different. This was inhumane. She hadn't had any human contact until she was 4. He looked after her trail as he thought about her past.
Do Jinchuuriki always live such lives?
Minato smiled sadly. He had never looked too closely into her past because there was nothing he could have done.
"She really is a good teacher for our son though."
"You are like a child that can run but never learned to walk or crawl. Not you don't understand what someone says when they want you to dance, because you have to walk first." She looked at him. "The basics of martial arts are to train your body into instinct. Punches and Kicks are the first step in the type of fighting you use and yet you cannot perform them. You can perform the rasengan but not a punch-"
"I can punch!"
"You can flail your arms around and hope to god you hit something and it hurts the other person more then you. You wildly look for openings, not wondering why they are there. You are disparately trying to back track your training and you can't because you never learned it to begin with." Naruto was growling to himself. He was about to argue with her when he heard a protesting grunt from Kyuubi. Hesitating a moment to listen to the fox he heard him agree with Haruka.
...
"Haruka is teaching you well." Naruto nodded. He wanted to know what was up. "I think I'll leave you with her."
"WHAT!" He looked at Naruto, who had just jumped to his feet. He sighed.
"You are learning what you need to, she knows what I was going to teach you anyway. I have some business to the south." Naruto exploded.
"But you're supposed to be my sensei. You were supposed to help me get stronger so I can rescue Sasuke!" Jiraiya looked at him.
"I've talk to Haruka. She understands what you need to do. She would be a better teacher for you Naruto. She is a Jinchuuriki. She has the experience with that."
"But-"
"NARUTO!" Jiraiya took a deep breath. He understood his own reasons, but he couldn't help his doubts. Haruka had been out of the picture 16 years. She didn't know all the changes. Yes, she was very well informed, but still..."You need this. She's more then a teacher, she's your father's sister."
...
Kit, that is some teacher you found
Yeah, I wonder how I'm going to learn wind
Couldn't tell you, I can't use wind. But I will tell you this, Byaka is the strategist of the Bijuu, she will find the best way.
Naruto sighed as he looked at the ground, which he had doodled on during the conversation. He did that a lot. He felt the fox chuckling as he looked around for Jiraiya.
"If you're thirsty then grab a drink." Naruto looked at his new sensei in confusion. Thirsty, yes he was but he hadn't said anything about it yet. She sighed and knelt over his doodle. She scratched two more new lines. "Add chakra." He looked at her.
"UH?" She rolled her eyes.
"Activated by adding chakra, gaki no baka." He looked at her as she stepped back. He looked down and gathered a nice amount of chakra. A split second before he shoved itinto the doodle he heard Kyuubi's warning.
Wait, KIT! Not that much!
Naruto shoved the chakra, then found himself 100 some feet in the air. He folded his arms over.
"I think I put too much chakra into that." He looked down to see the geyser that had propelled him into the air.
...
"In short, you've started the Kazegan." Naruto looked so happy he probably would have hit the moon on his next jump, but Haruka pulled him back in time. "Listen, Kekkei Genkai is the result of demonic chakra mixing with human blood. This is done one of three ways that I know of; seals, like the jinchuuriki, gifts and breeding." Naruto looked confused at the last one. "Demons and humans marrying and having children. Any way that is the way the Namikaze were founded, is we were a clan that accepted peaceful couples of mixed heritage. Over the years we intermarried and all our talents came together into the Kazegan. The Kazegan has three parts, just like demonic chakra." Naruto looked at her in thought.
"Instinct, intellect, intent?" She nodded.
"Sort of, Instinct comes first. You would have started this as early as you could draw. You would have started with wants and they would have translated into seals, random ideas. The second part is what most of the clan does, intellectual. They memorize seals and make new ones. Our kekkai genkai allows us to retain the memory of any seal we see or write if you want to. The last part has a few requirements, one is developed control over our clan's element, wind. The other requirement is one you learn only when you get your Kekkai Genkai. There is training children undergo in our clan that prepares them for the second stage." Naruto looked at her in curiosity.
"What about the final one?" She smiled fondly.
"That one is only understood once you have it. I'm sorry Naruto. You have the potential, but I pray that you never have to get your full kekkai genkai."
...
His eyes widened at the field of ruin. It had been grassy moments before. It had been gentle. Now it was lumps and mounds of dirt. Not in gentle piles or neat rows but in chaotic devastation. He gulped as he felt terror in the pits of his stomach. This was what he could do. He could destroy. He could destroy places, homes, people, loved ones, he destroyed everything. He was a monster.
"Destruction! That is a monster! I am a monster! How can you not see that as an act of a monster! Look at what I did! "Do it again"? NEVER! I am a monster! I can't be allowed to hurt! I won't!" Haruka fended off the fists as Naruto screamed. She knew that until he had spent some of his pent up energy, he wouldn't listen. She gently led them in a wide circle around the clearing several times while he continued his tirade. Takamaru just stared as his master attacked his own sensei in anger and despair. Youko listened as he tried again and again to tell his container to calm down.
Finally Naruto ran out of steam, since Kyuubi wasn't going to assist this foolishness by giving him some chakra. Naruto stood there, hands on his knees, panting. Haruka stood in front of him, waiting to see what kind of mind set he had ended in. She relaxed when she heard a breathy sob leave her new student.
"Naruto, that destruction wasn't of a monster." He looked up at her, no longer in anger, but in defeat. He didn't believe her. She knew he wouldn't, she hadn't either. "Look at it, Naruto. Yes you destroyed what was there, but what had been there? What was there that you weren't going to destroy to begin with? It was a grassy field that was going to be plowed. The grass had lived its life and now we ask it to give its help to grow food we need. Yes it isn't in neat rows, but the neatness is the only problem here." Naruto looked at her, half in hope.
"But..."
"How many people were out there?" Naruto stared at her. "How many? How many animals? How much death did you just cause?" Naruto looked over the dirt. It was true, only that which was going to be destroyed on purpose had been destroyed on accident. Haruka knelt in front of him. "We are here to practice. We are here to learn. This way when you do use it where there are people, only those you need to hit to protect are hit. A monster wouldn't care. A monster wouldn't be here on his knees exhausted because he was punishing himself for destroying an empty field. A monster wouldn't practice to control his power. You are a Jinchuuriki, Naruto, not a monster."
...
"Never...Do...that...again!" He looked at her passively.
"Is that not what I was supposed to do? I plowed the field." SLAP Haruka was panting. His chakra felt wrong, suppressed. There was no trace of Kyuubi in it. No warmth at all. She stood and looked over the field. "When you did that just now, what did you feel." He looked at her.
"Control. Nothing out of control." She looked at him. His eyes were so blank. It was as if a recording was speaking from behind a Naruto mask. She nearly shuddered at that. She stood in front of him, resisting the urge to slap him again.
"Control, was it. So controlled that even emotions had to know their place. A bet that felt good. A weight off your shoulders." Naruto looked over the field.
"Not really." She watched his expression closely as she said her next words. "I think I know someone who understands how that felt. I know quite a few. Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, Kakashi, Itachi, Itsuko, Hiroshi, Yanami, Mihiru, Hizashi, Jihirou, Hiashi...myself." Naruto just looked over the field. "I know someone who probably feels this right now...Sasuke." Naruto jerked towards her, but returned to looking over the field. "This control, it isn't real. It is a mask people wear when they are nearly out of control. It is strong, strong enough to where it fools everyone, even the user. But it is a mask nonetheless. You exuberance, your passion are what makes you a good shinobi. You determination and your heart are what makes you a great one. If you think that by hiding who your are, you supress a monster, think again. Instead of suppressing one, you let one free. This person you are now cares not for the worries of people or the trails of life. This man thinks only of his own suffering and how he will never have to feel it again. Is that who Naruto is?"
Naruto stood on the edge of the field for many hours afterward, thinking about those words. He knew Haruka was eating at the campfire behind him, but he didn't feel like joining her. He heard Jiraiya join her, talk and leave but he couldn't care. He stood and watched the stars come out. He thought over the emotions he felt. The anger, the despair, also the worry and the pity. He remembered the jeers and the hate. Through it he pushed himself to find a place where he belonged. He made himself a person he had hoped the village would be proud of. He could see how the village never wanted that. They saw a monster. He struggled, he learned, he grew, and he got no where. He looked at the sky. Why did he do any of it?
"Ne, Onee-sensei, why did you become a shinobi?" She looked at him. His question was more contenplative then curious. She sighed and looked across the field.
"I don't really know. Initially I suppose it was because that is what I was told to do. I was 4 when I started going on missions for the village and I really hadn't though about it back then. Later I continued to be a shinobi mostly because I knew little else. But if your were to ask me over all why I'm a shinobi I would have to say because of the eyes." Naruto looked at her in confusion. She looked down. "It was so dark before I had precious people. Byaka was there and that was all. Them I met Sarutobi-sama. His eyes were kind and welcoming and Asuma-kun and his eyes were happy and curious. I met all my fvriends and they all had eyes full of light and life. Those eyes didn't know the darkness that lonelyness is, they only know the light of friendship and love. I wanted to make sure that the people that kept me from my darkness were never shown it. I am a shinobi to protect my friends and all future generations from the darkness as much as I can."
Naruto had looked at his hand when she spoke of the darkness. He had felt it too. So had Gaara. He had seen what it had done to Gaara. Everyone fights to excape that darkness. Is that why he was a shinobi. Is that why he cared about a village that hated him? He gazed across the field,but really he was looking at himself; himself in the darkness. Then he remembered. The light. Hinata had brought it to him. Once he had seen it, he had known. He would spend his last days fighting for that light. Not just in Hinata but in all children, the fire of Konoha. That was his purpose. He wanted to be a part of that light, but even if he wasn't, he wouldn't let it go out. He swore that.
...
"You saw my genkun right?" He nodded. "things can be recorded then replayed as genjutsu. The same is true for music. When I was a chuunin, I was part of a band. We were small and simply got together for fun. I was the singer and I arranged seals for different tones (think keyboard people). We had a drummer and a guitarist. They liked to simply play. I recorded many of their 'practices'." She activated the seal and a steady beat came out of it. Naruto liked it. It had a steady beat, but in a playful kind of way (think hip hop or techno). She stood and they started again. The music was slightly distracting until Naruto found himself listening to the music more then watching what he was doing. Haruka smiled as he fell into the beat. She figured it would run in the family. The guitarist was his father. They practiced for a while just enjoying the feel of being on the beat of music.
...
"You are Ni-sama's son and now my student. We couldn't have an even bond for years, but in relation to family, we care about each other in a similar manner. I have at least the beginnings of a bond towards you." She said this very quietly. Naruto got the impression she was unsure of it all, an extreme change from her usual confidence. Then he started, she was worried about his acceptance. She was still looking down, tapping her fingertips together in a manner that greatly resembled Hinata. Naruto smiled.
"I would like a bond with you Onee-sensei." Haruka looked up abruptly and smiled. He had seen the fear in her eyes before that smile. "But how can we complete the bond?" She smiled.
...
"I'm sorry." Simple in its phrasing and tone. it was an apology up front. No haggling, no needing, no explanation, no excuses. Haruka looked over the landscape of the cool hills that were growing rocky as they went north into the mountains.
"And Thanks." She smiled softly as she gazed over at Naruto. He fidgeted even though her gaze was not accusatory. "I know now."
It was his gaze that traveled tho the landscapethis time. "As I've been tapping into Youko's chakra, I've felt invincable, but afterward I've wondered. Am I invincable or is his chakra invincable and I'm along for the ride." The breez ruffled the grass and washed over both jinchuuriki like the peace of their understandings.
"I understand my strength, now I will master it. " He smiled triumphantly as Haruka smirked.
"And she was able to start healing the mess our generation left with the Bijuu situation."
"I am here to modify your seal, Gaara-san." She was met with varying looks of confusion and disbelief. "I helped design Naruto's seal. I can replace your current seal with his."
"And then there's Hinata. Sha and Naruto have become so close."
"Wow, Hinata-chan! You have a new friend." Kiba came over and kneeled next to her. He was about to pet the kit when the little one's eyes opened and she turned slightly and glared at the shinobi. Kiba retracted his hand quickly and the fox kit settled back down. "Heh heh, I guess she only likes Hinata-chan."
...
"Naruto, where did this bird come from?" Naruto shrugged and pointed to the tree it had fallen out of. Jiraiya looked at it a moment then at Naruto. Nodding to himself and grunting in a positive manner he turned to Naruto, "Very well, you may raise this bird." With this concession, Jiraiya turned and went back to sleep. An echo was heard throughout the woods.
"NANIIIIII!"
...
"Hina-chan and I, we promised to protect each other. That was what we said. Not that I was going to make sure she didn't get hurt, or that she would keep me from getting hurt, but that we would work together to protect each other's dreams and ideas." Neji looked at Naruto. He didn't feel any anger, some concern and hope, but no anger. "We know we'll get hurt, but we trust each other. We work together." Naruto looked at Neji. He didn't know how else to put it. He really wanted Neji to understand. Hinata and him, they were a team, a unit, one.
...
"Believe it Hina-chan!" She nodded. Youko looked at the pair.
"We believe it Young Female." She smiled and rubbed his nose fondly and waved as she disappeared from the mindscape. No more she could do it; now she would do it.
Just before sunset, she hugged, then pushed Hoshi out the window and faced the door. A moment later it opened and the big man grabbed her and shoved her down the hall.
I can do this!
You can Hina-chan. I am here. So are they. You are not alone. She thanked the hawk as she walked into the dressing room.
Here we go.
"Even then they were only speaking in their mind, with the bond. But then the first time they saw eachother after Naruto left."
Apparently Haruka wasn't the only one desperate. She heard Naruto in her mind before her ears registered his yell of frustration and fear. The chakra was swirling around him as he glared at the scene in front of him. Haruka could only watch as he watched his love come closer to death. His chakra was twisting and twirling in every effort to get free, to help her, to get to his mate.
The man smirked as he started running for his attack. Haruka heard him for a second before Naruto's voice overpowered it.
"Die!"
"HINATA!" The man was suddenly blown backwards by an incredible force. Haruka spun her glance to Naruto to see his eyes had changed.
They were still bright blue but the pupil had turned a paler blue and he had black around the edges now. It looked like his eyes featured blue starbursts with black spiking inwards from the rim. He had activated the Kazegan.
"Yup, she's the way he activated our clan's Kekkei Genkai. Atta Boy." Kushina Smiled
"Yes, that was an important reunion for them both."
Hinata was laughing as she felt Naruto's arms around her. They were real. They were His arms. She snuggled into his embrace further as he held her tightly. They calmed down as they just stood there holding each other.
...
"How do you know about her!" Hinata dropped into a more defensive position as Haruka took a step towards her, confusion still on her face. "No one outside the Hyuuga council and clan head should know, so how do you? I know Naruto didn't tell you because he doesn't know yet. So how do you know?" Haruka's confusion cleared slightly.
"Aya-chan told me." Hinata's stance faltered slightly at the mention of her mother's name.
"My mother has been dead for eight years. You haven't been in the village in that time, Naruto said you hadn't been since the day of his birth." Haruka bent over and picked up Hinata's pail that had rolled towards her. She figured this would be quite a conversation.
"Aa, however, she told me before that, long before.
...
"My name is Haruka I contain Byaka the seven tailed tiger. Everyone knew this. When Ayaka was young she was told about Mui. Eventually, she asked questions and learned that she couldn't speak with her in addition to not being able to survive childbirth. She was told Mui was evil. She was captured to protect others. We had been friend for quite some time at that point. She asked me about Mui without revealing that she contained her. I told her that the only bijuu humans needed to worry about were the sanbi and hachibi. Some time after she told me about Mui."
"I studied the seal for over a month before I understood it completely. There was nothing I could do. I could allow her to speak with Mui somewhat, but there was nothing else I could do for her. My modifications gave her a few years at best, but the seal had already done its damage. Maybe if it had been a few years earlier. But..." Haruka blinked away tears as she fisted her hands. She took a deep breath and looked at Hinata.
"I could, however help her daughter. The seal I developed was a binding seal, a seal that modified an original seal. That was the hope I could give her daughter. She would be able to talk to Mui and use Mui's chakra." Hinata looked up.
"But I didn't know about Mui until last year?" Haruka looked at her.
"A binding seal must be activated after the other seal is in place. Without me around, and your mother dying as you received the seal, it was probably never intentionally activated. You probably got hit with a large amount of chakra right on your seal at some point, activating the dormant seal." Hinata nodded. "That would have activated the binding seal and altered the seal on you. The original seal would attach itself to its host, making removal impossible, however when the seal was placed on you a small amount of the sealing chakra semi-activated the binding seal and stopped this process, meaning I can remove the seal from you." Hinata looked at her in confusion.
"Won't I die without Mui?" Haruka smiled slightly.
"I would replace it with the seal Naruto has, but there is a catch." Hinata looked at her. "Any other bijuu would be able to sense Mui's presence."
...
"I thought only people with bijuu had mindscapes?" He looked at her in confusion.
"You're right." Hinata turned Naruto to the right. "Naruto-kun, this is Mui, my Bijuu."
...
"Please Mui-dono. Please..." He curled down into a ball at the base of her cage. His shoulders were shaking as Mui watched in concern and shock. She glided forward and landed in front of him. He looked up at her slightly "Mui-dono, I love you." She gasped as he continued to shake and tears came down his face. "I never stopped. I've been looking for you. I need you. We can have kits, we can move, I don't care, just please. As long as your happy. I need to know you're alright." He was breaking down. Mui reached a wing out and laid it on his head. The familiar feathers calmed him like the eye in the middle of the storm of their lives.
"I love you, Youko. I always have. Knowing you are happy has always been enough." He looked up at her. "I wanted to give you little ones. I wanted to do something for you. I want to be useful."
"Mui...I shouldn't have reacted that way. I was afraid. I'm not strong enough. I didn't think I could protect young yet. They would get hurt, or worse. I couldn't handle that. I-...I just... Please... I'm sorry." Mui let the tears roll down her face as she bent her beak close and nuzzled his nose. She loved him. She still loved him. She will always love him.
Both of them froze as their bond, previously dormant, sprung back to life. He felt her worry, her fear, her hope and soothed them. She felt his terror, his helplessness, his need and comforted them.
They were one again.
...
"Hinata there are a few things I need to tell you. First, rank-wise I am a Jounin. I am ordering you not to discuss me or Naruto with anyone except the Hokage. The seal I used on Kiba will prevent him from remembering us and Akamaru has promised to stay quiet until we return to Konoha. The Aburame was never conscious so he is unaware of any of this. " Hinata nodded in understanding. She had figured she would have to talk to Tsunade-sama before explaining what happened to anyone. She didn't want to add to Naruto's danger.
"I am giving you a scroll. Give it to Tsunade. No one can know what is in here, Hokage eyes only. But it does give her a brief update on his training and our ETA in Konoha. Do you understand. Remember, the shinobi world thinks I'm dead and Naruto has vanished. We need to stay that way." Hinata nodded.
...
Naruto, Hianta-sama, who is this?" He tried to sound polite, but it wasn't a polite question so he felt a little uncomfortable. Haruka looked at him, her currently blue eyes assessing."Itoko, this is Haruka. She is Naruto-kun's sensei right now."
"Yes that was a good thing. Hinata kept her promise too. She and Neji told none but Tsunade-san."
"True, but I think the old group wished she had. THey've been waiting for the day to see her again for so long."
"Don't toy with me on this Inu! Earlier I saw something he said came from his parents. I recognized it. Kiiro was the only person capable of making that seal. Now I ask you again. Who are that boy's parents?" Kakashi stared steadily at the irate clan head.
"Despite suspicions, the only people besides his parent who would be able to confirm it are the two sannin, whom refuse to discuss it, and someone who disappeared fourteen years ago." Kakashi's voice was hard. Both men stared at each other. It was an old contest. Hiashi looked away first. He knew better than to challenge Kakashi on this. He didn't have the right. He's known that for seven years. Truthfully, he somehow lost the right sixteen years ago.
...
"Nearly 35 years ago, when we were infants, Byaka, seven-tailed tiger, attacked the village much like Kyuubi did."
...
"We were told you were the best person to find stuff written by Neko no Shichi." Two steps later the entire group stopped, realizing that both jounin had stopped at this statement.
"Wh-wh-where's you hear that name?" Kakahsi looked sheet white. Gai looked at him concerned. He wasn't sure how much more of this his friend could take.
The white-haired jounnin was very pensive. Gai frowned at this. He remembered Kakashi when they were genin. He was cocky and, well, angsty. After his father's death, he seemed ready to prove to the village that he was nothing like his father. He didn't care about anything outside of orders and accomplishing the mission. Even getting a genin team and the Yondiame as his teacher didn't help much. Then he met Her. Truthfully Gai and Kakashi had met her at the same time. She was so different, older somehow, then everyone else. After Kakashi had lost first Obito and then Ren, Gai didn't know if he could recover. Gai was recovering from a similar loss at the time. Then they both spent more time with Her. For those short few years, he saw Kakashi actually carefree and happy. Gai had allowed that to heal his own soul. After She was gone, Kakashi threw himself into his work, going Anbu full time. It wasn't until the injury forced him to settle for Jounin for several years that Gai saw his friend in the open again. Then he didn't seem alright. He did seem happy, but it was a front. Gai watched from far away as Kakashi put up grin after grin to everyone. Then something incredible happened. He saw Kakashi truly laugh. For the first time in 12 years, he saw Kakashi laugh. Uzimaki Naruto had broken through that shell that Kakashi had put up, just like She had. Without that blonde around, he could see Kakashi begin to mellow back into full "mask" mode again.
Kakashi shighed softly as soon as he realized Gai was studying him. His friend had been around him a lot recently. Truthfully, he was glad his friend was so close, but he was as worried about Gai. They had fallen for her in much the same way as Sakura with Sasuke and Lee. She had ended with Kakashi and Maito had moved on but he had been there for them both everytime they needed it. They had been friends for over 15 years. It had to hurt Gai to keep getting this brought up. Of all of them, Gai was the one who had had the toughest time dealing with her disappearance. He sighed. Gai's strength always came from focusing on helping someone else. Kakashi would stay by his friend. He had disappeared into the world of Anbu, but he made sure that Gai was busy the entire time with genin. Then he met Lee. Kakashi couldn't have been happier for his friend. Lee was what Gai needed, though Kakashi thought they went a little over board. He looked at his best friend. Oh well, friendship wasn't one big thing but too many little things.
...
Kakashi was just getting ready to leave and meet with Sakura, after a visit to the monument, when Tsume suddenly dashed out of her corner of the bedroom in the sun and attached herself to his shoulder. The jonin looked at the cat in startle-ment. He had had this cat for nearly twenty years. She had stopped growing old over 12 years ago, but nobody could find anything unusual about her, aside from her age. She was the only cat he saw the nin-dogs get along with, along with his Ninken. He looked down at his unusual pet. He was always a dog person really, but this creature hadn't left him alone, just moved in, though this kept in with cats he knew. He sighed, she hadn't attached herself to his shoulder in many years. He was going to get a lot of strange looks. He had already learned that to try and remove her with the intent of leaving her, was met with incredible stubbornness.
...
"Yo, Gai." Gai stood there, thinking. Asuma stopped at that. Gai thinking made him quickly review the last time he had seen all of his old teammates. Only something like that could get Gai like this.
"Asuma, do you remember that cat that used to ride on Kakashi's shoulders?" Asuma's eyebrow rose.
"Eh? Cat? That furball's still alive?" Gai nodded.
"Hai, Kakashi stumped every vet in the area as to why that cat's lived this long. It was riding his shoulder again." Asuma froze at that statement. Instinctively, his hand went to his side, under his right arm. Gai nodded. "I haven't felt anything, but remember what Fujiiro said about that jutsu she was caught in?" Asuma's mind slowed down before it sped up to a lightening pace. If it did work that way. No! He knew what must happen.
"If it did work that way then just by speculating, we're putting her in danger. Say nothing and do absolutely nothing. Stay near Kakashi. Of all of us, he will be the easiest to read once he thinks of it. I know he never made the connection then but still...watch him." Gai nodded. Asuma understood her better than anyone. Even Kakashi
...
"It wouldn't matter if they did. Koneko isn't here. She hasn't contacted us, nothing. So I'll tell you what I told Gai, stop talking or even thinking about it. The more fuss the more attention. She obviously doesn't want help." Hiashi looked at him sharply, but Asuma's face was blank. It had been like that since She had disappeared. That was part of the reason it had taken Hiashi so long to find the man, they went out of their way to avoid each other. Hiashi bristled at the last comment.
"I already apologized for that fight. I-" Asuma cut off Hiashi's firm whisper.
"I never wanted an apology, I wanted my teammate. We lost her, we didn't need to lose each other." His eye bore into Hiashi's as he stepped in front of the clan head. Hiashi glared at him.
"I didn't go anywhere!" Their whispers were becoming harsher.
"No, you gave up instead. So did Inu and Tai. Akai was the only one of us that tried to complete our mission. Even I didn't have the strength to try without her! I have spent nearly every day beating myself up for it! Akai had been without all support and we lost him!" Asuma was breathing harshly as he tried to calm down. This was an argument he had wanted to air for a long time, but Hiashi had been too busy, Inu too hurt, and Tai too concerned for Inu. He spoke next in a quiet voice that Hiashi recognized from their youth. A voice he knew Asuma hadn't used in a long time. "I never needed explanation, because I've always believed she'd be back. I wanted my friend." Hiashi froze. He had thought Asuma was angry at him for just watching her disappear, but it was Hiashi who had avoided Asuma, not the other way around. He had always felt slightly outside the pair, they had known each other since She was 3. It hadn't occured to him Asuma would want to be his friend without their third.
...
"Ichijin..." Asuma stopped dead. "I- My daughter- I need your help." Asuma looked at Hiashi, who was staring at the ground, hands fisted. He had always been a proud person. Asking for something, beside a duty was hard. But, now, he was struggling. Something was worrying him. Ichijin. That was a nickname between the three of them. They had never used it in the larger group. Hiashi wasn't looking for his opinion as a shinobi. He was looking for a friend. Asuma sighed.
When the three of them first got together, Hiashi had been standoffish. He had grown a lot during those years, but this was the first time Asuma could remember the proud Hyuuga asking directly for help. When he made a request he usually demanded it in a gentle way, but there was ever any doubt as to if it would be done. Now, Asuma could see, Hiashi was looking at him as a friend. And Asuma knew that his friend needed help.
"So why are we observing Chibi-Hina, ummm?" Hiashi looked up at him in relief for a split second before schooling his expression. Asuma's acceptance combined with his old name for Hinata was reassuring. Hiashi sighed gratefully as he explained what was happening to one of his oldest friends as the two of them went to find the teacher.
...
"Wow, we are a mess, aren't we?" The voice wasn't Her but Kakashi could see that it relaxed Gai all the same. Asuma had just said the same words she would say when they were worrying about something they couldn't possible effect. "You're not the only one. We dropped off the brat at Konohamaru's so you two could sulk together." He stepped aside so they could see a glaring Hiashi right behind him.
"I am not sulking, and I would thank you not to call my child a brat." Asuma smiled easily and came over to lean against the same wall Kakashi was against. Gai nodded to Hiashi and went back to pacing. Hiashi just sat in one of the waiting chairs. Kakashi thought Asuma had the right of it. Sulking was a good word for this. Sulking because they could do nothing. Hiashi was frantic. Kakashi could still read the Hyuuga. He was very upset. No wonder Asuma had brought him around. People had died for being around an upset Hiashi. His favorite way of dealing with anxiety was training into exhaustion, which he probably would have done with some poor guard at the compound if Asuma hadn't stopped by.
Suddenly it hit Kakashi. They were together. This was the first time in close to fifteen years the four of them were in the same room. The last time was when they had to accept the fact that they had lost a third member of their group. They had fallen apart afterwards. From seven to four people. He looked out the window as he snorted.
She would have killed them.
...
"Everyone's grown over the years. People have changed."
"I have watched Gaara all my life. I could help him then." Kankuro was whispering to himself now. Hiroto looked at Gaara, then back. "I want to help Gaara. Not as my Kazekage, but as my brother." Hiroto didn't know what to say. He had known how much Kankuro and Temari cared about Gaara. Gaara valued their presence more then anyone, except maybe Naruto, now that Hiroto saw them near each other. Naruto was talking, well more like yelling, across the clearing at Gaara and Hiroto could tell that it had helped calm the red head. Still, Gaara was sitting next to his sister and Hiroto saw, when Kankuro wasn't looking, that his eyes strayed to his brother constantly.
There was a time when Lee's attention was too much for her to handle, even to the point where it was unwanted. She had since learned a way around that. Ten Ten had helped considerably, explaining how she and Neji had handled both Lee and Gai next to each other made Lee by himself seem tame. Sakura frowned at that. Lee's exuberance wasn't something she didn't like. In fact, since Naruto's departure, she had sought him out if only to get a little chaos in her life. The part she had a hard time working with was his goal of his interaction with her. She simply didn't see him in that light. She had finally decided to continue turning down his requests for dates without actually treating him as anything other then a good friend.
...
Sakura gasped as she was suddenly filled with bouncing , bubbly distractedness, she tried to rationalize it out when she heard something.
"Sakura-chan?"
"Naruto?" The other girls looked at her wearily. She smiled self-consciously.
"I can hear you without you saying anything"
"Where are you?"
"Umm...not really sure. Why? Haruka rolled her eyes at this."
"Naruto, she's asking how she can hear you, gaki!" Naruto ducked his head in his mindscape sheepishly, glad Sakura couldn't hear his sensei since she was only linked with him.
"Sakura-chan, I'm in your mind." Haruka's hand flattened her face. "That err... not quite what I meant, I"m here but there too." Haruka was sniggering next to him as he tried to explain this to Sakura. "Grrrrrrr. I have a bond with you! I formed a bond with you now so I can communicate with you."
...
"Now everyone's preparing for their return to Konoha. THe Jinchuuriki are gathering and the chunnin are growing."
"Hey Bushin! What's up?" Naruto smiled at the the bouncy response. He was glad she was all right.
"By the way I met your mate. She's a pretty good kunoichi." Naruto smiled huge and waved her over. She gave a hop, skip and jump and landed gracefully next to the blonde jinchuuriki. She gave him a great big hug in tandem with the hug she received. He spun her once and set her down. Her hair had grown longer, now down to her waist, it flowed naturally behind her in the wind. She now wore loose, light teal T with blue capri instead of the standard shinobi wear from her village. Her hitae was gone, but just as well. She had a gold bracelet from Hiroto and his hair ornament in her hair, and her bare feet were decorated with a scaly anklet. Since Naruto had grown, she now reached his eyes, barely.
"Yeah, thanks for helping her out." Yuuki waved her hand in dismissal.
"She's your mate and she contains Mui, whom my bijuu is indebted to. It was nothing. So what brings you to this area?" Naruto smiled before growing more serious.
"We were looking for you. Have you heard of the Akatsuki?" She nodded. She was well aware of the danger to her personally they represented. "News is they're moving. The should be ready to start their little jinchuuriki hunt in a few months." He turned so she could see Haruka beyond him. "Onee-sensei and I are heading out of the area. But we plan to return to Konoha in three and a half months. We want the jinchuuriki to meet and fight together. We're all stronger together." His determination and ferocity in what he believed in hadn't dimmed in the time since she had seen him last. That was part of him charm.
"Do you have the rest of the nine?" Naruto smiled, catching that she was agreeing. He nodded eagerly as Haruka spoke up at this point.
"Shibi, the Ichibi, and Suzuka the Yonbi are both in Suna and will be joining us. I can guarantee Genbu the Nibi. As you know Mui, the Gobi is already in Konoha, I have Byaka, the Nanabi and Naruto has Youko, the Kyuubi. Isonade, the Sanbi and Orochi, the Hachibi are already our enemies. Isonade works with the Akatsuki at this point, thus telling her would be suicide. Orochi's current host is also an enemy of Konoha and Orochi is Kyuubi's enemy regardless so he will also not be joining us." Haruka finished, mentally ticking off the tails to make sure she didn't miss anyone. Yuuki nodded. Seiryu had informed her of Byaka's presense so that hadn't been a surprise. She turned to Naruto.
"When I get to Konoha, what do I do?" Haruka looked to Naruto as he answered. He was the major planner in all this.
"Give whatever name you wish at the gate, but when they ask for you reason tell them you're there to work with Group 9. They'll let you in. Hopefully, we'll be there. If not, find Tsunade, our hokage and explain who you are to her. You can also trust Hina-chan to know what is going on."
Minato smirked at Kushina.
"THey'll be fine." Kushina smiled as well.
"Aa, but I think I"ll keep watching just in case."
Whew! This catches you up to We Come Together. PLease still read The Pieces Move into PLace and Water Ways. ANd Enjoy the next chapter as Naruto come's home.
