If everyone dies in the Pein attack, all of the Hyuuga should be dead - and as they are revived, there should be no 'Branch' House because the mark should disappear by death. Or are they active simply because Pein did not exactly cause 'death' but simply removal of souls?

My challenge is this: Pain: Strife and Knife - the Hyuuga's Descent.

Konoha has taken a turn for the better after Pein's massive strike - at least, as a community. However, as a nation, they are suffering. While Pein may have spared the lives of all whom he killed, he could not heal all the wounds inflicted. The damage is simply too much: the once-mightiest of all Shinobi nations must learn to rebuild and assert its dominance. And rebuild they will - but is everyone capable of standing together? Although Konoha as a whole has grown tight-knit, there is still darkness festering under the Leaf's shade. For many clans, a time to the Reconstruction has brought many of them together.

Including the Hyuuga - at least one the surface. But after the tip of the iceberg, Hyuuga Hinata finds herself surrounded by deceit, conflicts, and, most frightening of all, changes. Nobody would or could have ever expected an attack on the scale Pein initiated. Therefore, no one would have ever predicted the entire Hyuuga clan dying at once - both Main and Branch Houses. None of the other clans had paid too much attention to that fact; they were too busy rebuilding, after all. But one man did not forget. And his lone eye peers down at the people, scrutinizing and analyzing all their moves. And now, he knows it is time to make his move.

The Hyuuga's abominable open-secret, their Caged Bird Seal, has said to only been able to be removed by one cure: death. And with the lasting effects of Pein's attack, all of the dead Hyuuga find themselves no longer dead. Whispers are spoken but nothing is said - not to friends, not to superiors, not to lovers; only among family.

The lives of three Hyuuga in particular are irrevocably changed: the heir, the spare, and the genius.

And Danzou Shimura, the Sixth Hokage, finds his hands in quite a few pies.

The Branch House is on the rise and they are out for vengeance. Indignation fills their veins but fury clouds their minds. Blood will be spilled, and these young Hyuuga must find a way to stop the madness - whether it be by lies, poisons, politics or otherwise, this clan will be tossed on its back and thrown around.

Who will become the One to rule them all; who will be tossed aside? Or is there even a need for just One, or for One or more to rule at all?

Shy, nervous Hyuuga Hinata finds herself at the center of this maelstrom and questions everything she has ever known.

The preferred daughter of the Main Branch Hanabi finds herself questioning everything her father has ever taught her: all is for the good of the clan - but what constitutes a clan?

Once-in-a-generation prodigy Neji sees his brethren searching for vengeance... yet he is disturbed by the very thing he used to be. Will he fall back into old habits or can he stand up and wade through the dark?

Rules:

Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji: can be paired up with anyone; it is up to the writer if they want romance to be a large or small part of their story.

Danzo must die at some point; as much as I feel he is integral to this challenge, there is no redemption for him. ROOT also does not have to end with Danzo's death.

Tsunade, the Elders, and the rest of Konoha can be involved (if other clans or councils/elders are involved with Danzo, that must be at least slightly developed too, though I won't discourage authors from taking a chunk of text to really work these people in). The primary focus is on Hinata and Neji's generation as well as all of the Hyuuga (that is not to say there cannot be OCs or characters like Tsume or Shikaku involved).

There is no set genre or real restrictive 'kind' of work this is meant to be: this can be heavily political, a world of lies and slander through gossip, a descent into the dark for the protagonists where no one wins but they might survive, or a work where lies and deceit overwhelm. Any of those AND ANYTHING ELSE… there isn't a real guideline I want to throw out, just some key points.

Other characters can become main characters: they don't need to be listed or anything, but they can be. What they must be is at least seen throughout the story and their impacts on any of the Hyuuga should be seen as playing a major role; e.g. Danzo can be considered a 'main character' as he is a major antagonist.

Don't frame this story in or limit your mind to the belief of 'AU' or 'canon' in terms of setting; use your mind to explore what you think it should be - to believe in 'AU' as a concept means you fail to believe that you can write. To explore is to simply go and do. Think of what you think 'Narutoverse' means. And depending on how you want to mold this, it can become its own entire world (e.g. the Fourth Great Shinobi War does not have to play a role in this challenge if the author does not desire it).