This is yet another attempt to show how Hiashi could still be viewed as a human being. Inspired by Naruto Shippuden episodes 389 and 390 AKA the Hyuuga Sisters special.

BOLD is Hiashi narrative.

This is Hiashi's perspective

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(((Dreamscape)))

" Hiashi-sama, let's be serious. The Hyuuga clan isn't what is once was. I personally believe that you have gone soft."

Next scene shows Hiashi's wife in typical Hyuuga sparring attire performing a hard spin-kick. She is then seen walking up to him with a large smile on her face.

(((End Dreamscape)))

Hiashi's eyes snapped open. He slowly rose from his bed. His hair now at a long length.

Later that afternoon...

Hiashi was training with Hinata in the dojo.

" Good, now keep your guard up." Hiashi said as he reached in for a strike. Hinata parried it and threw a palm thrust but quickly retracted it.

" Why did you stop?" Hiashi asked.

" I...I didn't want to hit you." Hinata replied.

" I know but honey we're sparring, it's ok for you to go in with some force." Hiashi said.

" Hai Oto-sama."

Hinata became more and more like her mother everyday, her last living memory. I found myself at a crossroads. The deepest parts of my heart wanted me to preserve Hinata's innocence and kindness. But I knew now after what happened to her mother where that could very well lead to.

" Go again Hinata." Hiashi said.

" Hai!" Hinata thrusted in extending her palm but just as it was about to hit Hiashi's side, she toned back the power.

" Hinata..." Hiashi said.

" I'm sorry Oto-sama." Hinata looked down.

" It's ok. we'll work on it. At least we know you're not a violent person."

From the side, the Hyuuga elder watched on. As Hiashi and Hinata passed he gave Hiashi a solemn groan to show disapproval.

Hiashi merely brushed it off as he went off with his daughter to eat lunch. Later Hiashi and Hinata sat under a tree eating rice patties.

" Hinata , you really need to work on following through." Hiashi said.

" I will Oto-sama." Hinata felt a little down. She took a bite of her rice patty.

It was then Hiashi saw the perfect opportunity. He quickly checked to make sure nobody was around. " Hinata..." he said.

Hinata looked to him with her mouth full.

" Meow meow meow meow..." Hiashi doing the kitty face and rubbing his hands along his face.

Rice instantly blew from Hinata's mouth as she burst out laughing. " Oto-sama! you made me spit out my lunch!" Hinata whined.

Hiashi handed her one of his rice patties as he smiled.

Time passed, I changed . After what happened to my wife I swore to never let my guard down again, it was for the good of my family, for the good of the Byakugan.

" Why did you hesitate?" Hiashi asked.

"I'm sorry, please let me try again."

" Don't worry about it. That will be all for today." Hiashi said.

As Hinata left, Hiashi looked to the Hyuuga elder.

Later...

"Hiashi-sama, I hate to point fingers but you should have seen this coming. You should have done more to toughen her up." The elder said.

" Sometimes knowing when not to strike is a good quality."

" Hiashi, I don't have to tell you how being merciful can have it's consequences. You do remember what happened to..."

Hiashi's eyes quivered. " Hai."

Hinata I had to become stricter with you. Kindness gets you killed in the shinobi world.

(((Flash Forward)))

Hinata and Hanabi were locked in combat.

Hiashi looked on along with the Hyuuga elder and some members of the Main family. He could already tell Hinata was reluctant in the fight, she was mostly working defense and throwing few strikes. Hanabi however looked as though she was angry with her sister for some reason.

Hanabi thrusted forward with a palm strike, Hinata parried it. Hiashi looked on intently. With his Byakugan. As Hanabi fell forward and Hinata was in perfect position to unleash a palm strike. Hiashi watched, Hinata was about to strike then suddenly hesitated.

" Hinata! No!" Hiashi thought.

Hanabi quickly regained her footing, she then launched a strike to Hinata which sent her to the ground.

"Stop!"

Hiashi walked up to Hinata as she picked herself up. " Oto-sama..." she began.

" To fall before Hanabi who is 5 years younger than you. Enough! You may go!" Hiashi said.

Hinata's eyes froze as she looked at her father. Hiashi took a deep breath. " D-Don't break... this is for her own good." He thought. He did his best not to crumble before her, looking into her eyes as if a piece of her soul had just been taken away did not help.

They exchange glances. Hinata thought back to all the wonderful memories she ever had with her father. Everything they had been through together, now all of a sudden meant nothing.

Hinata's eyes began to well up, she ran past Hanabi away from the compound. Hiashi watched as she ran away. His eyes quivered. " Hinata, I wanted you to lead. You had a patience and understanding that this clan desperately needed, but I couldn't do that for you and that is my failure. Be strong Hinata, forge your own path."

Later, Hiashi walked alongside the elder. " Just so we are clear, you saw it just as easily as I did, Hinata could have won that match."

" Really? Do refresh my memory who was on the ground?"

" She held back that strike, if she hadn't, Hanabi would have been the one on the ground."

" That was her choice! She saw a victory and threw it away! You told her to hold nothing back so at the very least, she disobeyed you! Hiashi , we cannot allow her to succeed the clan. From now on we will focus on Hanabi. You must sever all ties with Hinata. Personally, Hinata owes the both of us an apology for having wasted our time."

Hiashi was silent

Hinata... You chose to be disinherited and outcasted rather than hurt your sister. Only to a Hyuuga would that make no sense, family or not, we eat our own in this clan without even blinking an eye. But you chose a different path. Your mother would be very proud of the decision you made.

Days passed, Ko stood before Hiashi in his study.

" I want tabs kept on Hinata and how she is doing at the academy. You know some of the teachers there don't you?" Hiashi asked.

" Yes Hiashi-sama." Ko said.

" I'm counting on you Ko."

Time passed. Ko would periodically inform me about how Hinata was doing at the academy. She was doing great with her academics, but her biggest problem there as Ko informed was making friends. Not an uncommon problem for Hyuuga children. I certainly remembered my younger days. With the Hyuuga reputation we were often viewed as arrogant or uptight. One day , Ko came to me with some recent news.

" She passed?" Hiashi asked.

" Hai Hiashi-sama from what I understand, all but one passed. Hinata-sama is a Genin now. " Ko said.

Hiashi was both proud and scared.

At the Academy,,,,

A hundred people gathered to see their children graduate the academy. From a distance atop a building, Hiashi could see everyone with his Byakugan. He saw a girl in a tan jacket. He saw it was Hinata.

Hiashi smiled with pride when he saw the hidden leaf head-band around Hinata's neck, but he noticed something else. He noticed Hinata looking sympathetically in a certain direction. When he adjusted his vision he saw a blond boy sitting atop a swing under a tree. Unlike the other kids there, he had no headband.

" The 4th's son?" Hiashi thought. He looked back over to Hinata. " Why would she be concerned over him?"

I had other things to worry about. Far graver things. Hinata was a Genin now. She had no choice, I wanted more than anything for her to be who she was but that was no longer an option. If she was going to survive on missions, she would have to do away her feelings of kindness. I just hope I would be ready to do what I had to next.

Days Later...

" Very well I will take Hinata under my wing but...are you sure that is what you want?" Kurenai asked.

Hiashi angled his eyes slightly to his right to see Hinata's shadow on the other side of the wall.

" She is your first born and heir to your household. The life of a Genin can be brief and filled with death."

" Do what you will!" Hiashi put bluntly.

Kurenai was stunned.

" She could not even defeat her sister 5 years her junior. We have no need of her." Hiashi's eyes winced. His hands tightened around his kendo stick.

" If there is nothing further you may take your leave now."

" Hai." Kurenai said.

A moment later, he saw Hinata's shadow vanish.

moments later...

" Hanabi we are done for the day."

Hanabi bowed and took her leave. Hiashi went to his room and dropped his kendo stick clutching his vest. Tears began to streak down his face.

" Hinata please...empty your love for me. Resent me if you have to. Make me nothing more than a memory in the back of your mind."

Even thinking the words made Hiashi cringe at the very thought.

Later, Hiashi took a visit to his wife's memorial grave.

" Hinata is a Genin now. I just thought you would want to know."

A moment of silence passes.

" My love, I wish you were here. I seem to be failing our children and there is nothing I can do." Hiashi continued. "I know if you were here, you would be able to handle this. You would have probably found a better solution than what I did today."

Months Later...

Hiashi was walking through the village. He looked up at the Hokage monument.

" Hiashi-sama!" Ko yelled jumping beside him.

" What is it?" Hiashi asked.

" It's Hinata-sama she's just been admitted to the hospital!" Ko said.

Later Hiashi was brought in by a nurse into Hinata's room.

" She had extensive internal damage, but she's stable now. But she is not conscious." The nurse said, she bowed and gave Hiashi some privacy.

Hiashi walked up slowly to Hinata's bed. Her mouth was covered by an oxygen mask while she had a monitor of her heart rate. Hiashi pulled a chair up beside the bed.

" I...I heard what happened..." Hiashi said. " That you fought against Neji to the end." Hiashi slid his hand under Hinata's on the bed. A tear slid down Hiashi's face. " I don't know if you can hear me Hinata, but you have to keep pushing. Please be strong."

Hiashi suddenly felt a grasp on his hand from Hinata. He saw her hand squeezing his fingers. Hiashi smiled. Suddenly Hiashi heard a knock at the door.

In walked the Hyuuga Elder." I heard what happened."

Later Hinata was awake.

" She should have expected this result when fighting Neji." The Hyuuga elder said.

" For Gods sake she just woke up. Can't you spend 5 minutes without cutting her down?" Hiashi thought.

" Why didn't you withdraw?" Hanabi asked.

" I couldn't do that." Hinata said.

Hiashi turned his attention to her.

" I know very well what I am. An indecisive failure."

Hearing the words felt like a knife straight through Hiashi's heart.

" But...I want to become strong. I feel I can change, even just a little. That's how Naruto makes me feel. I never go back on my word, that is my ninja way."

Hiashi was stunned.

Later...

Hiashi was approached by another Hyuuga.

" Hiashi-sama, I think you may want to look at this." He said holding up a disk.

" What is this?" Hiashi asked.

We recorded the Chuunin preliminaries, you may wish to see Hinata-sama's battle with Neji."

Later, Hiashi was with the Hyuuga elder observing the footage. Hiashi could not believe this was Hinata. The video ended.

" So…." The Elder started. " What did you think you were showing us?" He said to the random Hyuuga.

The hyuuga was shocked. " I-I just wanted to show you because I thought Hinata-sama did well."

" She did…." Hiashi said.

" I associate "doing well" with winning. What I saw was a Main family member lose to a branch member. Dance around it all you want, she lost." The Elder said.

After that, I watched the Chuunin exams. I wanted to see what made Naruto so special to my daughter. I had to say I was impressed by how he kept getting back up from Neji's attacks.

But...upon seeing the 9 tails chakra be released I was astounded. And to think, this boy had almost flunked out of the ninja academy. After the invasion things began to settle down in the village. I was now training Neji and breaking taboo. The clan didn't have so much a problem with that considering his skill. What they did have a problem with however...

" Come again?" The elder said.

Hiashi sat before the council. " I would very much like...since I am training Neji, I would like to start training Hinata again..."

The council of elders showed clear disapproval of the idea.

" You all saw the footage from when she fought Neji. I believe she has incredible potential. I would like to help her reach it."

" Completely out of the question!" The elder said. " You should train the future head and the one who will one day protect the future head. We don't have time to waste on Hinata."

Hiashi looked to the elder, he then drifted his eyes downward. " Hinata...forgive me."

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Last chapter coming very soon...

Hiashi's Life.