Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. Down with slavery.
Honor. Justice. Family. Strength. Respect.
Those were the calligraphies painted on stylized banners around the otherwise very sober Hyuuga dojo. You could have hear a fly, if it was not of the labored breath emitted by a young girl. Hinata Hyuga was practicing stances, attack and defense patterns that were the bases of the Gentle Fist. The opponent before her pushed her way further what she was able to handle. It had the merit to distracted her from being watched by her cousin, Neji-san, and Naruto-kun, her best friend. The two heads of families were there too. Neji had an air of almost adoration while Hizashi looked politely interested. Naruto looked far more relaxed but was watching with rapt interest, like his step-brother.
He asked to visit his father's clan and his wish was at once granted. He never pondered why: he had loving parents! Life was always so interesting with his brothers Sasuke and Itachi. He could play all he wanted, he had lots of friends and he started the ninja Academy to get as strong as Itachi nii-chan! Sasuke and he always argued about who would beat him first. It often led to senseless brawls that inevitably ended up with both of them on the ground, covered with dirt and laughing. Now, he had a chance to see how the Hyugas fought! Neji could beat him anytime, having already mastered the bases in his style and being a year older then him. Maybe he should ask his father to learn it as well. He turned toward his father to ask that very question but what he saw stopped him brutally. He had such a hating stare toward Hinata that the veins around his eyes bulged out in a Byakugan form. What was the meaning of this?
Suddenly, Hiashi turned around, mumbling something about hostile intent and fixed a glare at his brother's face. It all happened in an instant. He could not remember getting to his father howling on the ground in pain with Neji-kun. Still, he would forever remember his uncle over them in a dominating pose while his father was clutching his forehead in a futile attempt to ease the pain.
"Otou-san!" yelled Neji, helpless.
Naruto wasn't raised with the Hyugas. Therefore, he didn't know or care about the acceptance around the chain of command between the Branch and the Main family. His father hurt, and that was all that mattered, whoever was responsible. He raised his head toward Hiashi, making him take a step back and unknowingly stop the mental abuse. There was no demon, no unnatural animosity. No chakra was emitted either. What stopped him was the simple look of pure hatred in the face of a six years old that adored him just moment ago. The simple look of powerlessness and incomprehension mixed in an almost teary strained face was too much for his usually masked heart. He composed himself, his mind working miles a minute. Was that how Branch family members felt about the Main family? Did they even see themselves as part of the clan? Or are they looking up at them like slaves?
He walked toward his still panting brother and helped him up.
"No…No. I'm okay. It was my fault. It won't happen again," Hizashi said, avoiding the touch as if he wasn't deserving the help.
"Kami-sama… What have we done?" whispered Hiashi.
His brother looked up, surprised.
"Come to my office, brother. We have much to discuss," ordered the clan head.
Hizashi, in the privacy of his brother's office, explained the frustration for his son to never have the chance to raise his status within the family. Hiashi told him his realization about the inhumanity of the seal and the resulting social disorder in the clan. They talked a very long time.
Naruto, Neji and Hinata stayed in the garden, sitting on rocks. They were facing the doors leading to Hiashi's office. They had yet to see the twin brothers come out.
"What did your father do to mine, Hinata? What did he do to deserve that anyway?" asked Neji, suddenly angry.
"I-I-I don't know, Neji-san. It's… It's that thing… like the one you have on your forehead," Hinata tried to explain, herself very confused.
"You mean that you could do that to me?" he yelled, getting off of his rock.
"I would not! Never! I…" Hinata begun, panicked.
"But you could!" insisted Neji, taking a step forward.
"Stop that Neji-kun, you're acting like an idiot," snarled Naruto angrily.
"What?"
Nobody just tells a Hyuga he's an idiot, but there's always a first.
"I said you're acting stupid! Look! You're making Hinata-chan cry!" said Naruto, pointing the young Hyuga girl.
And he was right. Tears were flowing freely for her face and she had her hand closed, near to her mouth in a defensive posture.
"It doesn't matter that she could do it if she never want to! It's like giving me a kunai and accusing me that I will stab you with it because I can."
"I know, but…" said Neji, looking away, shameful.
"But what? You'll bully her before she can do it to you?" pressed Naruto.
"No!"
"Then what? I remember you saying during practice how you admire Hinata-chan and how you would always protect her!"
"It's true? Really?" asked the young girl, managing to talk trough the tears.
Hinata looked at her cousin now with those big Bambi's eyes. You know them, those big, rounds and shiny ones that are so cute nobody can stare at them for too long? It worked well on Neji.
"S-Stop lookin' at me like that. It's embarrassing," he said, looking redder than ever.
"So it's true?" she pressed on.
Neji was probably counting the sand grains before his feet from the position of his head. He lightly nodded nonetheless.
"Then nothing changed" stated a proud Naruto. "That was something stupid to invent, that stupid drawing on your head," he said, snorting.
"It was the best solution at the time."
The three of them looked up to see Hiashi and his brother just over them. Since when were they listening?
"But you are right," kept on Hiashi. "Its utility became a nuisance. It doesn't help if by protecting the clan from outside spying, we destroy the clan from the inside. The Main and Branch family will stay, but that stupid drawing, the cursed seal, shall be removed. Only a more discreet tattoo will indicate a Branch member, and the Main family member that he is affiliated with. That is thanks to you, Naruto."
"To me?" the young blond asked.
"Truth came from innocence. The righteous anger you showed opened my eyes," nodded Hiashi gravely.
Naruto shuffled his feet in the sand as he remembered how angry he was.
"Sorry 'bout that. I didn't mean to…"
"It's okay, and thank you. Is there anything that you would like?"
"Well…"
Sasuke and Naruto, age seven, were running back from the Academy. Instead of going straight home, they entered a forest patch north of the Uchiha sector. They knew what they would find there. They slowed down and used all the stealth their blooming skills allowed them to. At a particular location, they stopped. The targets changed places everyday. If they could only find one… there! Funny! They had the target just over their heads and they didn't notice! Right there… just over… their heads… To their credits, they only ducked their heads a bit and clamped their hands on their mouths when three kunais embedded themselves in the round wooden circle, less than a meter away.
Sasuke got his bearing back first and pointed where the knives were from. Naruto nodded and they proceeded to crawl around the bush they were hidden behind… until a hand grabbed each of them from the back of their pants and lifted them in the air.
"Itachi niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii…"
Naruto took is breath back.
"iiiiiiiiiii-chan! That's not fair!"
Itachi chuckled and let him drop on his hand and knees.
"And you're still as whinny."
"Let me go too!" demanded Sasuke, arm crossed.
"And why should I?"
"Because if you don't, you can't resume your training!" answered Sasuke smartly with a face that say "Ha! Gotcha there!"
"Is that so…"
Itachi put his little brother on his shoulder and started to jump from tree to tree, going slow enough for Naruto to barely follow them from below, stopping now and then to throw kunais at targets and dummies.
"Niii-chan! Let me go!" yelled Sasuke, flaying his arms and legs.
"You really want me to drop you?" taunted Itachi.
They were high up now. Really high.
"Noooo! Put me down! Don't drop meeeeeeeee!"
"Well you should make up your mind now, don't you? And it's your fault that you crawled on me while training."
Naruto was panting and yelling. Sasuke was beating the back of his brother with his little fists, laying across the shoulder of Itachi. They were having so much fun!
"What am I ever going to do with you two? You can't even beat me two on one!" teased Itachi.
Even meters across from each others, the answer of the two was in perfect synchronism.
"We'll beat you, just you wait!"
Itachi was not surprised by their words, but by the mirror look of determination they held.
"It's not fair Naruto! You beat me because you used the Gentle Fist! I would have won if you used the Uchiha style!" pouted Sasuke, walking back from the Academy with his brother.
"Which is why I used the Gentle Fist… duh!" said Naruto, proud of himself.
"At least you beat Neji at the Hyuga mansion last time… with the Uchiha style! The face of your father was priceless!" said Sasuke happily.
"Yeah, I got him by surprise this time. When he's gonna activate his Byakugan though… it won't work anymore. And father told me those sparring matches were to evaluate my progression with the Gentle Fist," grunted Naruto.
"Huh. Hey, that ceremony the Hyuga are going through… it's after next week, isn't it?"
"Yeah! They are making peace with another hidden village! It's Hidden Cloud I think. More allies!"
"I wish I could go," Sasuke said sadly.
"Hyuga only!" mocked Naruto.
"Then you won't go either, you're an Uzumaki!"
"Not funny! My father is…"
They both stopped, entering the Uchiha complex. The sun was setting but they could not mistake the patch of red coming out of some doors for the dying sun's ray.
"What…Where is everybody?" mumbled Sasuke.
Naruto made a first heavy step, being rooted on the spot a moment ago. Sasuke imitated him and they were soon running, doors to doors, calling names. No one was there. Some houses had traces of a struggle. They finally walked on the body of their grand-parents. They knelled. They wept. Until Sasuke uttered one word.
"Okasan…"
They ran again. Even if their little chests got tight from fear and made it difficult to breath.
"Okasan? OKASAN!"
They were not in the entrance, nor in the kitchen. But they found hell in the living room. Uchiha Fugaku was laying face down on the floor, a pool of blood growing around him. Their mother was still standing, but she slid down the katana that had pierced her and fell too.
"KAAAASAAAAAN!"
It was impossible. It was a nightmare. Wake up Naruto, wake up dammit! But no matter how many time it repeated in his head… His eyes showed him the death of everyone. Only Sasuke was still alive before him, crying on the body of their mother, and the man who killed her. The man who killed everyone.
"How…Why…Who are you?" he finally asked.
The man walked in the light, showing Sharingan eyes with three dots.
"Itachi nii-chan?" That tiny croaking came from Sasuke's throat. "You… You did all this?"
"Yes. I needed to know something," Itashi said, walking forward.
"To know what?" asked a trembling Naruto.
"How strong I am."
They felt ice cold blood in their vein, freezing them deep inside. Down to the very core that make them human. They lost it. Sasuke jumped on his feet and Naruto dashed at his side. They drew what weapons they had, practice kunais. Practice or not, they were still deadly. But then they stopped, paralyzed. Not by fear or surprise. They were simply unable to move. Then they looked around. The sun was not set yet. They were in the compound streets. Itachi was before them, a blade in his hand. In front of him were their still alive mother and Sasuke's father.
"This is the Mangekyou Sharingan," said Itachi, as if giving a simple shinobi lesson. "It is the ultimate dojutsu. Nothing can break it. I will prove it to you by showing you again and again the death of the clan, for the next twelve hours. Just one word before I start. Do you really, really hate me? Grow stronger. Let hatred make you strong. Then come back to face me. But for now…"
And the carnage began anew.
The two boys woke up a few days later. They both felt terrible. First, they were thirsty as if they hadn't drank in days, which was the case. Their beds were next to each other. They had woken up almost at the same time. After a drink from room temperature water left in a pitcher, they began a wall staring contest. Why were they here? What happened? None of them dared to ask because deep down, they knew. They felt that if they asked, reality would come crashing on them and crush them in pieces. Reality have a cruel way to get back at you sometime, even in the form of a whisper. Two nurses passed by their room, talking quietly.
"…those two. Everybody else is dead, and no pretty death. They had just enough time to feel it and realize. By the look of the wounds, he let everyone live a few seconds before…"
They could not escape it anymore. Naruto was sitting in his bed, shaking and tears flowing. His face however, without the tears, would have looked totally emotionless. As Sasuke was sobbing loudly in his pillow, his mind just froze, letting his body act on his own. They spent hours like that. Then they fell asleep. They woke up and fell asleep like that for some time, not counting the days. One night, Naruto woke up to see Sasuke at the window. He walked up to him and looked outside. There was a big party at the Hyuga compound. They could hear the music and see the fireworks.
"The ceremony. It has been exactly nine days since it happened," deadpanned Naruto.
"Yeah," simply answered Sasuke.
"I'm leaving this place tomorrow. I'm tired of these walls."
"Me too."
Without another word, they got back to bed.
The day after, they woke up early but could not leave as fast as they wanted. Now the nurses were fussing at them. They passed a physical exam and were deemed healthy enough. When one of them asked them where they would go, they got a simple reply from both of them.
"Home."
They walked, hands in their pockets, down the main street of Konoha. At a turn, Naruto stopped. If he continued, he would end up at the Uchiha sector. If he turned left, he would go to the Hyuga mansion. He felt like a traitor. He chose the coward way out. Sasuke didn't even turn back.
At the Hyuga mansion, he noticed something was wrong. For the day after such a celebration, the mood was too dark. He went directly to his father's home and found the door open. He walked to it but didn't enter. From where he was, he could clearly see Neji in his mother's arms, crying.
"No. Not that. Please anything but that," he said, his mind picturing the worst, and being right.
Neji heard Naruto quiet plea and tried to talk, still crying.
"Naruto… Father… they took him and…I don't understand why Father… why it has to be him… Naruto… it's those Cloud nins… Naruto? Where are you going?"
But he had already turned around. Not saying a word, hands in his pockets, he got out of the Hyuga sector. He didn't have anymore tears to shed. He just felt so empty. So very empty. He left his feet walk on their own. Why didn't he stay? Why didn't he joined Neji to get comfort and just cry together with him in Neji mother's arms?
That was the answer. It was Neji's mother. Not his. His mother died ten days ago. Now he lost his father. He wasn't a Hyuga. He never really lived there. His true link to that place was his father and now he was gone. Neji was more of a close cousin then a brother. There was only one person that he could consider as such today.
His feet knew already what his brain just told him. He was standing in front of the home he had for the last seven, almost eight years. He walked in without knocking.
"I'm home."
Noise upstairs betrayed where Sasuke was. He looked at Naruto from the top of the stairs. He didn't seem to know what to do. Naruto just stood there.
"Welcome home."
Sasuke put water to boil. They didn't have the courage to do anything more complicated than instant noodle to eat. He then sat at the table where Naruto put two bowls.
"So…why coming back?" asked Sasuke tentatively.
"My father is dead," answered Naruto in a drone voice.
"You don't need to tell me," said Sasuke harshly, "I was there."
"No, not your father. My father."
Sasuke's eyes widen in realization.
"How?"
"I don't know exactly. It have something to do with the ceremony, I think, and the Cloud ninja."
"Then…"
"I'm an orphan. Just like you. All I have left is you, Aniki."
"I'm only two days older, Naruto. But the Hyuga?"
"They are not my family. I realized that. They will probably try to get me there. But it is you, now, my family. They won't get me away. I'm staying."
"Alright… Aniki." said Sasuke with a sad smirk.
Naruto smiled back. The kettle started whistling.
Beta'ed by Rauchster 2/23/08