Chapter 3

Hinata Hyuga, the rightful heir of the Hyuga Clan, had just been granted a mighty weapon: A pair of lion-headed cesti that increased her strength tenfold. Such a weapon would give her might, it would make her punches the most powerful in the Hidden Leaf Village, and would even be a match for the Hokage's strength. Despite all this, the cesti had a downside to them, one no one would have seen coming. The downside of wielding the cesti was that…

"...They won't come off?" asked Tsunade.

"Yes," sighed Hinata.


It had been hours since Hinata's fight with Hercules. She and Naruto had left the arena only to find that a group of shinobis had just arrived. Apparently, Takuma had managed to stagger back to the Hidden Leaf Village, where he had explained what was going on. It had taken quite some time for Takuma to make it to the village, and by the time the task force sent by Tsunade had managed to find the amphitheater, Hinata had already defeated Hercules.

They brought Hinata, Naruto, and the surviving shinobis back to the Hidden Leaf Village, where Tsunade was angrily preparing to beat up Naruto and Hinata for disobeying her direct orders. However, when they arrived, Tsunade discovered that Hercules had already done the job for her, so instead, she sent them all to the emergency room of the hospital, where they were placed under critical condition alongside Takuma. The shinobis who had been drained by Hercules cages were hooked up to nutrient drips mixed with supplements to help them regain their proper weight, but they also had to be treated for their wounds that Hinata had dealt them during their fight, while the two who had been knocked down by Hercules actually had to go through the Healing Resuscitation Regeneration Technique in order to fully heal. Hinata herself was almost in need of one, but Sakura was able to heal her to the point where it wouldn't be necessary. As she was tending Hinata's wounds, Sakura had tried to remove the cesti from Hinata's arms, only to find that she was unable to. The bracers didn't have a specific hatch located on them or at least one that she couldn't see, but she had searched pretty thoroughly.

Once Hinata and Naruto had been healed to the point where they could be talked to, Tsunade went to speak with them. She and Sakura now stood in the hospital room where Naruto and Hinata were recuperating next to each other on different beds At the corner of the room sat Hiashi Hyuga, who had come to the hospital the moment he'd been sent word of his daughter's return. He now sat quietly in the corner of the room, his eyes never leaving Hinata, his expression unreadable.

Hinata was heavily bandaged and was still wearing her cesti. When removing her clothes to treat her wounds, the medical-nin were unable to fit the cesti through Hinata's sleeves, so they had been forced to cut off her jacket in order to tend to her injuries. Naruto was bandaged almost as much as Hinata and was hooked to a nutrient I.V. like the other drained shinobi. He was still slightly gaunt but was beginning to regain his proper weight. Hinata and Naruto had just finished telling them what had happened during their mission. Tsunade was deep in thought, while Sakura looked like she was trying to decide whether to hug or strangle Naruto. Hiashi's expression was still unreadable, but he was still looking at Hinata.

"So let me get this straight," said Tsunade. She pointed at Naruto, "You disobeyed a direct order and engaged the target in combat, thinking that you could win, only to be defeated and locked up in a cage that drained you of your strength and will."

"Yes," said Naruto, rolling his eyes halfheartedly. (Sakura's face twitched.)

Tsunade turned to Hinata.

"And then," she continued, "You disobeyed my orders as well, got beaten, pounded, and impaled," (Now it was Hiashi's face that twitched,) "Stole the enemy's weapons on a random whim and used them to beat him to death in a blind rage. And, to top it off, they won't come off?"

"Yes," sighed Hinata.

Tsunade stared at them both for the longest moment before letting out a sigh, "Well, ordinarily I'd see to it that you were both punished for insubordination, but since you did save many of the shinobi, and since you're both severely wounded already, I suppose I'll let it slide."

"R...Really?" asked Hinata.

"Yes," said Tsunade, "At any rate, I certainly don't need the extra work. I already have to have those cages analyzed, as well as research done into this Hercules character. For now, you two can rest up. I'm going to go take a nice long bath. I think I'm going to need it."

She headed out the door.

"Phew," sighed Naruto after she had gone, "Did you hear that, Hinata? It looks like we're in the clea-"

"CHA! YOU RECKLESS IDIOT!" roared Sakura.

"Yipe!" whimpered Naruto as an all too familiar scene began to play out. But Hinata didn't get to see any of it as Hiashi came over to her bedside and drew the curtain between the two beds.

"Now that the Hokage has finished speaking, I would like to have a word with you as well, Hinata," he said calmly.

"Yes, father," said Hinata, nervously.

Hiashi pulled up a chair and sat next to Hinata's bed. For a moment, he studied his daughter, as if she were an interesting, yet complex piece of art. (Maybe surreal.) Then he spoke.

"Hinata, I find what you did to be quite foolish. Not only did you disobey the Hokage's orders, but in doing so, you put your own life in great danger. On top of it all, you've virtually disabled your hands. Just how great a shinobi do you think you can become if you cannot even form jutsu?"

Hinata thought about Rock Lee but knew better than to contradict her father.

"The choices that you've made today should make you unworthy for leading the Hyuga Clan."

Hinata lowered her head. "I'm sorry for disappointing you, father."

"Disappointed? I'm not disappointed. On the contrary, I'm proud."

Hinata looked up, surprised. "What?"

Hiashi smiled softly. "I'm proud of you, Hinata. With great strength and even greater durability, you were able to overcome all odds and defeat a powerful foe, saving about a dozen shinobi. I doubt that Neji or even I could have done a better job. I suppose this shows that sometimes, the ends truly justify the means."

Hinata didn't know what to say. It wasn't often that her father complimented her, and this was certainly the first time that he had compared her to his level.

"However," continued Hiashi, "If those bracers haven't been removed by the time your wounds have healed, then you'll have to stay at home until we can get them off. I know that they're powerful, but it would be too risky sending you on missions without any hands. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Father," said Hinata quickly.

From the other side of the curtain came a faint, gagging noise. Hinata cast a worried look at the curtains, and Hiashi got up from his seat.

"I suppose I should deal with that," he sighed, "I should not just stand idly by while someone is being throttled in a hospital."

He headed over to the other side of the curtain.


While Naruto was able to get out of the hospital in two weeks, Hinata stayed in the hospital for over a month. During her hospitalization, various attempts were made to remove her cesti, none of which worked. Hinata had explained how she had been able to blast the cestus off Hercules with a paper bomb, but nobody was going to try something that dangerous.

While Naruto and Hinata were hospitalized, a funeral was held for the five shinobi who hadn't survived their encounter with Hercules, one of whom had been a Hyuga. Hinata felt saddened by this but was slightly comforted when Naruto reminded her that it would have been worse had it not been for her.

She was visited often by friends and family and was especially happy when her team had visited her. Kurenai said she was proud of Hinata, Shino calmly congratulated her on her victory, Kiba wouldn't stop asking questions about Hinata's fight with Hercules, and Akamaru kept on sniffing the cesti. "He must be interested in them or something," shrugged Kiba, "And to be honest, who can blame him?"

Neji was the one who visited most often. He had been away on a mission during Hinata's battle, and he felt bad that Hinata had been hurt. He spent much of his spare time at Hinata's bedside, asking her how she was feeling or if she needed anything. When Naruto commented on Neji's frequent arrivals, the genius of the Hyuga clan turned slightly red and quietly asked if Hinata needed a drink.

After six weeks, Hinata was well enough to be checked out of the hospital. Naruto, glad that Hinata had pulled through, invited her out for some ramen. This caused her to pass out.

"Hinata?" asked Naruto, "Ah, don't tell me you're still unwell!"

Instead of ramen, Naruto carried Hinata back home, cesti and all.


Because she still couldn't take off the cesti, Hinata had to stay at her house. A few changes had to be made to her daily routine as well, which included bathing, getting dressed, and eating. First off, Hiashi had a new jacket made for Hinata, which had hidden zippers running from the sleeves to her shoulders. Zippers were also added to the sleeves and back of her mesh undershirt, while her bra straps were flexible enough to stretch over the cesti. With the help of someone else, Hinata was able to undress whenever she had to. As for bathing, a tub was filled with hot water and some sanitizing chemicals. Hinata had only to soak herself in the tub to keep herself clean, after which someone (usually her younger sister, Hanabi,) would dry her off with a towel. And for food, Hinata had a servant spoon-feed her, which left her feeling rather childish.

Although life at home had been made easier than she had thought, Hinata was bored and depressed. While Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru were out on missions, she was stuck at home, without even the comfort of her own hands. Just two giant, stupid lion heads.


"Hinata?"

Hinata, who had been daydreaming in her room, looked up and saw Naruto standing by her door, a bowl of ramen in his hand.

"N-Naruto!" stuttered Hinata, "I-I wasn't expecting you here!"

"Obviously," grinned Naruto as he studied her blushing face, "I came here to give you that ramen I promised earlier."

"Oh! Thank you," replied Hinata.

"Well, it's the least I can do since you saved me from that freak in the training ground," said Naruto, "Oh, but wait, I forgot! You can't use your hands. Ah well, I guess I'll have to feed you myself."

"W-wh-wha-what?" stammered an extremely red Hinata.

"Okay, then," said Naruto as he came up to her and scooped up some ramen, "Say aah."

"...Aaaaaaaaah," moaned Hinata, though it wasn't the type of "aah" you would normally use when being spoon-fed ramen.


One awkward meal later, Naruto set down the empty bowl.

"Did you enjoy your meal, Hinata?"

"Yes," replied Hinata, "Thank you, it was very good."

"Awesome," said Naruto, "It wasn't too hot though, was it? I noticed that your face was red while you were eating it."

"No," answered Hinata a bit too quickly, "It...It wasn't too hot."

Hoping to change the subject, Hinata asked Naruto how he was doing.

"Oh, I've been doing fine," answered Naruto, "Kakashi-sensei has been telling me to keep it easy, Sai keeps acting weird, and Sakura's always busy at the hospital, but I've been doing great on missions."

"Oh," said Hinata, as the familiar sense of depression crept back into her, "I'm happy to hear that."

"Really?" asked Naruto, noticing the tone in her voice, "You don't sound too happy. What's wrong, Hinata?"

Hinata stared at her cesti and sighed. "Ever since I put on these lion heads, I haven't been able to use my hands. I can't form jutsu, and I can't use the Gentle Fist. How can I strike at individual chakra points with these giant heads? How can I continue being a shinobi without any hands."

"Hinata," said Naruto in a steady tone, "Who says you can't still be a shinobi? If you couldn't be a shinobi, then how were you able to save me from Hercules? I know that you can and will be a powerful shinobi. For now, you should try training with those lion heads. I'm sure you'll figure out how to properly use them. You've done well with them so far, right?"

Hinata thought for a moment, then slowly began to smile. She would need a sparring partner, though not Naruto, as he was soon setting off on a mission.

"Do you know where Neji is?"


Are you sure you want to do this, Lady Hinata?" asked Neji ten minutes later.

"I'm certain," said Hinata, eagerly raising her cesti, "Now let's do this!"

Neji wasn't as eager. He still felt regret over what he had done to Hinata during the Chuunin exams, and he certainly didn't want to hurt her again. He had trained with Hinata many times before, but her wounds had just healed, and her hands were disabled. He knew that Hinata had already defeated a powerful foe with her cesti, but how would she fare against someone more quicker than Hercules? Those cumbersome lion heads certainly didn't help her speed, though they didn't seem to be weighing her down as much as he'd thought.

I'll go easy on her, thought Neji, Just a few punches and jabs. She can handle that.

Without even bothering to activate his Byakugan, Neji rushed towards Hinata, who took up a defensive stance. As he neared her, he brought his fist forward in a punch to Hinata's side, where it wouldn't cause much damage. Hinata, seeing the attack, brought up her forearm in defense.

CLANG!

"OW!"

Neji staggered back, grasping his hand in agony. He had just struck the cestus, and as a result, had just fractured at least three of his fingers.

"Neji!" cried Hinata, "Are you alright? Did I hurt you?"

"I'm...fine," gasped Neji, grimacing against the pain of his fingers, "I can still fight."

"Are you sure?" asked Hinata, "I could always train with someone else."

"No, really," replied Neji, "I'm fine. I'll just use my other arm."

"Very well, then," said Hinata, timidly resuming her stance.

Neji once again ran at her, only this time, he brought up his leg in a much swifter kick. Hinata raised her cesti, and once again:

CLONG!

"AGH!"

Neji fell to the ground, now clutching his leg, trying his best not to curse in pain.

"Oh, no!" cried Hinata, "I'm sorry! I don't know my own strength with these things."

Neji slowly got up.

"It's alright, Lady Hinata," said Neji, leaning his weight on his one good leg, "Though perhaps it would be best if we were to work on your offense."

"You don't have to do this, Neji," said Hinata, "I don't want you getting too badly hurt."

"It's alright," said Neji, "Now, try and hit me with your cesti. I'll be able to judge how precise your strikes are. Now please, come at me."

After a brief pause, Hinata charged Neji, who, in retrospect, felt that he should've given more consideration to the speed of the the punches that Hinata could deliver when she was wearing the cesti. In spite of Hinata successfully blocking his attacks, he'd thought he would be able to dodge her with ease. As it turned out, the cestus was faster than he had thought.


Hours later, Hiashi sat at his table, reading a medical report, while Takuma sat opposite of him, awaiting what he had to say. After a while, Hiashi spoke, his eyes never leaving the report.

"It says here that in addition to four broken fingers and a broken ankle, he also had five fractured ribs, and intense trauma to his liver, gallbladder, and right kidney."

"Yes, Lord Hyuga."

"It also says that his chances of recovery would have been slimmer if he hadn't been able to move himself slightly to the side, which means that he would have died if it had been a direct hit."

"Yes, Lord Hyuga."

"And how far did it send him?"

"Seventy feet."

"Seventy feet from a grazing punch..." muttered Hiashi to himself.

For a moment, the two men sat in silence, then Hiashi finally looked up at Takuma.

"Takuma?"

"Yes, Lord Hyuga?"

"I think it's time that my daughter was put back out on the field."


Sorry for the long wait, everyone. I hope to put another God of War reference into this story, which will probably surface in the next chapter. If you're in the mood, then be sure to review, and Happy Holidays!