Hey again! I have decided that I will do my best to update within a week (and maybe a half) of the last update. If there is something that prevents me from updating, like a family trip, then I will notify all of you in the previous chapter. Oh, and if I don't update then it might also be because of no internet connection or a power outage. They happen a lot where I live. Anyway, in this chapter I will be introducing this story's other main character, so enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

EDIT (3/25/17): Added in Yuudai.

EDIT (11/28/17): Basic stuff, sentence fluency.

EDIT (2/3/18): Revised.

Lord Hiashi Hyuuga, the head of the prestigious and rigid Hyuuga clan, had a daughter.

Not a son.

When he held the babe in his hands for the first time-

-she's so small, too small-

-He was struck by how frail and quiet she was. She hardly screamed. She was a little angel who could do no harm, and he had the distinct impression that his little girl would not be leading the Hyuuga clan some day in the future, as was her birthright. She was meant for something else.

The elders of the clan agreed, but for far different reasons, the greatest being the little fact that Hinata was a girl. The noble and ancient Hyuuga clan couldn't be lead by a woman! Just the thought was preposterous! Even before she opened her eyes for the first time, the elders had written her off as incapable of being the future leader their clan. To them, she was simply a means to further their bonds with other noble families, such as the Aburame and the Inuzuka.

Both of their leaders had little boys Hinata's age.

However, Hiashi had higher aspirations for his daughter. The elders had forgotten one important couple: King Minato and Queen Kushina. He was perfectly aware that their son was missing, and many presumed him to be dead. He once believed that of the little prince too. However, after hearing the royal couple's account of that tragic night, Hiashi's mind was changed. They claimed that a masked man had attacked them and extracted the Kuuybi from the Queen. According to their account, King Minato managed to force the masked man to retreat, seal the Fox Demon inside of his newborn son, the Crown Prince Naruto, and then they both passed out from exhaustion and blood loss. When they awoke, their son was gone.

Did Hiashi believe them? Mostly, but he knew they were hiding something. However, that was irrelevant. What did matter was that the prince was only presumed dead, and there were bound to be more royal children. It was actually highly likely that the Crown Prince was still alive, to be held as ransom or something else along that line, so he was sure to show up at some time. And if he never did (and if the King and Queen only had female heirs), then his daughter would just have to become the next head of the Hyuuga clan, even if he knew that wasn't the path meant for her.

So his daughter grew, and proved his suspicions even further. When she began lessons on their clan's ancient techniques, the elders saw her gentle nature and reaffirmed their judgment of her low worth. But Hiashi saw the fierce determination alight in her gaze every time she picked herself up off of the ground and continued on. She wasn't meant to lead the Hyuuga clan.

Even though the elders disapproved of Hinata as the Hyuuga heiress, there was no other option besides her cousin Neji, and for the elders, who refused even more to have a Hyuuga from the branch family represent their prestigious clan, Hiashi's daughter was the lesser of two evils.

That is, until Hiashi's second daughter was born. At first, the elders had the same reservations about Hanabi as they had with Hinata, but as she grew she proved to be confident, proud, and without hesitation. She was without the gentleness her elder sister possessed.

To the elders, she was the best, third option for the position of the Hyuuga Heiress. Unfortunately, she was not the eldest, and according to tradition, the eldest inherited the title.

As the head of the Hyuuga clan, it was his job to move the clan forward and keep their traditions, and that was a fact the elders were never hesitant to remind him of. They insisted Hiashi disown his eldest, or arrange a marriage for her with the Inuzuka, Aburame, or even (goodness, no) the Uchiha. He refused and held them back, all the while pushing Hinata harder and harder to be more like her younger sister.

Because until the prince showed up, his daughter could not follow the path made for her.

And Hiashi was doing what was best for his clan.

If his sweet daughter did manage to become a ruler of the Fire Country one day, then there were endless possibilities and advantages. First of all, there would be a main branch Hyuuga in the inner (and very private) circle that was the royal family and their close friends. Second, when there were heirs to the throne, they would be half main branch Hyuuga. Third, it would get himself and the rest of the Hyuuga clan closer to royals, not only in the Land of Fire, but also in other countries.

And there weren't just advantages to the Hyuuga clan as a whole, but also to Hiashi as a father. He wanted what was best for his daughter, and being married into the royal family would make sure the elders of the Hyuuga clan couldn't have their hands on her. If she were queen, they wouldn't be able to mark her. She would defy the limitations her clan-

-Her own father-

-Placed on her, and take her rightful place above them.

Because the first time Hiashi held his daughter, he saw a queen.

Exactly Eight Years after the Kuuybi Attack and the Birth of Prince Naruto

Hinata panted heavily from where she knelt on the wooden floor. She clenched her eyes shut briefly, gathering herself, and then dragged herself to her feet, settling into a fluid stance. Facing her cousin once again, she attacked. The heiress moved gracefully, but she was tired, and weaker in body than her cousin.

Neji knocked her to the ground once again.

"That's enough for today." Her father spoke, his voice harsh and his features stern. "Wash up and change. We leave for the festival in an hour."

Pulling herself up once more, Hinata bowed along side her cousin, watching as her father and the elders left the training room.

Glaring fiercely with contempt at his younger cousin, Neji bowed stiffly to her too, and exited behind them.

Hinata stood alone in the room, clenching her fists tightly, feeling the tears well up in her eyes.

Why can't I do better? Why am I so weak?

"Oh, Lady Hinata, we must start preparing you for the festival! We don't have much time!" The young girl opened her eyes to see her maidservant bustling into the room, ushering her out and down the halls of the Hyuuga mansion.

She let her maidservant guide her, ironing her face back into its usual expression, the wrinkles of failure and despair sizzling away. In under an hour, her servant washed away the young heiress' sweat and hard work, dressed in her a fine kimono, and straightened her short hair.

When the hour was up, Hinata was lead to the front courtyard of the Hyuuga mansion, and loaded in a carriage with the rest of her family. Immediately, her younger sister, Hanabi, focused her joyful gaze on her.

"Neechan, are you excited?"

For the first time that day, a genuine smile strode its way up her face.

"Yes, Hanabi-chan. I'm very excited."

They were going to the festival! Every year the royal family invited performers from all across the continent, and each year the performers never failed to impress. These performances were always something Hinata looked forward to every year. They were spectacular. However, Hinata was more excited for this year's festival than ever before. The mysterious and peculiar Yaunkur tribe was coming to perform. Having heard much about their skills, Hinata was excited to finally see the tribe in person.

She had to wonder though; how had the royal family managed to convince the Yaunkur to perform for them? The tribe was perhaps even more famous for their wariness and countless secrets. Even though they were amazing and well known to be so, they only did small performances. Though, Hinata thought, it didn't matter too much.

I'm finally going to see the Yaunkur!

The girl's mother, Lady Hitomi, climbed into the carriage and took a seat on the bench across them. Seeing her girls buzzing with excitement and fidgeting in their seats, she raised an artful eyebrow and smiled in amusement.

"Sit still, girls. You are ladies of the Hyuuga clan. You do not fidget."

They settled down (as much as a seven-year-old and a three-year-old could), and waited as their father took his seat too.

At a signal from her father, the carriage lurched forward and began its journey to the outdoor theater. Glancing out the window, Hinata watched the trail of carriages following them, holding various elders, branch members, and guards who would also be joining them at the festival. At the reminder of the elders, Hinata's mood dampened.

Hinata was known for her meek and gentle nature. As such, there weren't many things she could say she truly hated, and that made it easily to list them. She hated the cursed seal placed on many of her family members; she hated the traditional views of the elders; she hated that because of those views she couldn't one day lead the Hyuuga clan and change it for the better; she hated herself for not being strong enough for the elders. Because of her meek and gentle nature, the elders only saw to be capable of being some noble man's wife.

Unless she proved herself to be worthy of the position of Hyuuga Heiress, by the time she turned sixteen, she would be having her wedding, probably to a young man similar to her best friends Kiba and Shino, who were both heirs to prominent clans in the Fire Country.

That is, if the elders had their way. Her father was a separate story. Just like them, he didn't want her to the Hyuuga Heiress, and that was infinity more painful than the lack of faith the elders displayed. However, it was also clear to her that he saw something more in her future. He had her tutors teach her about governing, royal protocol, and various other courses. Now, Hinata may have been only seven, but she wasn't oblivious; her father was preparing her become a leader.

Just not the Hyuuga clan's.

Hinata was turned away from these thoughts as the scenery changed from the clean, wide cobbled streets of Konoha's Sun Sector to the green landscape of the city's outer edge. They were almost at the performance spot.

She remembered her excitement and her face glowed with anticipation. The carriage halted as it reached the drop off point, and one by one they exited the carriage, Hinata's father going first. Together they walked to the seats reserved for the Hyuuga Clan and settled down. The outdoor theater was set into the ground, the stage being much lower than the seats forming a raised semi-circle around it. From their seats they had a perfect view of the stone stage and the forest that laid behind it, where the famous nomadic tribe was no doubt preparing. She looked behind her and saw that the crowd extended far into the distance.

And just like every year, there were shinobi standing all around the stage, and not only for security reasons. A few of them were also there to perform the jutsu that would transmit the sound and visuals of the performance to the various receiving points around Konoha and among the huge crowd stretching beyond the theater.

That way everyone could see and hear the performance that marked the beginning of the October 10th celebration.

A hush fell over the crowd as the last train of carriages reached the drop off point. Hinata rose with the rest of the crowd as the royal family came out of their carriage and went to their seats. She saw the blond haired King Minato, his wife–the redheaded beauty, Queen Kushina–and their three children, Princess Masai, Princess Nami, and Prince Yuudai. They took their seats and the rest of the crowd sat back down, whether on the cushioned stone seats or the soft ground.

Now, they only had to wait for the show to start, and it wasn't long before Hanabi nudged her older sister, pointing to the forest. The two sisters looked down at it, and held their breath as a person walked out.