Chapter Four: Unregistered Byakugan User

Tsunade rubbed her temples. Her office was full of people and it was giving her a headache.

On one side of the room was Naruto, Jiraiya, and that child. That child who was going to bring her nothing but trouble. A child of both the Uchiha and the Hyuga, Tsunade moaned internally, Why me?

On the other side of the room stood four Hyuga. Hiashi, the head of the clan and an elder whose name Tsunade neither knew nor cared about. The two elder members were flanked by both Neiji and Hinata as representatives of the Main and Branch families.

And the two sides of the room were yelling at each other.

"You are not putting that damn thing on Mimi's head!" Naruto shouted angrily.

His chakra flared as he said this, causing the two older Hyuga's to take defensive positions.

"Enough!" Tsunade shouted. Everyone room relaxed as they turned to face their Hokage, "Gaki!" Tsunade said to Naruto, "This is a sensitive matter, I don't even know why you're here! I only asked for Jiraiya and the girl."

"Well Mikoto's been living with me obaa-chan!" Naruto said loudly and rudely, "That makes me her guardian ya know!"

Tusnade walked over and hit him on the head, hard enough to leave a bump but not so hard to knock him out, "Baka!" She said angrily, "Your sixteen! You're too young to be a guardian!"

Naruto glared at her as he rubbed the new bump on his head.

"My parents were fourteen when I was born," Mikoto said quietly.

Tsunade looked at her in surprise. The child had said nothing the whole time they were there. She had simply listened and glared in the direction of the Hyugas. Well if someone wanted to put a cursed seal on me I would glare too, Tsunade thought to herself, But still… fourteen. So young. But it makes sense. She's ten years old and Itachi left the village a little more than ten years ago. When he was fourteen.

"I don't care who's here," The elder Hyuga interjected, "We must put a mark on this child to protect the pride of our clan."

Naruto looked like he was about to start yelling again, but before he could Mikoto spoke.

"I was always taught to kill myself before I allow the cursed seal to be placed on my forehead." She said quietly.

Everyone in the room started and stared at the girl in shock. Neij's hand automatically touched his headband where the seal was hiding. Kill herself? Neiji thought, Is it worth that?

Throughout the proceeding Hiashi had appeared thoughtful but stern. He did not like the seal, however he didn't like a non-Hyuga byakugan user to be running around. It meant that their jutsu could be stolen at any moment. However at that he had to interject.

"Who taught you that child?" Hiashi asked, his words slow, "your father?"

Mikoto's eyes snapped to him and Hiashi flinched. There was pure hatred and anger in her eyes, "My mother." She replied evenly.

"And who was your mother?" Hiashi asked, trying to keep his voice steady under the angry glare, "Was she Hyuga?"

"You mean you don't know?" Mikoto scoffed, "You should! You are the one who killed her."

The room went still. No one spoke as Mikoto continued to glare at Hiashi, hatred dripping from every pore on her body.

Naruto flinched. He knew Mikoto didn't like the Hyuga but he figured it was just because of the curse mark. He didn't know about this. He looked into her eyes and saw the darkness. He had seen that look once before.

Sasuke, he thought to himself, Not again.

"Father?" Hinata finally spoke in her soft voice, "Is that true?"

Hiashi didn't look away from the child as he tried to place he, "I wouldn't know." He replied.

"Then let me refresh your memory Hiashi Hyuga," She said, venom in her voice, "It was six years ago. I believe your referred to her as "Unregistered Byakugan User." You gave her a choice. Curse mark or death. She chose death."

Hiashi's eyes widened slightly as the memory of a woman with pale eyes came to him. It had been in a cottage at the edge of fire country.

"Mikoto run!" The woman shouted.

Hiashi could see a child disappear into the woods with his byakugan as he struck the killing blow. The child didn't have the pale eyes typical of a byakugan user so he let her go. There had been enough bloodshed today.

"So you remember?" Mikoto asked darkly, "Tell me, if you had known I had the byakugan, would you have killed me too?"

Hiashi didn't answer. In face he didn't want to. Because the truth was, he might have.

"Well it wasn't all in vain." Mikoto added, "It was then that I learned I could also do this!" As she said she activated her Sharingan. Her violet eyes bleeding to red and the two tomoe swired as venom and anger poured from her.

Even Hiashi had to flinch.

"Ok enough!" Jiraiya said, "Calm down Mikoto! There is no need for that."

Mikoto took a breath and calmed herself. She gripped Naruto's hand as her eyes faded from red back to purple. Naruto squeezed her hand quietly. She felt the tension leave her body. Naruto always could calm her down.

Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief as he turned to face the Hyuga representatives, "Lord Elder, Hiashi-sama, you cannot place a curse seal on this child."

The Elder's eyes widened in anger, "Jiraiya-sama I'm afraid I must insist…" He began.

Jiraiya held up his hand to stop him, "You don't know how that seal could affect her Sharingan. It could have disastrous effects for her and even those around her. In addition, her father is Itachi Uchiha. He could have easily set precautions to keep this from happening to his child. You don't want to Hyuga to suffer the same fate as the Uchiha, do you?"

This caught the elder's attention. While the Hyuga were prideful, they were also well aware of Itachi Uchiha's strength. It was not something they were willing to risk, "Very well," The elder said.

Naruto and Mikoto both let out a sigh of relief.

"However," The elder continued, "The child must remain at the Hyuga Compound indefinitely!"

"No!" Naruto and Mikoto both shouted.

"I live with Naruto-sensei!" Mikoto said tearfully.

"Hiashi-sama," Tsunade said, speaking to who she believed was the more reasonable of the two, "Don't you think that's a bit much?"

Hiashi looked at the girl's terrified eyes, "I believe she should remain on the compound until she proved herself trustworthy and capable of protecting her eyes from being stolen."

Mikoto's eyes filled with tears as she turned to face the Hokage with fear in her eyes, "You're going to ask me to live with man who killed my mother?" She asked quietly.

Neiji looked at the child with sympathy. This was not what he had hoped would happen when he had reported what he had seen. He had hoped that they would just track the girl. Or even offer to train her. He didn't expect this. He certainly didn't know that his uncle had killed the girl's mother. If he had known…

Tusnade looked at the child but said nothing. There was little she could do at this point.

Mikoto realized she wouldn't be getting help from the Hokage. Or from Jiraiya. Even Naruto looked stuck. As though he didn't know exactly what do say. It looked like he wanted to yell, but was holding back. She was on her own.

She turned to face the man who haunted her nightmares.

"I wish to challenge you." She said as calmly and with as much courage as she could muster.

"What would that accomplish?" Hiashi asked the child.

"If I win, I have proven myself strong enough to protect my own eyes and you have no reason to keep me confined. If you win…"

Hiashi was quiet as he thought. Perhaps…

"Mikoto, vengeance isn't.." Jiraiya began,

"Who said anything about vengeance!" Mikoto snapped, her Sharingan activated again, "I want to have a change to defend myself. And to fight my mother's murderer. Is that so much to ask?"

Hiashi looked expressionlessly at the child. He would like to evaluate her strengths. And if he could take her down a notch or two all the better, "Very well he replied."

"But Hiashi..." The elder Hyuga gasped.

"This isn't a clan-wide decision," Hiashi interrupted, "this my choice as head of the clan. I will accept your challenge child. I will meet you tomorrow at Training Ground 9, ten-o-clock sharp. Don't be late."

Mikoto nodded. All four Hyuga turned to leave the room. As they left Hinata turned to look at the girl who was again holding her crush's hand. Her father had killed the girl's mother, and Hinata felt responsible somehow.

"Ok Mimi-chan! Let's get some ramen and make sure your nice and strong for tomorrow ya know!" Naruto shouted.

Hinata smiled. At least Mikoto was well taken care of. Perhaps she would be ok.

But then she frowned again. But to fight my father. Hinata turned and looked forwards, I hope your up to the challenge… Mikoto.