Clan Eyes Chapter 6, a naruto fanfic

Clan Eyes

A Naruto Fic

Oblivion gave way to sound. Specifically, that of Teijo yelling: "Get the hell out of here!"

"Dammit, Isas, to the Nine Hells with the demon-brat! This is important!"

Teijo's voice dropped low and dangerous. "I don't care what's going on, I'm not leaving Naruto."

"Fucking kid should be dead already. Get out of my way! He brought this down on us!" Grunts, flesh slapping against flesh, and the sound of chakra bursts distorting the air cleaved through the last of Naruto's unconsciousness, and suddenly he saw.

A branch house member flew back from one of Teijo's strikes, a number of tenketsu closed and hitting a wall hard enough to splinter the boards. Teijo sprang back from the strike, sporting a few closed tenketsu himself, but even as Naruto watched, his hands made precise strikes, sending jets of chakra into other tenketsu, increasing the pressure in the chakra circulatory system near the closed ones until they sprang open.

But that wasn't all Naruto saw…or maybe perceived was the better word. The walls of his small room were visible to him in almost all directions, with the exception of a small cone right behind him, but from both sides, and even inside. Teijo's front and back were the same way, though his mentor's features were dim compared to the chakra coils that he could see, the vital energy seething as it sped through the recon raider's body.

"Teijo-niisan?" he croaked, throat dry and scratchy.

"Naruto?" Teijo spun. "You're awake! Hold on, I'll get you some water."

Naruto watched the gray-eyed nin without turning his head. "What happened, niisan?"

Teijo placed the cup of water into Naruto's hands and sat down next to him. "You had a bad reaction to activating your Byakugan, Naruto. I was afraid this might happen."

At this, Naruto did turn his head to Teijo and crinkle his face up into a questioning look. "Huh?"

Teijo sighed. "This is probably going to go right over your head Naruto, but the Byakugan doesn't really 'see'. When activated, they produce a field that lets you perceive things within based on energy levels. Chakra is the easiest to perceive, but other sorts of energy can be seen as well. There's also a blind spot in the field, created by an interaction of the field with the tenketsu of the first cervical vertebra. But the important part is that the human brain doesn't really have the immediate ability to process the information the Byakugan gives it, so the Byakugan programs the brain to be able to understand what its showing. For some people, the sensation is nothing more than a flicker of discomfort. The rumor is that Neji-san didn't even feel that much. For others, the effect goes on longer, lays them up for hours."

Naruto would have goggled, had his activated eyes allowed him too. As it was, his jaw went slightly slack as he tried to process what Teijo had just told him, and failed. He moved on to the last part. That he had kind of understood. "And me?" asked Naruto.

Teijo looked away, the guilty look on his face plain to Naruto's silver eyes. "You were out for four and a half days. Kiyoshi-sama closed a series of tenketsu to make sure your Byakugan would stay activated, and they've been making sure you can deal with what they're showing you." He paused. "Ah…can you?"

Naruto nodded. "I think so, Teijo-niisan." His face tilted downwards, then up, the only perceptible difference for him being the slight movement of his blind spot. "How long did it hurt you?"

Teijo grimaced, then tapped near the corner of his eye. "The Haiirogan works differently, Naruto. All I had to adjust to was a wider field of vision and improved clarity, really. And it came in combat, so I really didn't notice till it was over."

"Oh. When can I turn them off?"

Teijo's fingers brushed against the swollen veins that radiated from the corners of Naruto's eyes. "We have to find Kiyoshi-sama first, Naruto. The tenketsu she closed are very close to your brain and I don't really feel comfortable with the idea of putting chakra lances too close to that. Kiyoshi-sama has far better control than I, and much better vision."

"Let's go find her, then!"

Teijo smiled. "Okay Naruto, but carefully. You've been out for a while now."

Whatever Teijo had been expecting to find when he and Naruto walked into the more frequented parts of the Hyuuga compound, it didn't include the Hokage. But there Sarutobi stood, in between a furious looking contingent of Kumo-nin and Hiashi.

"…the Raikage's son!" one of the Kumo-nin screamed as Naruto and Teijo walked into the scene. Teijo was impressed by his seeming ignorance of his position at the heart of a crowd of murderous looking Hyuuga.

"He was killed for the crime of kidnapping my daughter," spat Hiashi.

"Our delegation was here under a flag of truce! You have ignored common diplomatic law…"

"Law that was broken by the act of my daughter's kidnapping," shot back Hiashi.

At this point Teijo looked down to realize that Naruto was no longer by his side. It didn't take long to spot the blonde in the dark-haired crowd. He seemed to be making his way towards where Hinata cried, enfolded in Kiyoshi's arms. "Hinata-sama!" he called out, voice lost in the muttering and shouting.

Lost to most, that was, but not to Hinata. The girl turned in her mother's arms, face streaked with tears, to see the blonde moving towards her. "Naruto-kun?" She gasped, drawing in air. "Naruto-kun!"

Naruto burst through the final layer of the crowd, and grasped Hinata's shoulder before spinning to glare at the Kumo-nin. Their apparent leader had worked himself into a fine fury and even Naruto was expecting the first blow to be struck within the next minute.

"Hear this, murderer. Kumogakure shall have your dead body, or our forces will press forward and ruin you! We shall not stop until Konoha is ruined or until the last of us falls." With that pronouncement, the Kumo-nin spun and left, a number of them with current arcing off their skin. Many a pair of activated Byakugan watched them go, as did one pair of normal eyes.

Sarutobi turned to give Hiashi an unreadable expression…even for a Hyuuga. "We will talk later, Hyuuga-san. I trust you will not take drastic action without consulting me?"

"Of course, Hokage-sama." Hiashi bowed to him, straightened and turned back to his daughter, eyes shifting imperceptibly to note Naruto's position.

"Very well." Sarutobi twitched a finger and a lizard-masked ANBU appeared. "Make sure that they do not cause any trouble. If they should, you are to detain them. In case of threat to Konoha citizenry, lethal force is authorized." The ANBU disappeared as the Hokage walked off.

"We cannot let the Byakugan fall in to the hands of Kumogakure," spat a member of the clan council, having cornered Hiashi as the clan head looked over his daughter. Hinata, for her part, had refused to leave Naruto alone as Kiyoshi manipulated the blonde's tenketsu to give him the ability to shut off his Byakugan. Teijo had expressed much the same sentiments, and was exchanging glares with a couple of Branch House council members.

"Obviously," returned Hiashi.

"Konoha can't afford a war, though," put in Teijo from where he stood near the wall.

"Hold your tongue, half-breed!" The clan council's words elicited an ugly face from Teijo, eyes narrowed and teeth clenched, as if he had been put to the lash.

"He is right." Hiashi's level tone cut through the mounting anger. "Konoha would likely win in open war against Kumo, but the losses would put us in a position such that even Waterfall would be hard pressed to avoid breaking their treaty with us and snapping up what was left of us, to say nothing of Iwa. The Third Secret World War hurt them badly, but they still remain a major power."

"We need no lecture on the current balance of power, Hiashi. But you can be sure that Kumo will not back down from their threat. Which leaves us with the question of what to do."

"Konoha cannot afford a war, and we cannot let the Byakugan leave the clan's grasp. There is really no question as to what should happen."

"I should say there is!" snapped a council member, who looked as if she had just left active duty as a kunoichi. The ubiquitous headband of the Branch House still covered her forehead.

"No, there is not. It is the place of the clan head to act in what way is best for the clan, and the place of the clan to do what is best for the village. Kumo wishes for my body. Then they shall have it, but they shall not have the Byakugan."

"Death by Katon could eliminate the head, indeed it could be applied to ruin any knowledge they could glean of the body," murmured one council member, drawing disapproving glares, and a few intrigued looks.

"We could find a close body double and char the body beyond recognition…" Teijo's teeth ground together at that, and he forced his eyes to look down at Naruto.

"That will not work," interjected Kiyoshi from where she kneeled. "There, Naruto-kun, you should be able to cut the chakra flow now." The blonde nodded, and the engorged veins around his eyes faded, his eyes returning to their uniform silver luster.

"Pardon, Kiyoshi-sama, but why not?"

She stood. "Because Kumo will wish to verify the body. And any tampering with the body could be taken by Kumo as enough reason to pursue this self-destructive war, and we would have a loss with no gain."

Hiashi's lips pursed. "If only the juin's chakra feedback was not so messily lethal when applied to a developed chakra system."

Teijo raised an eyebrow at the expression that spread across a number of the council members' faces. Something didn't seem quite right. But Naruto was tugging at his wrist, and it wasn't the place of a chuunin in bad standing to be listening in on this. He was lucky to not have been punished for speaking out of turn. He nodded as Kiyoshi asked him to take Hinata with him, then exited the room with the children in tow.

"Teijo, I'd like a word."

The chuunin looked up from where he was looking over Naruto's scroll. The boy was off sleeping in his chambers, but the ninja had been too disturbed by the day's events to sleep himself. Figuring that he should at least be productive if he couldn't sleep, he had decided to brush off his knowledge of Ivrit so that he could help Naruto. As a holy tongue, it wasn't one of his favorites, not being well-suited to swearing…even if he could let himself swear in a holy tongue, confirmed agnostic or not. Oh well. That's what Idish was for.

But none of that was important right then, so Teijo quickly placed the scroll on the low table he had set up and turned to bow to Hizashi. "Of course, Hizashi-sama."

"None of that," said Hizashi, somewhat irritably as he stepped in, waving a hand.

Teijo raised himself a bit. "Hizashi-sama?"

"I have a favor to ask of you."

"Of course."

"You know what is going to happen."

"The council seemed to be considering sending your body in Hiashi-sama's place," said Teijo in a dead tone.

"It is already decided."

Teijo sucked in an uneasy breath. "The Branch House would fight for you."

Hizashi nodded. "I know." An odd smile quirked at the corner of his mouth. "Do you think it should?"

Teijo looked away, unable to meet Hizashi's eyes. "No."

"And why do you think that?"

"A civil war is the last thing the Hyuuga need. I respect you greatly, Hizashi-sama, and if I am truthful, I have little love for the council, but an uprising would be…"

"Yes. It would. But if I am truthful, that's not why I am going along with this, Teijo."

"Hizashi-sama?"

Hizashi smiled. Not the quirking of the lips from earlier, or the pleased expression that passed among the clansmen as a smile, but a true smile, one that any Konoha citizen could read. "I will be saving my brother. Hiashi did nothing wrong, but I can save him."

Teijo, who had looked back to Hizashi, averted his eyes again. "Forgive me."

"For what?"

"It was my team's actions that helped this false peace treaty go forward."

"If not you, then another. Or we might be negotiating from a position of greater weakness. No clansman, this is not your fault." Hizashi placed a hand on Teijo's shoulder. "But I do have a request."

Teijo's eyes snapped up to Hizashi's. "Anything."

"Look after Neji. I only hope that I can be proud of him as I watch from behind the veil."

"To the best of my ability."

Killing intent suffused the air as the Kumo delegation took charge of the casket from the Hyuuga. As the waves of immaterial hatred clashed with each other, the village continued with its daily routine, unaware of anything more than a slight souring of the diplomatic proceedings.

On the other side of the compound Teijo was deeply into a brood.

"You know, we really should thank you," gloated a voice from the roof. Teijo remained silent. "After all, we would never have gotten our hands on the Byakugan without your team's success."

"Amuss," spat Teijo.

"It's true you know."

"Naga amuss."

"The Byakugan and Jyuuken. The ultimate in close combat. Now it's Kumo's"

"Sharmutaada ayaa ku dhashay was!"

"I've never understood why you Hyuuga teach those old languages. Doesn't seem much use except to curse out someone who doesn't understand what the hell you're saying. Of course, you're not really a Hyuuga, are you, dead-eyes?"

"I'm shinobi enough to steal your sniper jutsu."

"But not enough to use it, even if you are a Raiton-type"

Teijo's jaw tightened. The voice said nothing further, chakra presence withdrawing. The chuunin stood and shook his head. "I've got boys to look after."

"Naruto?"

The blonde boy looked up from where he sat, arm around Neji's shoulders. "He's crying, Teijo-niisan."

Teijo blew out a breath as he stepped into the room. I hate to say it, but that might be best. Lucky I found them, instead of one of the traditionalists… "Well, that's nothing to be ashamed of." He knelt and placed his hand on Neji's shoulder. "Come on Neji we…" His voice trailed off as he noticed Neji's hands.