Chapter 6: The Hyuuga incident!
It had been nearly one year since Bethany had begun her ninja training, and she was getting worried. The reason for this? Hinata Hyuuga's third birthday was coming up, and she knew that she had to do something. She couldn't just let an innocent man die when he had done nothing wrong, but she couldn't let Hinata's father die either. She had to find a way to save Hinata without any Hyuuga being involved.
There were only two days until the party, Bethany had met and befriended the small Hyuuga heiress five months ago at the park, so there was no doubt that she'd be invited. After all, as the Hokage's son, she had special privileges. But still. She knew there was no way to stop Neji from getting the curse seal, but, if there was just a way to keep Hinata from getting abducted- but wait, maybe there was.
The cloud village wanted a Hyuuga, so a Hyuuga they would get. Bethany began to make plans immediately.
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Two days later: Bethany was dressed in a black and silver silk party kimono that Kushina had made especially for her. She walked along excitedly, standing in between her parents and holding her Tou-Chan's hand. When the Hyuuga estate came into sight, Minato leaned down and whispered in her ear: "now remember Naruko-Chan, the Hyuuga clan is a very old and respected family, so be polite, also I hear that little Hinata, who's Birthday we are attending today is very shy and timid, so be gentle with her, alright?" he asked. Bethany looked up at Minato and smiled, "I understand Tou-Chan, don't worry" she said.
Minato nodded, "good". A few minutes later, the Namikaze family was standing on top of the hill in front of the Hyuuga estate. The guards nodded respectfully to the village leader, and opened the doors to allow them access. Bethany gasped, it was even bigger than the Uchiha Clan estate. A branch house member led the three of them into the house where the celebrations would be taking place. Looking around at all the Hyuuga's, Bethany couldn't see Neji, so that must mean that he was already off getting his curse seal. She frowned, Bethany still hated that damn curse seal of theirs. Looking around once more, she spotted Hizashi Hyuuga, Neji's father, and younger twin brother of Lord Hiashi Hyuuga, Hinata's father, and the head of the clan.
Pulling on Kushina's robes she said, "look Kaa-Chan, theirs Hizashi-Sama, I've seen him before at the park, can I go talk to him?" she asked. Kushina nodded, "just make sure you remember where we are, okay?" she said, smiling at her daughter, and giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Bethany smiled and nodded. So the young child expertly moved through the crowd of Hyuuga's and walked up to Neji's father. Hizashi was feeling restless, his brother had taken Neji away to be marked with the curse seal, the application of which was almost as painful as the activation. He would never say anything to anyone, but he was worried, his son could be in agonising pain right now, and he could do nothing to help him.
Suddenly there was a tug on his robes, and a small voice said: "Hizashi-Sama? Are you okay?" wondering who would address him with such formality, the younger Hyuuga twin looked down, only to catch sight of spiky blond hair and Sapphire blue eyes. 'Naruto-Chan?' he had met the boy at the park when he took Neji there to play for a while a few months ago. It seemed that he had gone there to play with his friends, and when he saw Neji all alone, he had walked straight up to him, introduced himself, and asked if he wanted to play with him and his friends. Hizashi had smiled, glad that someone had wanted to be Neji's friend, despite the stigma attached to him from being a member of the branch family of the Hyuuga clan.
Coming back to the present, Hizashi knelt down and smiled at the boy, "hello Naruto-Chan, are you here for Hinata-Sama's Birthday?" he asked. Bethany grinned and nodded, "yeah, I'm here to see Hina-Chan!" she said enthusiastically. Hizashi chuckled, but stopped when he saw the boys face, "but, Neji-Nii's not here, he's doing something else?" she said naively, trying as hard as she could to act like she didn't know what was going on. Hizashi frowned, reminded of what Neji was really doing, "no, Neji had to have- a talk with his uncle Hiashi, so I'm afraid you won't be able to play with him for a little while, Naruto-Chan" Bethany lowered her eyes, "oh- but, but, when he's finished, we can play then?" she asked, alternating from sad, to happy and hopeful in a matter of seconds, as most small children were wont to do. Hizashi chuckled, hoping sincerely that that was the case, "well, maybe" he said.
A few minutes later, Bethany was playing with Hinata-Chan, though, she called her: 'Hina-Chan". The two girls, along with all the other Hyuuga children played various games, laughing and happy. Suddenly, the door opened, and their stood Hiashi Hyuuga, trailed behind by a very distressed Neji. All the Hyuuga children moved aside to make room for the head of their clan. Bethany stood by her parents, watching with a heavy heart, as Neji walked behind his uncle, with his hair shadowing his eyes, and his body trembling slightly every few minutes. Hiashi stopped by the kneeling form of his younger twin brother. Turning to his nephew, Hiashi spoke, "go back to your father now, Neji" he said in a cold and unforgiving voice.
The brown-haired boy walked up to his father and sat behind and to the side of him, his eyes still shadowed by his fringe. As Hiashi turned and walked away, he caught a glimpse of his daughter who was sitting by her mother and staring down at the floor with a shy gaze. After leaving the room and closing the door behind him, everybody sighed with relief, and the party continued. Hizashi turned to his son, who still hadn't looked up from the ground, with sad eyes, 'Neji' he thought. Bethany walked up to the still kneeling Hyuuga boy, "hey Neji-Nii!" she exclaimed loudly and cheerfully. Neji blinked, as if just realising that there were other people in the room. The four year old boy looked up in surprise, "Naruto Otouto?" he said, seeing the boy he considered to be a younger brother standing in front of him.
Slowly, Neji's lip's curved up into a small smile, "hey, I didn't know you were here!" he said happily, seeming to forget what had happened earlier, in light of seeing his first friend here. Bethany grinned, and nodded her head vigorously, "uh huh, I'm here for Hina-Chan's Birthday," she twirled around, "do you like my party kimono?" she asked, grinning at the older boy. Neji smiled, "yes, I do, it's beautiful, where did you get it from?" he asked, slowly becoming more animated. Bethany smiled, "Kaa-Chan made it for me!" she said laughing excitedly. She turned around towards where the other children were playing, "do you wanna go play with everyone else?" she asked. Neji looked down and nodded. Bethany laughed, then dragged the Branch member off to play together.
Hizashi smiled, yes, Naruto-Chan was a special one at that, he could take any outcast, and make friends with them. He was truly grateful for what the boy had done for his son.
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That night, Bethany slept over at the Hyuuga compound. She slept in Neji's room, since she was a guest and physically a boy. It seemed like the girl was asleep, but she was really exacting stage one of her plan. Near midnight, the sunny haired blond performed a substitution jutsu, and in a small puff of smoke, she was replaced with Hinata. Appearing in Hinata's bedroom, Bethany quickly performed the transformation jutsu, and she turned into Hinata.
Performing the new jutsu that she'd spent months creating for this very moment, she formed several hand signs, and whispered the name of the Jutsu under her breath: "Sleeping eyes Jutsu". This ability was a jutsu that allowed her to appear like she was sleeping, but allowing her to see everything through her closed eyes. Setting up a sleeping Genjutsu, that would instantly knock out anyone that would touch her, Bethany waited for the Cloud Ambassador to try and kidnap her.
At 12 0'clock on the dot, a man silently entered her room. After looking around to see if the coast was clear, the man reached out to pick her up. Upon coming into contact with her skin, the man promptly fell down to the ground unconscious. Releasing her jutsu's, Bethany picked up the man and shushined straight to her parent's bedroom.
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The next morning everyone was frantic after the attempted kidnapping of their heiress. Minato, Kushina and Bethany left the compound, and Minato teleported them home. Sitting at the dining room table, Bethany knew she had some explaining to do. Bethany looked down at her hands, which were fiddling with her kimono. She had no idea what to tell them, should she tell the whole truth? Or a version of the truth?
Minato was staring at his daughter with a mix of bewilderment and concern on his face. How did she know about the Kumo ambassador? And how on earth did she knock the man unconscious like that? So many questions and Minato needed some answers- now. "Naruko," he said, using his "Hokage voice" and causing Bethany to flinch. She wouldn't admit it, but she was scared. No the truth of the matter was that she was terrified. She knew that she would have to tell them the whole truth now, and she was completely terrified that, when they found out that she wasn't actually, "Naruto" or meant to be there, that they would get rid of her, or worse- that they would say she could stay, but hate her.
"Naruko, tell me, how did you knock that man out, and how did you know he was coming?" Minato asked, voice stern. Bethany kept her head down and refused to look up at either of her parents. The girl felt tears form in the corners of her eyes, and started to tremble. She knew what Minato could be like when angry, and the fear of that wrath was becoming unbearable. Minato, seeing the terror in his daughter's body language, sighed. She was only three after all, and him acting like this was an interrogation, was probably scaring the poor girl out of her mind. "Naruko," he said again, more softly this time, "we're not going to be mad at you, alright, we just want to know how you knew about the kidnapping attempt on Hinata" he said gently. Bethany let out a sob and clenched her fists- this was it, this was the moment she had been dreading.
In her old life, she was 22 years old, and both of her parents were already dead. Living with Minato and Kushina had made her feel at ease again, calm and safe. But now she was in danger of losing everything, and she couldn't take it. She didn't want to be alone, she couldn't. Just the thought that they might hate her and throw her out, or keep her around, but still hate her, caused her heart to throb painfully in her chest. Bethany reached up and clenched her hand over her heart. Now she knew what Gaara had gone through when he lost everything. Seeing the reactions coming from his daughter, Minato frowned. Was her secret really that bad that even the thought of telling them caused her to break apart so easily?
Bethany took a deep wavering breath, and turned her tearful eyes up to her parents. The pain they saw in those eyes caused both Minato and Kushina to cringe. "The- the truth is-" a choked sob broke into her words and the barrier of tears that had built up in her eyes finally overflowed and fell down her cheeks, "the truth is that this is my second life", she said, causing both of her parent's eyes to widen. Whatever they had been expecting, it was not that!
To Be Continued
