Demons in the Dark: The Hell Gate

Ch 10 – A Demon's Mercy

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"It's not that Ichiraku's is all I eat, it's just my fav-" Naruto felt a sharp jolt of pain shoot through his body, looking off toward the Konohagakure Luxury Hotel. He had no clue what it was, but he knew that he couldn't ignore it. The feeling… it was the same as he felt when he thought Sasuke had died. Jiraiya hadn't expected Naruto to run off so suddenly, but he had seen that look cross his last student's eyes many times before when he'd taken up the mantel of Hokage. Except Naruto could feel extreme emotion from a great distance, and he'd grown to consider the village his territory. Whether or not he cared for the people, Naruto would always go running to help when something happened in Konoha.

And so, Jiraiya went off to the Hokage's offices. Naruto's teammates and Sensei had gotten him to understand that as the military and the police, Ninja must report all suspicious or criminal activities to the Hokage. Sooner or later, Naruto would show up there to keep the bureaucrats of the Hokage's mansion from finding cause to reprimand him.

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He had no clue who it was, no idea what was happening or even if it had anything to do with him. But Naruto was incapable of letting this feeling go uninvestigated, in his opinion all of his powers were worthless if he couldn't stop this feeling from happening to others. The fact he felt it at all spurned his anger to drive his desire to investigate and help.

As Naruto arrived on top of the Hotel, two ANBU managed to catch his attention and hold him off. Naruto felt a powerful demonic aura lingering, as though someone had released a blast upon someone before leaving. The aura seemed to leave a trail, but the well of energy surrounded an aura that literally screamed in anguish and misery. He could hear a woman sobbing, and looking past the ANBU he saw two figures covered by white sheets; one sheet was already soaking in blood while the other only had one long blood stain. Naruto decided that it would be better to act as he was, a Genin of the village who was at a crime scene.

"What happened here? Is there enough of this non-classified to answer me that?" The two ANBU looked to each other for a moment, the one with a Falcon mask responding to him.

"There was a double homicide last night. I'm afraid that's all we're at liberty to say. The Hokage demanded we inform you specifically that this investigation is classified under his orders. I'm sorry, Uzumaki-san. You must move along." Naruto grimaced at the statement, but was able to mitigate his rage by focusing on the demonic aura's trail rather than the sobbing woman's aura. He looked around for several moments, before he came to rest on a similar aura off in the distance. It was moving incredibly quickly, either a demon hybrid like Naruto or someone using the Shunshin technique.

Naruto felt like time was of the essence, rushing off in that direction faster than ever.

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Naruto was focused; all he could think of was people staying out of his way. It wasn't even that clear, in fact. 'Out of the way… out of the way… out of the way…' As though moving everything from before him, Naruto moved in one leap from one end of Konoha to the source of the aura, the journey spanning only an instant. It failed to register though, as all he was focused on was getting to the aura. He ran along the surface of the building, rising to the open-windowed room of Rock Lee. And with sand splayed out across Gai's most precious person, Gaara stood fixated on Lee with a manic look on his face and throughout his aura. Naruto was still moving at a supersonic speed, however; the blond broke straight through the window, the sand coating Lee freezing into glass as Naruto literally blazed past. The red-haired boy, now covered in a glass mold of himself, was slammed into the wall opposite the window by Naruto. The mold shattered under Naruto's extreme force, Gaara being covered with small scratches. Given the proximity of the mold to his skin, the boy had experienced a small miracle.

"How dare you… you may have already ruined his life, but you have to kill him in cold blood too?! What happened to you?! What horrible event turned you into THIS?!" Naruto had grown extremely empathetic after months of being able to literally feel every person's anguish, and he was outraged that anyone would go so far to destroy someone. Naruto could feel through Gaara's aura that it wasn't about Lee, and there was only one person who would hurt from Lee's death any more than Lee did from Gaara's crippling brutality.

"It is who I am, it is what I am. It can't be changed, I was born this way. Do you really want to know?" Gaara glared hatefully into Naruto's eyes, but the boy's terror was almost as prominent as his murderous intent. Flames covered the hand that held Gaara, sand poised to strike Naruto falling to the ground as glass.

"You weren't fast enough for Lee, and my fire is faster. You're helpless if I wanted to kill you…" Naruto had to consciously keep his hand gripping the boy's shirt, his morals screaming against his instincts. He didn't want to kill a contestant in the exams, especially not when Lee could only truly recover by witnessing Gaara's defeat. Naruto had spent almost a whole month feeling Maito Gai's anguish for Lee, and at this point the boy felt as close to Naruto's own heart as Sasuke, Sakura or Kakashi. The boy was a part of his family now… and his instincts howled for this aggressor's bloody, burning death.

"Speed does not matter to me, I already serve the purpose I have taken. I was sealed with a demon spirit before my birth, and I killed the woman who gave birth to me in the process. I was made as a weapon for my village, and before I was even six years old, I was cast aside by my father. He sent assassin after assassin to eliminate me, but none delivered. And so, the false purpose of saving our village crumbled around me. From the pieces I took my new purpose, my true purpose." Gaara stared into Naruto's eyes, confusing the boy at what he saw. The eyes betrayed no fear, he truly believed he was in no danger at all. "I exist to destroy human life. When I see a person bleed through my sand, when I hear their screams I feel alive. All the world is filled with men and women for the purpose of making me feel alive."

Naruto growled, fighting against himself with all of his might to keep the boy alive. The next moment, however, Gai walked in. "That's enough." He put his hand on Naruto's left shoulder, looking his blond student in the eye. "Lee would not want this, Naruto." Naruto drew his own blood from the strength of his grip on Gaara, releasing the boy and dispelling the intense flame he'd created. "Be gone from here, the final portion of the exam is tomorrow. Wait until then for your fight."

Gaara walked to the door, not looking back. "None of you will survive. I was born to kill, and that is what I will do. Tomorrow, you will all make me feel alive."

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As Naruto stood atop the Hokage monument overlooking Konoha, he contemplated the things that had happened over the past month. He had grown much more skilled since the second portion, and he'd grown close to two new people who had each taught him invaluable skills. But all of the good things from the rest of the month couldn't keep him from dwelling on Gaara's chilling statements. Naruto felt a familiar aura behind him, Hinata walking to the ledge he stood on.

"Sakura said you would be up here. Is something wrong, Naruto?" He looked to her, his face completely serious. It was the same look he wore after Neji had defeated her. "Do you need to talk about it? You know I'll always listen."

"Yeah… that's one thing I'm starting to understand." Naruto said, turning back to stare at the sun setting beneath the horizon. "One thing I can't understand is how someone could actually try to kill members of their family. Not just Neji, but that Suna ninja that Sasuke is going up against. Gaara says that his father has been trying to kill him since before he was six years old. Who… who in the world does something like that?" Hinata frowned at the anguish flowing out from Naruto, unfamiliar with this particular sensation. She decided she'd take a step she might not have before all of this, and pulled the boy into a hug from behind.

"You don't really need to understand that. It's not something that people like us can really understand." Hinata rested her head on Naruto's right shoulder, looking him gently in the eyes. "Not just because they're foreign, but because they value power so greatly that they'll do horrible things just to get more of it. You and I, our friends on our teams, even the Hokage finds joy in each other's happiness. Somewhere along the line, these people forget how that feels because they've lost someone precious." Naruto looked away with a grimace, wishing that there were some reason he really couldn't understand. It almost hurt more now that he could relate to them.

"It's just… his story sounds like another version of mine. He was implanted with a demon before his birth, but because of that he killed his mother being born. He was alone apart from his father, and according to Ero-sennin his dad's Kazekage. He was most likely raised all alone… somewhere along his path, he must have lost someone precious to him. People don't just become monsters from loneliness… they don't, right?" Naruto tried not to, but several tears dripped from his eyes along his cheeks. "He can't control himself properly; his aura isn't the only thing that influences his mind. When I had a grip on him earlier, he wasn't even the least bit frightened. But when I started melting his sand into glass, another entity in him was terrified of me. Yet he showed no fear at all, he seemed certain that he would kill me no matter what. How can anyone help someone like that?"

"If it's possible, you'd be the one to do it. Since revealing your own demon, everyone you've actually personally befriended is still your friend. You're a good person; you make everyone's lives better. If you really think he needs help, I'm sure you'll find a way to get through to him. It's who you are, Naruto. You help people." Hinata got a smile from him, feeling elation through his aura as the anxiety was relieved. The two stood there, watching the sunset while they thought of the day to come. It would be interesting, no matter what else.

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Naruto and Hinata stood outside of the stadium, this venue having been chosen for the final portion of the exams; the public tournament. Here the ninja would get their chances to display their abilities in the hopes of being promoted, even though there could only be one winner. Even if they didn't win, this test was about their various abilities; taijutsu, ninjutsu, strategy, weapon placement and even temperament.

"Are you ready for this?" Hinata asked, Naruto's serious face shifting to an eager grin. Hinata could feel his anxiety's presence, but even still his desire to battle was finally going to be fed. He did embody many superstitions involving demonkind, and his ferocious combat sense was an obvious example. "I'll be watching with Kiba, if anything goes wrong I'll use my powers to keep everyone safe. I want you to focus on Neji… our Taijutsu attacks the chakra system, and eventually he can wear your body down enough times to drain your power away. Be careful."

"No worries, Hinata. I'm going to do Kakashi-sensei and Gai-sensei proud, just you watch." Naruto gave her a confident grin, jumping up to run directly toward the top of the stadium wall. Hinata laughed at what she had guessed as his planned entrance, already curious of what kind of reaction he would get.

Hinata wore a pleasant smile, walking in and toward the section Kiba had promised that he and Akamaru would be waiting at. Hinata could still feel Naruto's aura aching to fight, and she found herself hoping that Neji would survive their battle.

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"Alright everyone, let's get started. First thing, has anyone seen the other two members of Team Seven?" A different proctor than the preliminaries stood before the assembled Genin, chewing on a tooth-pick with his headband tied in a reverse bandana with the knot on his forehead. When he saw Sakura shake her head worriedly, he continued on.

"We'll give Uzumaki until the beginning of the fights and Uchiha until his bout, as for Kinuta Dosu we've been told he won't be participating now. Better hope your boys show soon, Haruno." If any could sense among them, they would see that Sakura's determined look was a complete farce. "Anyhow, let's give you guys the officially amended run-down. Had to draw this up last night…" The proctor pulled a napkin from his back pocket, unfolding it and reading from a tournament tree drawn on it. "We have Uzumaki versus Hyuuga Neji to start, then Uchiha Sasuke versus Sabaku no Gaara, Nara Shikamaru versus Sabaku no Temari, Aburame Shino versus Sabaku no Kankuro, and the winner of the third bout will face off against Haruno Sakura to even our number. Neji and Gaara should be ready to fight each other; we can only give Uzumaki five more minutes until I change the roster."

Everyone but Neji and the proctor left the ground level, taking about two minutes to clear out. Once they were gone, Neji smirked to himself. 'Cowardly demon, it seems you understand the limit of your parlor tricks.' The moment his arrogance began to emanate from Neji's aura, he spotted an orange spark floating toward the sun. It grew larger as Neji watched it, before he realized it was falling to the ground. Not only that, but it was larger than a simple spark.

A loud crash sounded, a flash of orange power shining from within a massive dust-cloud that had been kicked up. When the dust cleared, Naruto stood with his arms crossed in his new attire. He stared at Neji emotionlessly, no one certain of what was going to happen. "Sorry if I'm late proctor-san… this is the only situation where a ninja gets to be so flashy, right?"

"I guess so, glad to see you made it Uzumaki-san." As the man spoke, Naruto realized that he was the Falcon-masked ANBU that had instructed him to move along. Naruto kept himself reeled in, looking across the field to Neji's arrogant glare. The proctor raised his voice as loud as he could, properly opening the exams. "The first match of the Chuunin Exams Advancement tournament, Uzumaki Naruto versus Hyuuga Neji; you may begin!"

"I'm surprised you were foolish enough to come to battle me, you should know that you're uniquely vulnerable to the Hyuuga's Taijutsu style." Neji said, holding his chin up to cast his eyes downward on Naruto. "Your power sustains you, and I can cut it all off. And afterward, I don't need to care about what happens to me; I will finish what I started and eliminate the ever-precious Main family heir."

"You know, I learned something during these exams so far." Naruto said, the voice coming from behind Neji. Said boy turned calmly, seeing nothing behind him. He turned back around, Naruto having vanished from there as well. Before he could guess again, Neji felt his chin get knocked skyward with incredible force. He had seen this move before, shocked to feel it connect with him. Naruto appeared behind him, rising at the exact same rate. As Neji felt Naruto's fingers touched his back, he anticipated and countered the motions to follow by spinning his body.

"Hakkeshou: Kaiten!" Chakra flowed out from Neji's tenketsu, a spinning sphere of chakra appearing around him and knocking Naruto back. Neji stopped spinning, his Byakugan active with his position corrected to fall feet first. Naruto wasn't through however, as Neji saw the blond jump toward him with his strange power focused within his arms and legs. As Naruto drew near, Neji prepared to react to his coming attack.

"Enten Senpuu!" Neji's eyes widened at the familiar yet altered name, the attack living up to that name as Naruto spun his body with a round-house kick. The moment he started kicking Neji saw a small bit of energy release from the end of his leg. The result of this action was the kick being set on fire, the extremely swift round-house striking Neji's torso firmly and launching him toward the stadium wall. Naruto landed gently on the ground, the flames dispelling once the kick had connected. Neji, however, experienced his jacket catching on fire all at once.

Neji grunted in pain and frustration as he pulled the jacket off, throwing it away. "So you've been training with Gai-sensei, have you? The fool never could stand how superior our Taijutsu is, it makes sense that he would want you to use it against me. I've never seen that move, though." Neji said, frustrated that he had let Naruto get an attack in. "Never mind your secret Gouken techniques; you cannot defeat my Jyuuken with such tricks!"

"I learned that talk is cheap. You know moves like mine, so you think they're the same." Naruto vanished from Neji's sight entirely, the Hyuuga boy feeling panic swell within him. As he turned his head slightly, he immediately saw Naruto standing on the wall behind him. "I also learned that every move has a weakness. Even your 'perfect' eyes can be completely useless if someone pays attention in the right way." Naruto once more vanished, Neji feeling the air rushing around him. The boy acted on instinct, spinning into another Kaiten. Naruto stopped at the edge of the Kaiten, waiting for the boy to stop spinning. "When you give someone an easy explanation, they don't normally look for the truth. Your eyes let you see behind your head, so you assume they can see in EVERY direction."

"That doesn't matter, you have only one direction from which I can't prepare a counter-strike and my impenetrable defense is too much for you. Admit it, if you can't land a hit, you can't win this fight!" Neji charged Naruto, who put his feet together and extended his arm in the Gouken stance. "That won't work!" As Neji lashed out with a twin chakra strike for Naruto's lungs, his arms went through Naruto and felt as though they were on fire. When he pulled his hands back, the flesh was red and still felt as though it burned.

"You assume that because you can see chakra that you can tell the difference between me and a clone, but I've trained for half a year with an Uchiha. I know how to trick his eyes, what hope have you got?" "Naruto" exploded, flames charring the ground and trees around the clone. Neji covered his eyes, the burst of power causing him pain and forcing him to revert to his average sight. Somehow the power was too bright for Neji's Byakugan to withstand; the Hyuuga boy couldn't understand it. "If you run a mission playing your team's strengths, and you fail to consider the enemy's own preparations, people will die!"

Neji once more felt himself fly skyward from an under-chin kick, Naruto once more appearing behind him. Neji utilized his Kaiten yet again, not willing to allow this attack to go through. However, he didn't anticipate Naruto rising after him slowly, reaching the apex of his jump as Neji finished his Kaiten. The Hyuuga looked to the sky, seeing Naruto beginning to fall toward him. He activated his Byakugan again, but this forced him to close his eyes and de-activate it. Naruto was shrouded in his aura, landing gently in front of the downed Neji.

"Your skills are limited, Neji. Without your Byakugan you're nowhere near my level." Naruto said, Neji standing in his Hakke stance with tear-filled, bloodshot Byakugan eyes.

"You're within range, demon trash!" Neji rushed forward, but before he could do anything his arms were restricted by a Naruto clone locking him in a full-nelson. Naruto walked to Neji slowly, looking him in the eye with his glowing retinas.

"You're done, Neji. You've embarrassed yourself thoroughly enough for me, but look at yourself." Neji spat in Naruto's face, the blond grinning at him. He raised his voice to put a chill in the audience as well, having made the Hyuuga boy lose his temper. "YOU ARE AT MY MERCY, NEJI! I HAVE THROWN YOU ALL AROUND THIS ARENA LIKE A BROKEN DOLL! YOU LIVE BECAUSE I ALLOW YOU TO!" Naruto kicked Neji in his stomach, knocking his breath away and his body into the clone. They impacted the wall firmly, the clone exploding into flames. Neji's screams filled the stadium, Naruto walking to the Hyuuga once more. "DO YOU SUBMIT?!"

Neji didn't move; his red, blistered flesh still sizzled as his charred clothes ceased burning. Naruto waited until Neji managed to meet his gaze, glaring hatefully at him. Naruto cast him a satisfied smirk, turning and walking off calmly. As Naruto stepped ten meters away, Neji groaned and pulled himself to his feet. The boy charged off after Naruto, pushing every bit of chakra through his arms as he struck Naruto's lungs. 'Finally! Even he can't survive without his energy!' Naruto stopped walking, but he didn't fall as Neji expected. Watching his lungs, they didn't even quiver. The attack was completely ineffective. Naruto looked back over his shoulder, Neji freezing under his gaze. The entire stadium had gone silent, everyone straining to hear what might be said next.

"You see, Neji? You live because I allow you to. Don't you dare forget it." Neji's eyes filled with tears once more, blood seeping from cracks in the charred flesh upon his back. "I allow you to live because of this." He turned around and pressed his hand against Neji's forehead protector, said head band increasing in heat. Neji's eyes widened as his screams returned, the cloth of the forehead protector burning away as his flesh began to burn. The edges around the metal plate drew blood, before the searing metal cauterized it shut. "I know all about your curse mark." Neji's eyes fixed on Naruto's, his screams becoming hoarse groans. "I decided to give you a new one, to help you remember. Every time it hurts, every time you see yourself in a mirror, forget that you're a Hyuuga. The reason you are alive…" Naruto took his hand away, the metal plate firmly bonded to the skull beneath Neji's flesh, "… is because you were wearing this headband when you crossed me."

"Uzumaki, that's enough." Naruto didn't look at the proctor, he simply turned and walked toward the contestants' viewing boxes. As Neji crumbled to the ground in a heap, a medical team rushed out to his side. Naruto vanished from sight, reappearing in a corner of the afore-mentioned viewing boxes behind Sakura and Shikamaru. The proctor cleared his throat, declaring the match. "Victor by overwhelming force, Uzumaki Naruto."

The stadium erupted with the applause and roars of the foreign spectators, almost every Konoha native shocked into silence. For years the villagers had alienated and occasionally even assaulted him, but through all of the abuse he never attacked them. It was common knowledge that Neji had tried to kill Hinata, a fellow Konoha ninja and member of his clan. His reaction to the event was also well-known, and everyone who could attended the tournament to see this match. Now Naruto's intent seemed clearer. He did not retaliate to transgressions upon his own person, but he would make you hurt if you transgressed upon his comrades.

The atmosphere was extreme now; Naruto's brutality had raised the bar for an entertaining fight. The proctor seemed to be waiting, before his voice once more echoed throughout the stadium. "We have been informed of a change in scheduling, will Nara Shikamaru and Sabaku no Temari please come to the battlefield?" Shikamaru sighed, while Temari grinned and immediately hopped out of the open window to reach the ground swiftly. Shikamaru looked to the clouds, wishing he was anywhere else.

"Maybe I should just forfeit, it'll be way too hard to advance now… besides, I don't want to be a Chuunin." Shikamaru said, Sakura scoffing at him.

"It's not about what you want, Shikamaru! You're a ninja of our village, you've gotta do your best!" Shikamaru did his best to ignore her, but he wasn't prepared to be pushed out the window from behind. "Wha- Shikamaru?!" Sakura looked to her left to see Naruto, Sakura looking at him sternly. "You could've killed him, you know."

"Relax, Shikamaru's got the skills. He just doesn't have the willingness to use them." Sakura put her hands on her hips and shifted her head to the other side, implying she hadn't meant Shikamaru. "He tried his hardest to kill a comrade. If I hadn't saved her, she could've died. At least I only tried to hurt him." Sakura sighed, shaking her head.

"You're really starting to love her, aren't you?" Naruto choked on his own breath, looking off in the distance. Sakura smiled sadly, putting her hand on his shoulder. "You know the Hyuuga won't just leave that alone. Are you ready for that?" Naruto turned and walked toward the door, not looking her in the eye once.

"I need to go speak to Hinata's father. He needs to hear why from me." Naruto walked away, Sakura sighing once more and looking down as the fight began.

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"So he will survive, then?" Hyuuga Hiashi was not the most compassionate man in public. By Hinata's memory, he was an excellent father and uncle, but he would not show this to the world. It hurt the man deeply that Neji had tried to kill Hinata, but it also hurt the man to see his nephew writhing in agony. "Is it… is it possible to remove the plate?"

"I'm afraid we don't have the skills necessary, not without killing him at least. His body's been thrashed, and his skull was fractured around the edges of the forehead protector. The plate was melted, and it seeped into the cracks in his skull. I can't even begin to theorize a way to remove it…" The medical ninja could see Hiashi activate his Byakugan, looking closely at the damage. "The only way his skull could ever heal is without the plate lodged in those cracks, and we can't remove the plate with his skull in such a fragile state. I… I'm sorry Hyuuga-sama, he's stuck like this."

Hiashi looked to the ground as he let his eyes revert, turning and leaving the medic to ensure the rest of Neji's health was intact. As he entered the hallway, he found Naruto leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He couldn't help but feel his anger well up, but he pushed it back down for the sake of speaking.

"… why would you let a Hyuuga live like this? Our cursed seal is a precaution, in case of capture or death. Now the side-effects of the seal are all that remain, he will always feel the pain from that plate." Naruto looked Hiashi over, surprised at the man's ability to hold himself back. Even his aura was being powerfully restrained.

"Because he tried to kill Hinata. He ignored what these headbands represent… so now he can't ever ignore it again." Naruto stood from against the wall, looking Hiashi in the eye. "If I ever see proof that he's changed, I'll help him to heal. I'm the only one who knows exactly what I did to the headband, and I'm the only one who can survive flames hot enough to melt it off of him." Naruto said, Hiashi sighing as a tear fell from his face.

"I do not beg, Uzumaki. But you care for my daughter, a gentle soul if ever there was one. You can't be the hateful being you've tried to pass yourself off as." Hiashi's aura was conflicted between his love of his family and his honor as the Hyuuga clan head, barely able to restrain his tears. "I ask you, as the father of the young woman who loves you. Let my nephew have his life, as it was. I swear that he will see the true error of his ways." Naruto continued watching Hiashi, tears trailing from his stern face and firm eyes. Naruto sighed, and nodded to the man.

"I knew I would have to correct this soon, but I expected Hinata to be the reason. I'm impressed, Hyuuga-sama. Now come back in, the medic will need your sight to heal the bleeding when I take it out." Hiashi's aura lost its disciplined restraint, his anguished love for his family consuming Naruto's own being. "He's been publicly punished for his actions, and I won't apologize for that. But I do apologize for making you feel this way; Hinata cares for you more than anything. Neither of you deserved to feel this."

The two entered the medical station, the medic-nin glaring at Naruto. "He's here to help, just do as he says." The medic scowled, but walked over to Neji and waited for Naruto to speak.

"I need you to be healing him as soon as I start heating the plate, I'll only be softening it. Most of the work is yours, you need to make his skull's healing presses the hot metal out while numbing his pain to keep the muscles out of our way. If I liquefy any part of it like I did to start it could drip into his brain." Naruto flipped Neji over, holding his head up over the edge of the bed. He began channeling his power through the metal, feeling it heat up. The heat traveled into Neji's skull, the medic-nin using a healing technique to mend the cracks and numb the pain. Naruto allowed the healing and gravity to pull the metal away, careful not to pull himself. As the main plate fell out, Hiashi tapped his shoulder.

"There are still shards in the cracks, we can't heal the skin yet." Naruto growled, carefully focusing his power on the edges where the plate had left shards behind. He kept the flesh burnt back, while several shards of metal fell out from Neji's face. Hiashi kept his hand on Naruto's shoulder for another few seconds, removing it after the last shard fell from Neji. Naruto stopped channeling his energy, allowing the flesh to heal. The medic left Neji on his stomach, going to work on his charred back. Hiashi breathed out a sigh of relief, Naruto rubbing his forehead. "I'm relieved that Neji is going to make a full recovery now, but you'll understand if I deign not to thank you for undoing your own damage."

"Yeah, I understand. I just hope that Hinata can forgive me… she begged me not to kill him, but I don't think so much pain is a whole lot better." Naruto said, turning and walking away. Before he could get far, Hiashi put his hand on Naruto's shoulder again.

"She cares for you more than even she is aware, as long as you regret your actions she will do more than forgive you. Believe me, she won't have a choice." Hiashi said, Naruto turning back around and looking him in both eyes. He glanced to Neji, before he turned back to Hiashi.

"Why tell me this? Don't you want her to be happy with someone else? Someone the villagers don't ostracize, someone she can have a calm life with?" Hiashi chuckled a small bit, seeing Naruto's naïveté showing through.

"Who she's happy with isn't my choice. As for a calm life… she's chosen to be a ninja. It would be a disservice for her life to become calm." Hiashi left Naruto, walking off to return to his seat where his younger daughter awaited him. As he did, he couldn't help but smile sadly to himself. 'Minato-san… even in the throes of demonic rage your son refused to kill a comrade. He might be different than anyone had ever guessed… but he is definitely still your son.'

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