Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Enjoy guys .
"This is bullshit." Naruto declared after they had walked for miles in an ever growing spiral around the walls. "We're never going to find him this way!"
Sasuke growled verbally agreeing with Naruto and dropped onto a rock to pull a stone out of his sandal.
"New plan." He said gruffly. "If Firudo is here and none of the damn Hyuugas have spotted him yet then he must have gone inwards rather than outwards."
"Mind your tone." Neji told him Byakugan switched off to give his chakra reserves some relief.
Sakura stopped dead.
"Please tell me what was you remembering some clue he told you." Naruto demanded crossing his arms over his chest.
"Well it's probably nothing." Sakura spoke slowly, "But when I first met him he was disguised as a civilian lawyer. If he didn't go outwards and if he needed a way to stop the Nin from pouncing on his henge he might have done it again?"
As one all four of them turned to stare at the Konohian walls.
"Well." Sasuke spoke. "It's not like we were getting anywhere here anyway." He stood up with a wince. "Might as well check that out."
"This is what happens when you arrest someone without proof." Naruto muttered vengefully. "You completely miss vital information and go off on a tangent. Obito could have picked up that chakra in seconds and recognised it as Kakashi's or if he didn't Sasuke would have recognised it as Firudo's and we'd have some confirmation if he is that damn white haired bastard or not. Obito also knew about Firudo's habits and could have told the ANBU so they were looking in the right place at least."
With a dark mutter he moved off with a purpose towards the village gates.
Sasuke agreed with him whole heartedly. The village had really screwed itself this time. What a pity that all of team 7 and their add-on were in no mind nor mood to spill.
"Your theory is more creditable if we consider that most of the Hyuuga are out of the village and there will be no one to pick up a ridiculously advanced chakra network in an apparent civilian." Neji tilted his head and Sasuke fought the urge to be startled at how far ahead the man had been planning.
"Not a bad thing we have you then." Sasuke spoke dryly and very quickly shone a torch in the direction of a disturbance. The light gleamed off the eyes of a dog and he relaxed.
"Paranoid are we?" Neji murmured in a way that made Sasuke want to hit him. "Stray dogs aren't suspicious Uchiha."
"I know that!" Sasuke snarled softly and carried on walking after him.
….###############################################################...
"I really don't like the fact we have to keep dodging Kurenai and Genma and their goons every single time we decide to take a walk about in the village." Naruto grumbled ducking behind a shop door to avoid being seen by a military police. A smart application of henge later and a girl walked out from behind the door and raised her eyebrows at Neji and two other girls.
"They're at the tower, you don't have to worry for a bit." Neji rolled his eyes. "Do you know how weird it looks for a Hyuuga to be walking around with three civilians? Change."
One of the girls rippled into Tenten.
"Is she close?"
Neji didn't answer and instead was shaking his head at all the minor flaws he found in his team mate's profile.
"Now we just walk around Konoha and corner all the suspicious civilians." The other girl sighed.
"Joy."
By the time it was four in the afternoon the only suspicious people they had found had been an irritated nin undercover to spy on his girlfriend.
"Three o clock 32 metres." Neji muttered.
"No. Nin."
"Eight o clock. 102 metres."
"Nin."
"No one in this building but person 3 metres from the door."
"Nin."
Sasuke felt cold lightning strike through his body. That was not possible. Scrabbling at Neji he hissed under his breath.
"Eyes off. Off." He steered Neji in the direction that had given him the chills. "Is that not the dog we saw?" he breathed.
A little pug trotted down the street mud coating its paws and was heading for a little café.
"Guys?" Naruto asked cautiously. "You two look like you've realised something terrible."
"We were spied on in the forest." Sasuke breathed. "On the way back we saw a dog…"
"That exact dog?" Sakura asked sceptically.
"That's a Nin Dog." Neji confirmed numbly flicking his Byakugan on and off.
"Shit." Naruto stared after the steadily decreasing in size dog.
"Hold it!" Neji dragged Sasuke and Naruto back by the back of the shirt.
They had to stop it reporting back! Why was Neji stopping them? If any Nin found out they knew about Firudo but hadn't reported it…
"He's right!" Sakura cried. "Slow down! Look at the café!"
They did. It couldn't hurt.
A pretty blue and white café sat out over the pavement with little white tables and chairs outside a pair of great glass windows where a counter and more tables could be seen. It was completely packed and seemed popular. Sasuke counted the exits.
One.
Sasuke counted the number of tables that could be used as improvised weapons.
Three.
Sasuke counted the number of people with Ninja headbands.
Zero.
"And there's a person inside with abnormal chakra for a civilian." Neji hissed voice triumphant.
Of course it would be a café they found Firudo at. Sakura did let out a muffled giggle at the absurdity of it.
Sasuke straightened. "Hn. Success."
"You do not come in." Sakura hissed at Neji. "We don't need him to start hunting another person. Just tell us where he is."
"No. No." Naruto cut in. "Let him come. Just take a different table."
"Right a Hyuuga is going to sit down and have snacks while one of their heiresses' has been kidnapped." Sasuke pointed out dryly.
Neji ran a hand over his eyes. A circular dot appeared in the centre of each eye and suddenly when the Byakugan was deactivated he suddenly appeared to have small beady irises. He looked entirely different and not very Hyuuga like at all.
"Satisfied?" He snarked. "Table 7. I'll take table 4."
"Hmm." Naruto leant back to take a look at the dog who still had a few feet to go before he reached the entrance. "Excuse me."
He darted forward, smiled at a few passers-by and in a smooth move swept by the entrance ducking and picking up the dog in one movement. The dog made a woof of confusion after an impressive bout of coughing.
"Aren't you a cute dog?" Naruto in his girl henge smiled widely at the pug. There was an exceedingly nasty edge to that smile and the dog barked back weakly.
"What? You wanna go in there?" Naruto asked faking innocence when the dog tried to pull away. "Ok! Let's go find your owner! Guys there's this totally cute lost dog and we have to get it back to its owner!" Naruto called to Sakura and Sasuke.
Sasuke couldn't help the indulgent smile. Take away the civilian slang and that had been what Naruto had been like before the massacre.
Sakura cooed at the pug who relaxed slightly. Thankfully Sasuke was already smiling so his added humour went unnoticed.
"Don't get used to dog napping." Sasuke scolded lightly playing a role he spun out in his head in seconds. He pushed open the door with the gentle tinkling of a bell and his eyes fell on Table 7.
A man sat at the table, all long limbs and taut tension. A shirt was rolled up to his sleeves and he was dressed in typical formal wear with the jacket draped over his chair. The dark hair and eyes in that face was very familiar though and Sasuke bitterly wondered why Firudo insisted on henging as someone who could pass for an Uchiha.
Firudo seemed to be more interested in his novel rather than his cold cup of tea and so didn't look up when Team 7 entered.
Team 7 dropped into the empty seats at Table 7.
Firudo looked up then mild annoyance at being interrupted written in every line of his face. It melted into a neutral mask when he spotted the dog and into downright intrigue as he presumably spotted the henge.
"Found something of yours." Naruto spoke politely setting the dog down on the table.
"Indeed." Firudo set the novel down and ran deft fingers down the dog's back. It sent him a baleful look and barked in what Sasuke considered an almost sarcastic tone. Then again it was a Nin Dog and it did probably think three civilian girls had managed to somehow get hold of him. "Where did you find Pakkun?"
They dropped their henges. Firudo's gentle smile shifted into something more predatory.
"You got careless Pakkun." He sent the pug an admonishing tug on the ear. The pug gaped at the trio and to their mild surprise hissed at them in a low lazy voice.
"You're the boy who saw me!"
"Careless." Firudo repeated mildly and leant forward to lean both elbows on the table. A sharp interest gleamed in his eyes and Sasuke did not know what to make of it.
The older Nin was slippery and dangerous. Hadn't he proved it when he had tricked all of them into believing he was an innocent civilian? But he knew if the man attacked they would stand no chance even in the heart of Konoha. What was the man thinking placing his own entertainment above his life? Why hadn't he run?
Firudo's mouth quirked into a wicked grin and a sheathed sabre clattered on the table between them. Sakura's breath drew in sharply.
"Relax kids." The Nin drawled. "I'll hear you out. You can hold on to that if it makes you feel any better. So…what can I do for you?"
He had handed over one of his weapons. Barely daring to believe it Sasuke reached out and pulled the sabre closer to their side so the man couldn't grab it and go back on his word. The sheer nonchalance of the man when he was sitting across the only three people in Konoha would could and had very good reason to expose him to ANBU was both admirable and irritating.
"You caused Obito-nii to be arrested." Naruto bit out keeping a very careful eye on the Nin's hands.
Neji strolled in at that moment and casually ordered cake at the counter.
"You kidnapped Hyuuga Hanabi." Sakura inputted voice hard and cold.
"And you didn't escape." Sasuke finished looking the man right in the eye.
"You really are an amusing team." Firudo murmured taking a sip of his stone cold tea. "You have so many good reasons not to trust me yet you come and dump my dog on my table and more you come unarmed." Disapproval shone for a second in those eyes. "Foolish move children." He didn't do anything but there was a shift in the air around him.
"We're not unarmed." Naruto hissed at him keeping his voice down to stop the civilians from eavesdropping. If the civilians had any idea of what was going on in their midst and with who they might have a riot.
"Unless you have ANBU backing you up you are unarmed Naruto-kun." Firudo shot him down effortlessly with a casual bored arrogance. "You have no idea what I'm willing or able to do."
"Same applies to you." Sasuke spoke up and Firudo was contemplative for a second.
"True." He allowed. "I did not expect you to hunt me out or be able to even if you wanted to. I'm not often impressed with empty headed genin so I'll answer one of your accusations. I had absolutely nothing to do with your sensei's arrest." He chuckled then got serious.
"I am insulted." He spoke slowly and clearly. "Insulted that you thought I had to resort to getting rid of your sensei to do my job."
All of their theories collapsed like a house of cards, each one falling with the weight and gravity of the knowledge that they had been mistaken and the village really thought Obito was a traitor without Firudo tricking them into it.
"Are you Kakashi Hatake?" Sakura cried, their last hope of proving Obito's innocence being exposed.
"Oh you mean the man whose appearance I stole?" Firudo asked casually. "Do you want me to be?"
Well that made no sense. Did that mean the village had been tricked the same as them into believing Firudo was Kakashi…but why would they think Obito was in cahoots with him.
"You are." Naruto spoke up suddenly. "Sakumo Hatake was the only known dog summoner, bounty of ten million at his height." He was flushed with victory of figuring out one of their most frustrating mysteries. "The dog contract is blood inherited only."
The sheath in Sasuke's hands turned uncomfortably warm and he stared at it in astonishment. What?
Firudo held up one finger. "Since you're woefully uneducated I'll enlighten you. One. Blood inheritance doesn't need a direct DNA connection. You just need to have a DNA link in the blood which can be done by some gruesome means, we're in public so I won't elaborate too much."
"Stop." Sasuke said. The light in Firudo's eyes was dangerous and because Sasuke had no wish to make him angry he continued hurriedly.
"If you're not Kakashi, how do you know Obito?"
"Do not mistake me for the same type as your sensei children." Firudo answered quietly. "You answer some of mine and I'll consider answering yours. Oh don't worry I know more about this village than you could hope to tell me."
"What?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the man.
"What's your team number?" The man asked idly closing his eyes and focusing on a private thought.
"Seven." Sakura answered warily and Firudo let out a dry but delighted laugh.
"Of course."
"Did you help us back in Tanzaki Gai solely for information how to sneak into Konoha?" She asked sharply.
"Yes. No. Maybe I just felt like a challenge that day."
Sasuke couldn't tell if the man was lying or not and the back of his neck prickled with unease.
"Are you a Namikaze?" The man asked Naruto who blinked at him.
"Kamikaze? Why the hell would I be a kamikaze?"
The difference was subtle but the two words both of them had used had been different but only Firudo seemed to have realised this and obtained his answer.
"You won't trust me at all until I tell you my name huh?" Firudo asked rhetorically. Team 7 tensed even further, every single muscle ready to move in case the Nin tried anything. In contrast Firudo was loose and relaxed in his seat.
"I suppose it would be nice to have a sort of team again." The man mused and Sasuke's blood turned to fire.
"We are not your team." He snarled softly the sheath creaking under his grip.
"You're my old team mate's team." Kakashi murmured wickedly eyes flashing a freezing watery black. "That makes me practically your sensei's brother. I really have no intention of harming you based on that."
"You abandoned him!" Both Naruto and Sasuke shrieked at him. "You didn't see how much it broke him and how much it still hurts him to this day! You're no brother to him!"
"Team relationships don't make sense to others." Kakashi, no thinking of him as Firudo was easier, advised coolly. "Rin is my sister and Obito her brother, no matter how much he wanted it to be otherwise."
Their conversation petered out suddenly as Sasuke realised that they had been wrong and they were in front of one of the most dangerous men he had ever seen alone.
"Obito's been arrested has he?" Firudo rocked back on his chair sounding darkly amused. "Shame. Still…"
"Still?" Naruto asked warily.
"I suppose I still have a few vestiges of fondness leftover for my old team mate." Firudo grinned and Sasuke dreaded to use the word but it was wolfish and he knew that it matched the real smile Kakashi would have under his mask. "I'll help you out this time. It's my duty after all."
"Duty?" Sakura asked almost incredulously. "After everything you're talking about duty?"
"Oh trust me, I know the nature of duty far more intimately than you." The Nin spoke almost too mildly.
"Why should we trust you?" Sasuke asked flatly. This was such a bad idea, Firudo had thoroughly played with them and had even expressed his interest in messing with them further. "What if you get bored and decide Obito dying amuses you more!"
"You're interesting." The Nin told him looking disturbingly like one of his relatives. "My job was over the second the Hyuuga girl was over the border."
And the smile on his face was more of a slash as the three pre-teens erupted.
"We can't believe a word you say!" Sakura shrieked. "You acted against Konoha, and you're a traitor!"
"Do you know what they'll do to her!?" Sasuke roared rare concern springing up from his hard heart.
"This is stupid." Naruto's cheeks were pale and a slow horror was dawning in his eyes. "We have kekkei genkei."
Dread slammed into Sasuke's stomach and Sakura looked ill. Was this a trap for the Sharingan? The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and one of the last Uchiha taken at the same time would be a serious blow to the village. Not to mention Sakura would be dead, Firudo had no use for her.
"Do you know what they do to traitors?" Firudo asked quietly, a question and a threat bundled up in one line. His dark eyes paled to a blue so cold they looked like sunshine through chips of clear ice. His hair was lengthening and paling, his bone structure was changing and finally the pupil in each eye winked out.
A Yamanaka stared back at them, young and with shadows under his eyes.
"Their minds are broken." Spite ran through every single syllable as all of Firudo's mannerisms disappeared from the man in front of them. "His eyes will be taken and gifted to the highest bidder."
A trimmed fingernail came up to tap Sasuke on the forehead. "And you'll have your cousin's knowledge shoved in here. And then finally he'll be hung in the main square as an example to all other traitors."
"Do you want that?" Firudo asked sarcastically. "I might be wrong but I did think you cared for your sensei."
Naruto's eyes were shiny like oil. And Firudo's words might be the lone spark that set the boy off.
Sasuke interrupted before that could happen. Kicking Naruto discreetly under the table he poked Sakura in the side to stop them from cutting him off.
It was simple. If they wanted to save Obito then they needed Firudo. But if they also didn't get Hanabi back then Neji would promptly rat them out and then all of them would be locked up.
What had Obito said once? When Kakashi had snapped he had killed everyone apart from Obito, it was entirely possible the man had a soft spot for his cousin. Sasuke was counting on that for this endeavour.
"Alright." He said slowly. They couldn't trust Firudo one bit but if he could be useful then they couldn't hesitate. "But I want some guarantee we can trust you."
Naruto sent him a wide eyed tight lipped stare.
"Such demanding kids." Firudo grouched. He seemed different when he wasn't telling them off for their manners or in full shinobi mode, he seemed far more…indulgent. Like a teacher. "What do you want?"
"Hanabi." Sasuke smiled tightly. "Your job is over. Help us get her back and we'll believe what you say."
A sharp gleam shone in the depths of the Yamanaka's eyes melting them into Firudo's own freezing black.
"You want me to go against my employer?" He asked flatly with a trace of amusement colouring his tone. "What will you give me for it? There's no love lost between me and the Hyuuga and I see no reason to do this for free as the Hyuuga princess' plight and Obito's plight aren't related in the slightest." He cocked his head and his Yamanaka visage immediately melted away. "Friends of yours?" He asked mildly as four Hyuuga entered the café.
"No." Sakura breathed as the four adults locked onto them and Neji.
"Hmm they want you anyway." Firudo didn't sound concerned at all. "A bit of advice kids."
His sudden menacing tone ran chills down their necks as he sipped his tea at their backs.
"Do not make it a habit of searching out missing nin alone." Firudo warned. "If I hadn't been me you would all be dead by now. Think before you act and Uchiha sensei won't get heartbroken at losing his team. Again."
He set his cup down with a clack.
The Hyuuga surrounded their table. Sasuke gritted his teeth. What were the Hyuuga doing here? They were seconds away from working out a deal to save both Obito and Hanabi! Couldn't they have interrupted a few minutes later? Why did they want Team 7 anyway?
"Gentlemen." Firudo purred. "Any reason you're crowding my table?"
"Hinata-sama has business with her cousin and his friends." One of them stated flatly. "You are to come with me at once." He directed at Team 7.
Why the hell did Hinata want them? Was this about not telling her before they went off and took Neji to do their own thing?
"Bye kids." The man at the table muttered wickedly, waving. It was very clear he was deriving a lot of amusement from their frustration and scenario.
"Unfortunately." Naruto spoke with narrowed eyes. "You may have forgotten but Hinata has no power over anyone not a Hyuuga. We're Uchiha wards and Sasuke's an Uchiha. Go take your commands and shove i-"
Neji was forced to his feet with a clatter of his chair falling to the floor.
"Shit." Sakura breathed. "If he gets in trouble…"
It would be their fault.
Naruto sighed sounding extremely irritated after dealing with Firudo and now the Hyuuga. "Fine! We're coming."
Firudo cheerfully waved at them as they were filed out. His sabre had been stolen back when Sasuke hadn't been paying attention.
…..######################################################...
"Rin." Sasuke greeted coldly.
"Sasuke." The woman smiled at him then ruffled Naruto's hair fondly. "Sure got lucky when Hinata issued the command to bring Neji and his friends in.
"Did she?" Naruto snarked. "Or did you talk her into it?"
Rin blinked at him. "It was Hinata's decision as Hyuuga head." She replied sounding mildly confused. "As Hiashi's still out it's her job now. I merely came to support my student."
"You should have told us about Obito first." Sasuke bit out folding his arms over his chest. "I thought we were more important to you than that."
Rin's smile froze. "Of course you are!" She spoke fiercely gripping both their shoulders. "I tried to look for you. You're my responsibility when Obito can't take care of you. That will never change."
There was sincerity in her voice and eyes. Sasuke believed her… but he couldn't trust her. Obito had given team 7 a direct order. Never trust unknown variables. That included Rin.
"You want to save Obito don't you?" Rin asked softly kneeling to their level this time including Sakura in the direction of her focus. "You probably haven't heard but the Hokage listens to any and all defences that are given by shinobi in shinobi trials. If you gave a statement then the charges of the endangering the kekkei genkei could be dropped. And he wants to listen to you to do the best job he can."
Then we send someone they trust.
Rin.
How could she lie to their faces?
Genin's words weren't admissible in court against or for their own sensei unless under very special circumstances. No matter what they said it would never drop a single charge.
Sasuke stepped back out of Rin's hold. Naruto followed face tight.
Sakura's mouth flickered with a very faint smile as Rin's eyes went wide.
"Is Neji going to be in trouble?" She asked politely.
"Depends on how severe Hinata sees his disobedience." She answered realising she had said something to alienate Sasuke and Naruto. She stood up and in an attempt to mend things invited them to be guests at the proceedings.
Hinata was a slender girl wrapped up in a fur lined coat with a heavy hood at her back. Her features were a softer variation on Neji's own with hair that looked almost blue in the sunlight and eyes like spilled milk.
Her mouth opened in surprise when Team 7 filed in to the clan grounds and took a seat at the side away from all the watching Hyuuga. Branch Hyuuga littered the field, old and young both in shinobi and normal garb. She was the only Main branch member there apart from a few stern looking women and men at the side under a shade.
Neji sent them an undecipherable stare then a motion that looked like he rolled his eyes but without irises they couldn't be sure.
"Why in Kami's name have you let non Hyuuga in here?" he asked tiredly. "Shall we sell tickets now for anyone in Konoha to come and watch?"
"We-we're not here to discuss my decision." Hinata stammered making an attempt to stand up straight. "We're here to discuss why you disregarded my order to tell me what and when you were doing things."
"It was stupid and it wasted time." Neji snapped. "Are we done?"
"It was an order." Hinata protested at her cousin taking a step forward. "I need to know what people are doing?"
"Why?" Neji challenged. "So you can be sure they aren't rebelling against you for being such a weak leader?"
Hinata set her jaw but she was trembling minutely all over with insecurity. Rin clapped a hand to her shoulder and whispered encouraging words in her ear.
"If you are to make your father proud you must prove you can be a good leader when he is gone." She murmured. "Would he have tolerated anyone, even direct family, disobeying his express command as Neji did yours?"
Poisonous words thought Sasuke. Words to twist Hinata's nature and make her more than she was but losing essential parts of her in the process. He gritted his jaw and watched Neji raise an eyebrow very unimpressed.
"Why is there a non-clan member leading the Hyuuga head how to run her own clan?" He asked politely but the barb hit Hinata like an arrow. She bit her lip and sent an unsure look at her sensei.
"My student values my advice Neji-kun." Rin murmured. "Please mind your own situation before worrying about your leader's."
"I will not accept any judgement from you." Neji had the audacity to sound bored. "When you stop putting words in my cousin's mouth then call for me again. I have a cousin to find." He half turned away. "I have no time to waste on weak leaders and farces of advisors."
"Neji-nii!" Hinata called out shocked. "Speak with more respect!"
Neji stopped. "Is that an order Hinata-sama?"
"Well no…"
Her cousin sent her such a withering look Hinata shrank back into herself.
"Hinata speak your mind." Rin spoke kindly. "You must have an opinion on how to deal with Neji's disrespect."
"Well." Hinata wet her lips nervously. "If-if you think you did the right thing, then prove it."
"We found a direct lead to Hanabi." Neji pointed out as if she was stupid. "Which was more than most ANBU managed and you dragged us back. Your sister could be dying and you're worried about me recruiting a team and going after her without telling you?" He let out a laugh. "You're more like your father than you think."
Neji was right. They had been seconds away from convincing Firudo to help them get Hanabi back when the Hyuuga idiots had stumbled on the scene. The frustration at that timing sapped at Sasuke's self-control sending dangerous thoughts flitting through the edge of his mind.
"Prove wh-what you're saying in an honour duel." Hinata stammered seemingly drawing strength from Rin's approving smile and her hand on her shoulder. "Only the leader of the branch family and the heir can hope to contest my decisions. That is the law."
"Bring them all on." Neji narrowed his eyes into dangerous slits.
"Beat all of the branch family minors and I'll acknowledge you as branch heir and forgive your disobedience." Hinata stammered.
Neji stared.
Team 7 stared.
Very slowly a faint curling grin spread across Neji's face.
"Well then. This changes things." Neji deactivated his Byakugan curiously in a rush of chakra. "Who's first?"
"Ayano." Hinata ordered.
"You are heir at the minute, will you let him take it away?" Rin asked the proud looking boy curiously.
The branch heir was a full five years older than Neji and expected to make Chunin in his next exams.
He settled into a perfect looking Jyuuken pose only for Neji to disappear from his spot using a speed that Sasuke had seen from Gai a few times in the past. He reappeared right in front of Ayano, drove the heel of his hand into the heir's nose, broke it with a crunch, kicked the boy in the stomach then in the broken nose respectively as the boy doubled over instinctively howling.
Sasuke fought not to stare. That had been a carefully crafted statement; with Neji not even using his Byakugan or Jyuuken signalled that the boy didn't even think Ayano was worthy enough or skilled enough to worth using them on. He resisted the urge to let a slasher smile leak across his face. This was going to be good. Maybe watching Neji beat up his family would relieve some of the frustration that all of Team 7 were feeling in their limbs.
"Next." Neji ordered coolly letting the defeated heir drop to the ground.
"Err." Hinata gaped before she caught herself at an admonishing look from Rin. "Hirako-"
"No!" Neji snapped. "All of them simultaneously." Now he activated his Byakugan causing the shift from terrifyingly casual to terrifyingly lethal. "Let me show you how much I outclass you by."
It would be a wonder if people could work out exactly who Neji directed that statement at.
"Very nice." Sakura murmured shielding her eyes from the sun.
The sudden flood of dislike towards Neji in the field was unmistakeable and about fifteen Hyuuga teens advanced at once, eyes glaring and in typical Jyuuken poses.
The first six all went down, their taijutsu inferior to Neji's. Then they got the bright idea of working together.
Most people forgot Neji too trained under Gai, the Taijutsu master of Konoha.
He kicked one of his cousins in the face and people promptly remembered. Neji flipped back on his hands, spun in the dirt and Jyuukened out with his feet hitting two teens in the stomach and causing them to cough out blood.
Prodigies didn't restrict themselves to one discipline.
"That's not the Hyuuga way!" One of them protested.
"Oh?" Neji asked mildly. "Is that what you'll say when an enemy pulls a move you didn't expect? You'll end up as a corpse in a ditch unless you abandon that thinking dear cousin."
He flipped another over his head and hit up the side of another causing her to sway and stumble.
"Fate is not kind to us." He spoke directly to his branch siblings. "Let's not test her patience more by refusing to adapt to whatever she throws at us. I did what I did to protect the family! The Hyuuga way isn't to be pure and untouchable with our style. It's to survive! Survive in anyway that we can because what are we but piles of blood and bone and valuable eyes?"
He spun out avoiding twin strikes and kept dodging and weaving and sometimes tricking them to hit each other instead of him.
"Shit." Sasuke muttered. Naruto let out a muffled nervous laugh.
"What?" Sakura asked confused at the sudden wariness and nervous glee on her team mate's faces.
"Umm we may have accidentally started the beginning of a power coup in the Hyuuga?" Naruto wrung his hands looking both hysterically about to cry and laugh.
"How did we accidentally do that?" Sakura's voice rose to a shriek but no one paid her much attention.
"We made Neji go directly against Hinata's decision." Sasuke kneaded his forehead. "Flouting her order. He refuses to show her any respect while she weakens her position by listening to her sensei. That's extremely dangerous for a clan head. And now he's demonstrating his strength by beating up everyone else. I bet you anything he is stronger than her and everyone knows it."
"Their fathers were twins." Naruto whispered in a hushed voice. "If the slightest whisper starts that the wrong twin was sealed and that Neji is the proper heir that could start a civil war in the Hyuuga and the seals wouldn't be able to subdue this one as it would look like a father protecting his weak children instead of upholding clan law."
Sakura's jaw flapped open. "You are kidding. Obito is going to kill us."
"Yeah."
"For sure."
"Watch the council." Sasuke breathed in Sakura's ears as he returned his attention to the fight.
One sided massacre was more accurate.
Neji finished his remaining opponents in a brilliant move.
The familiar roaring spinning chakra exploded around him and threw the three remaining Hyuuga like rag dolls to the edge of the field. Neji span like a dancer to a stop white chakra thinning to a wisp around him.
"That's a Main branch technique!"
"How did he even learn it?"
"Oh my Kami, that boy is a genius."
Whispers sprang up around them from the shocked and awed Hyuuga. Hinata went as pale as her eyes and her lips were bloodless. Even Rin looked a bit wary of trying to exercise clan law on Neji when her own student's position was becoming more and more precarious.
"Would Hinata-sama like to test my conviction herself?" Neji asked casually beckoning to the girl. "I'm afraid your representors weren't quite up to the task of channelling your conviction that I was wrong."
Sasuke's teeth flashed. Hinata's position weakened now either way. If she refused it would be seen as her being a coward but if she fought Sasuke was nearly positive that she would lose and that would look terrible in front of the branch Hyuugas and the Council. And Neji had won the title of branch heir by defeating all the genin. At the minute with Neji's father's death the title had hung in limbo until Ayano (the grandson of the previous head) made Chunin. Neji had only taken back what his father had held in the first place. Not a single person could fault him for that.
Hinata remained silent a helpless look passing over her face.
Now could they please get back to what they were doing? Judgement had been passed. Hinata couldn't claim Neji had disobeyed her now (even if he had quite readily) because her challenge had been met and exceeded. It would look like she was trying to damn him out of spite.
"Neji-nii is branch heir." Hinata declared at last. Ayano's face spasmed but he accepted her decision. "His disobedience can be written off as urgency to find my sister. Di-Dismissed."
Sasuke had no doubt when the rest of the clan got back this story would circulate like wildfire.
"You have a plan to find Hanabi?" The girl asked urgently walking over to Neji seeming much more vulnerable when she shed her cloak of authority.
"Yes." Neji answered curtly.
"Can I help?" She asked desperately. "I haven't been able to do anything, I feel helpless."
"What?" Neji asked rather cruelly. "And mess it up like you messed up your chance to show you were a good leader for the Hyuuga clan. I don't think so. And the reason you feel helpless is because you are. Stay here and play at clans if you like, your father will have something to say to you when he gets back."
Hinata went even more bloodless than she already was and a look of hurt and horror crossed her face. Then she saw Naruto's slightly scornful look and she squeaked sounding mortified.
"Did I waste your time Naruto-san?" She squeaked.
"All of ours actually." Naruto answered dryly a bit more kindly than Neji. "Can we have your cousin back?"
This time the girl turned red. "Ye-yes of course."
"Come on." Neji ignored his cousin coolly and walked off. "If we're going to be taking Hanabi back and Firudo is the only option I might bring my team in. There's no way he's going to allow a bunch of adults to tag along but he might be softer on children."
Well Neji had turned out to be not so bad Sasuke admitted grudgingly. Maybe he could give the rest of Team 9 a chance.
"Wait." Sakura kept pace with them briskly on her shorter legs. "We have heard the order now. We can't pretend to ignore it anymore. Rin-san knows we know."
"Naruto." Sasuke spoke as they all kept walking straight out of the Hyuuga estate.
"What?" The blond asked surprised. "Why me?"
"Because for some reason the Hokage has a soft spot for you." Sasuke sent him a look and Naruto admitted that did seem to be the case.
Remembering how the man had slipped Sakura information on a card Sasuke checked his pockets in the hope Firudo had added something to let them continue the conversation. His left kunai pouch had a crunched up ball of paper and he spent half a second wondering how the hell Firudo had got that in there without Sasuke realising.
He smoothed it out.
"Is he really going to meet us on top of the Yondaime's head?" Sakura asked half in awe and half in disbelief. "Has he heard of subtlety?"
Why was it most of the adults they knew tended to be ballsy bastards?
Aaaand Firudo's back! Leave a review on what you thought?