The Forsaken and The Angelic
By Quick-n-Popular
Disclaimer: "Naruto" and "Final Fantasy VII" are not mine, nor are their characters. This story will be the only thing I claim.
A/N: Again, a Big thanks goes out to everyone who's who've enjoyed this story thus far.
Now, on with the story…
Chapter Fourteen: The Heart of the Matter, Part Three
Kaori Hyuuga was a proud person. The fifty year old woman had seen a lot in her life, seen both husband and children taken by war and the fight against the demon fox that had attacked the village.
Yet one thing has never escaped her grasp, that of her pride and principles of being a Hyuuga.
She felt that it was her solemn duty to make sure that the Hyuuga clan be a guidepost for all of the clans in Konoha. Thus, anything that would disrupt that should be dealt with accordingly.
A problem did come, that in the form of the current Clan Head's eldest daughter, Hinata Hyuuga.
At first, she paid it no mind as the child seemed to be insignificant. She was weak in both prowess as an heiress and as a shinobi. However that all changed when she entered the Chuunin Exams and was faced against her cousin, a Branch member.
In actuality it was two things that changed her opinion. One was that she had perverted the Hyuuga style of fighting by incorporating some gymnastic hooplah into the forms. The second was that she lost, badly, to her cousin, a Branch member.
If there was one thing Kaori Hyuuga despised was any sight of strength from the Branch house. The Branch house's purpose was to serve the Main house and they would always be benethe them in everything.
Kaori had hoped that the girl's father, the Clan Head, would finally take some action and discipline the upstart. Those wishes were dashed as, in private conversation with her and Otohori, another Elder, he had actually praised her for her accomplishment.
Thus, if no action would be taken by the man responsiple to do it, then she, Kaori Hyuuga, an Elder and an exemplary Hyuuga; would have to do it in his stead for the sake of preserving the clan's prodigiousness.
The two of the several Branch members serving under her, Susumu and Riisa, seemed to be the best choices to carry out the Conditioning, as they showed complete neutrality towards everything.
Word soon spread of their accomplishment as the entire compound had been a buzz with the news of the daughter of Hiashi's being in grave danger.
Now all she had to do was wait for the drama to end and then things would go back the way they should be for the proud clan.
However, right now, she was surprised when Hiashi had called for a meeting.
Hiashi Hyuuga stood before the Council of Elders in the drawing room of the estate. The room was spacious, with a long table in the back where the Elders sat behind.
The light was fairly scarse, leaving very few shadows.
"Hiashi-kun, to what reason do you call a meeting?" Otohori Hyuuga asked.
"It has been my guess this would be concerning your daughter and that the "Conditioning" had been used on her, am I right?" Ginjo Hyuuga asked, stroking his flowing beard, thoughtfully.
Hiashi nodded and closed his eyes, "You are correct, Ginjo-san. In the past, whenever the Conditioning had been implemented, it was required to have the approval of the Clan Head to take action."
"So, you've come to make an accusation of this council?" Tomoyo Hyuuga asked, setting her tea down.
Hiashi shook his head, "No, I believe this to be an independent action, not by will of the Council."
"You realize, Hiashi-kun, that there were some of us that did believe that action did need to be taken against your daughter. As far as using the Conditioning as a method, however, I digress that it would have been as a last resort." Nayuuki Hyuuga stated.
Hiashi sighed, "Like I said, I'm not here to make accusations, just to inform the council that I'll be making an inquiry to confront the person, or persons, responsible and then go along with the accordance of this Council in either reprimandation or whatever course it wishes to take."
The five out of the six Elders nodded their heads, the last one nodding slowly.
"Please inform us when you make a discovery." Kaori Hyuuga said in a firm tone.
Hiashi's eyes swept to her before coming back to front and he made a formal bow and then left the room.
The healing method he had used for Hinata the first time and when he had healed on Rock Lee, at the urgency of his sensei; it was a slow process.
Normally, for Cloud and the others, the effects were instantaneous but with people of this world it seemed that it was only slightly better than a healing jutsu. Granted it worked faster but it took about half a day for desired results.
Hinata had gone into critical when Naruto had arrived with her father Hiashi. What he saw devestated him and he had to control himself not to throttle her father and demand to know what had happened to make her look the way she did.
After healing her, only then did he ask the question and the answer he got was vague.
"It's a clan problem."
What he could make out from that was that it had happened in her home, somebody did this to her and her father didn't know.
That made Naruto furious. Not only someone did this but the Clan Head didn't have an answer as to who.
Naruto's thoughts turned dark. The problem wasn't one thing, it was a whole lot of things. Hinata being in that Clan seemed to be all together dangerous for her. First her cousin nearly kills her for trying to make a peaceful approach with him and then someone or possible more than one tortures her when she's asleep in her very home.
Now, while healing physically, the question was what will she be like when she awakens. The healing spells only work on a physical level, there was no telling how she was going to be mentally or emotionally after all of this.
Naruto's knuckles turned white as he clenched his fist and a snarl appeared on hsi scarred face.
'Why give it any thought? Blood must be shed. It's only natural...'
Naruto's eyes widened and he looked frantically around for the source of that voice he heard.
The door soon opened behind him and he had to put the query of where he had heard that voice aside as Hiashi Hyuuga stepped in.
Naruto didn't say anything as he closed the door behind him and sat in the other chair opposite the bed.
Hiashi didn't speak for several minutes, just looking at the raise and fall of her daughter's chest and the welts and abrasions fading slowly from her arms and face.
"...Such hardships to be endured by one so young and yet, as her father, I continue to do nothing but stand idly by and watch as they happen."
Naruto scowled, "Hiashi-san, I hope you aren't looking for forgivness here or pity. Hinata has told me that her greatest wish is to someday be recognized by you and yet you continually set the standards too far out of her reach."
Hiashi sighed, "As Clan Head I must do so in order to provide the clan with an infelxible heir who will set the standard as many before her have done for generations before. It is unfair and yet I'm ordered to do so by will of the Council."
Naruto clencthed his fists, "Her clan continues to try and do away with her warm, loving, spirit. Her own cousin tries to kill her for showing it and someone does this to her for what?"
Hiashi looked at Naruto from the corner of his eyes, "What is it that you hope to do for my daughter, Strife-san? You think you can protect her from every horror this world has to offer?"
Naruto scowled, "Better than you have."
Hiashi nodded absent-mindedly and then turned away from him and looked at Hinata once more.
"I have found the person responsible for this action. Should I tell you who was involved, what will you do with that information?"
Naruto blinked. He hadn't counted for this to come out.
Hiashi continued, "Despite what you claim, I do, to an extent, know my daughter. Would she be happy when she learns that you've spilled blood for her name? Or is this for your satisfaction alone?"
Naruto tried to answer but nothing came out.
"Furthermore, the council supports that she needed to be disciplined for her actions, however not all of them agreed that THIS action was to be taken. Would you still kill all of them because they look at her in a disagreeable light?"
Naruto slamed his fist into the wall of the room causing the machines to violently jerk forward, yet Hinata remained the way she was and Hiashi made no reaction to the outburst.
"Damn you! Are you just going to sweep this under the rug! She's your daughter!"
Hiashi sighed, "I know." He then got up and walked away to the door but as he laid his hand on the knob, he stopped and turned his head.
"Her name is Kaori and is a member of the Council. Whatever you decide to do, I will abide by it. Good day, Strife-san."
Hiashi then opened the door and left, leaving Naruto alone with Hinata and his emotionally drained mind.
Konoha was slipping into the evening hour as the sun tucked itself away behind the gaze of the massive faces of the Konoha monument.
Naruto had walked at a sedated pace back to his apartment. He had debated about talking with his family about his problems but couldn't find the right mind to do so.
He was tired, emotionally and mentally.
Soon as the door of his apartment opened and he was a few feet away from his bed, he crashed unceremoniously to the floor.
When his eyes opened, he found, to his surprise that his dreams had taken him to a cave of some sort. Water seemed to be dripping in the cave as it echoed all in the vacinity.
There was no light and as he traveled forward he could hear the sloshing of his feet from the water at his feet.
Curiosity lead him forward and se soon found an opening which lead to a wide area. There was nothing of particualr interest but in the far left he could make out something. Upon approach, this "something" turned out to be an iron gate which had a paper seal on it.
'What the hell?' He thought as he came forward to examin the seal only to stop when he saw some movement on the otherside.
"Well, it seems you are finally here..."
Nartuto stiffened as he had heard that voice before and it was one that he hoped that he would never have to hear again.
Out from the shadows strode a tall figure, dressed in black and silver, his approach gave an omenous feel.
On his face a cruel smirk appeared as he leaned against the side of the gate.
"Sephiroth." Naruto said, warrily. "Then this place would be..."
"Your mind." the man said, he then began chuckling, "I found it to be most interesting of places to inhabit."
Naruto scowled, "Don't get too comfortable. I plan to be rid of you."
Sephrioth hummed to himself, "Indeed. Yet here we are."
Naruto gulped as Sephiroth's eyes looked over him up and down slowly, his eyes became playful.
"You are troubled...yes, I remember now. That girl...Hinata was it?"
Naruto grit his teeth, "Don't say her name."
"I see what you see and I've seen all that you remember. Ah, she is a delicate flower, isn't she? Her petals have been marred by those of her kind and you stand here indecisive on what to do."
Sephiroth tapped his chin in thoughtful manner, "How to go about it...they shed her blood and yet their's remain flowing freely in their veins."
Naruto didn't like where this was headed and he grabbed the bars only, to his horror, saw them bend backwards and to see Sephiroth appear in front of him with his hand coming through and grabbing Naruto by his shirt, pulling him closer slowly.
"It's time for us, now. Let us...save the flower from the weeds around her."
Kaori was finishing up a few scrolls when she felt a chill rise up in her back. She looked out the window and had a sudden sense of fright come over her. However her senses told her that it was just her imagination as nothing had come to light after Hiashi's meeting with the Council and this was probably someing imaginary nagging at her.
Finishing the last one, she decided to retire for the night. Upon heading to her chambers did she hear the slight tap against the door.
Walking to the entrance, she saw three silhouetted figures outside the door.
'Probably some of the Branch members in need of some duties.' She thought.
"You do realize that you came at an imperfect-" She came to a stop after opening the door to see both Susumu and Riisa with the tops of their heads being gripped by an unknown person inbetween them.
The man, standing tall wore black, had long silvery hair, carrying an extremly long nodachi at the waist.
His eyes frightened her along with the cruel smile he wore.
Soon he had lifted his hands and pulled the heads off the recently decapitated bodies, which thudded over her entrance and bled profusely into her entrance.
"Good evening, Hyuuga-san." He said as he tossed the heads of her helpers inside her home. "I hope the evening is finding you well as tonight will be filled with...dancing."
Kaori made to yell for help but soon found the man strike her throat causing her to step back and hold her kneck as she hacked.
"Now, now, there's no need for words."
The Hyuuga Elder was frightened and made to run back into her home to find an escape through a window. Upon turning she found excruciating pain in her feet as the man had severed her achilles tendons, thus making her fall to the ground.
"Now now, we must'nt leave the dance floor, for the music has yet to start."
Kaori turned to her back and watched up in horror as the man strode in and removed his blade from his side, looming over her like an angel of death.
The mourning at the Hyuuga estate would find three dead clansmen. Two decapitated Branch members and an Elder whose body parts were found all over her house and her body strapped to the roof by the use of her own intestines with her eyes gouged out.
Hiashi made no personal comment on the matter but insured that it was being "looked into".
Meanwhile, back at Naruto's apartment, Naruto himself was relieving himself over his toilet while a pare of plucked pale eyeballs stared off into the distance from his kitchen.
To be continued
A/N: Hope this is what everyone wanted *shrugs* if not, oh well. Sorry to those not pre3pared for the ending and sorry to those who wanted something a little more grizzly.
As to the questions regarding Hinata's state of mind, well you'll have to wait and see.
Please Review. Thanks.
Q-n-P