CHAPTER RATING: T

…

Episode 21: Bloodlines, Part II: The Hyuuga Conspirators

There was a long silence after Naruto's bold lie. He turned, silent, and began to walk away; tears welled up in both of their eyes as he slowly stepped further and further away.

It was almost as if the tears that streamed down their cheeks, and fell upon the cold dirt were loud gongs that run out through their hearts, both aching from this confession.

I'm sorry Hinata, but I'm only doing this for y-.

Hinata held her face in the palms of her hand as tears fell from her eyes. Something caused her to look up from her sorrow; and when she brought her face out of her hands, she saw Naruto's body, lying face down in the cold dirt.

"Naruto-kun!" she cried when rushing to his side. She placed her hands on his back and slightly pushed him. "Naruto-kun? Wake up."

No response; worry began to grow in her mind with every passing second. Thinking fast, she reached into his pocket and pulled out the key to his house. She firmly grasped it in her hand, and with ease, she placed him on her back, and took off into the direction of his home.

Her hand floated to the light switched as she entered the main hall of his house. Hinata entered Naruto's room and placed him down, gently onto his bed. His face had no expression, not even a reaction from being set down onto his own bed.

Her hands hovered over his body and began to glow green. His face flinched with pain and slight relief, which brought a small smile to her own face. Soon, she decided to remove his shirt to get a better look at his wounds. Her hand reached for her zipper and pulled it down, opening up his jacket. She reached into her back pocket and revealed a small pocket knife. A small incision at the collar of his shirt allowed her to slowly rip his shirt open. Her eyebrow flinched. His body was covered in dark purple bruises, and running along the center of his chest and stomach was a deep scar, healed by what seemed by be a unreliable and uncaring effort. Her tears fell onto his chest as her hands glimmered across the scar. When the wounds began to heal, Hinata decided to try and turn Naruto over, to examine his back. She heard his heavy breaths as he was turned over.

She loudly gasped as she saw what was on his back; the same crudely healed scars; hundreds of lashes that ran across his entire back.

Naruto-kun…Who did this to you?

She thought back to how stubborn he could be, and decided that he would never tell her who had done these terrible things to him. She decided to send for help.

Moments later, Hinata stood in front of the door of the Yamanaka home. She slowly knocked on it, and seconds later was greeted by the one person she was looking for.

"Hyuuga Hinata? What are you doing her so late?" Ino's father, Yamanaka Inoichi asked with concern. "Is something wrong?"

"Hello, Inoichi-san," She replied with a bow. "Something is wrong, and I come here humbly asking for your help." She stated again, with an even lower bow this time.

"Tell me on the way." He said while stepping out of the door.

They arrived shortly and stood in front of Naruto who still lay motionless on his bed.

"His condition is terrible! We should take him to the hospital right away!" he shouted towards her. With concern, worry, and regret Hinata looked down as she delivered her answer.

"I would like to, but I'm afraid if the people who did this to him are still watching him. I'm afraid that he may suffer even more if people know he's hurt."

"I see. He looks like he's in bad condition, but I think he'll make it." Inoichi started. He placed his hand over Naruto's temples, and closed his eyes. Minutes passed before he opened his eyes again and looked towards Hinata with confidence and worry.

"What happened?" Hinata asked. Inoichi took in a deep sigh filled with worry.

"Are you sure you want to know?" He asked her.

"Please, tell me." Hinata said again with a new grim determination.

"Naruto was ambushed in the small village where he had his mission. He was set up by a young girl, and taken into a dark room by a group of people." He shook his head at the images that he recalled. "There, they tortured him with hundreds of lashes to his back as he faded in and out of consciousness." He took another deep breath. "They took a Kunai, and ran in down his chest." He pointed to the scar that ran down Naruto's chest. "They told him that he was going to have to end his relationship with you."

Hinata's eyes opened as she gasped.

"Is that all?" She asked him.

"No, there's one more thing…The people who abducted and tortured him, they were from your clan-They were of the Hyuuga bloodline." He said in disappointment and disgust.

"Do you have any specifics that you can share with me? Do you have their names, or descriptions of their appearance?"

"Yes, I could see them clearly." Inoichi gave Hinata exact, and perfect descriptions of those who had done this to Naruto.

"Thank you, Inoichi-san…And please, don't tell anyone about Naruto-kun."

"I know you will take care of him. What will you do?" he asked.

"I know what I must do. Please, do not worry."

As Inoichi left, Hinata healed Naruto as best she could, before leaving him in what seemed like a peaceful slumber.

He would rest, but no harm would come to him anytime soon.

…

Hinata met with the conspirators, who accepted her with the proper respect that befitted her role within the family. In her conversation with them, she asked that they meet her in a small forest clearing in Konoha. This, being a request from the daughter of the Hyuuga Patriarch himself, they gladly obliged. Hinata met with the five Hyuuga conspirators in the clearing a few hours later. She stood alone with five other figures stood before her.

"You requested that we meet you here, Hinata-sama. What is wrong?" the leader of the group asked aloud.

"I need to talk to you five about something." Hinata replied with a quiet confidence. "Why did you abduct and torture Uzumaki Naruto?" a small bit of rage built within her.

The conspirators flinched, they were taken aback at the accusation.

"Hinata-sama! We did no such thing!" the leader shouted back, she glared an ugly star towards the four that stood behind her.

"Don't lie to me. You know who I am, and who my father is, why did you do this?"

"We only wanted to preserve who we are! We wanted to keep the power of the Byakugan within our bloodline! Nothing more!"

Hinata took step towards her, her face hardened with determination.

"Listen, I can be with anyone that I choose to be with. You have no right to intervene in any of these matters. If you interfere again, you will face the worst consequences that we can enforce!" Hinata warned.

The leader of the group bowed silently. "Understood."

"Very well, you are dismissed." Hinata said finally, she turned around, and listened to the footfalls walking towards her.

"I understand what we have to do now."

"Hinata, look out!" a voice echoed from the canopy.

…

Naruto awoke to the sun's rays illuminating a small piece of paper on the table next to his bed. He rubbed his eyes and cleared his vision. Surprise took him when he realized he was in his bedroom, and his shirt was ripped in half.

He looked over at the piece of paper, and opened it.

Naruto, as soon as you can, head to the outskirts of Konoha, here is the location of the opening.

Hurry.

-Shino.

His eyes widened, the memory of last night was blurry, and he did not recall perfectly what had happened. But that didn't matter, now he had to take off as soon as possible.

He ran out of his house, bursting out of the door, and began jumping across the rooftops, his shirt still ripped in half, showing the scars that he had suffered. He hurried, but every step he took caused pain to rip through his body.

…

"Hinata, look out!" A voice echoed from the canopy.

Hinata turned and pushed down the kunai that was being pushed towards her mid-section. She held on to it and delivered an elbow to the person who attempted the assassination. The leader of the Hyuuga conspirators was forced back towards the other four.

From the trees two figures lept out, Hinata's own teammates, Shino and Kiba stood beside her.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kiba shouted. "Are you fucking crazy?!"

"Shut up, you fucking dog! You do not understand our motivations! Stay out of our business!"

Footsteps were heard from the forest, they looked up and saw the orange and black outfit that belonged to Naruto.

Pain still shot through his body. When he reached the clearing, he fell over in agony.

"Naruto!" Shino shouted.

Pain still ripped through Naruto's body, they noticed that he had stopped breathing.

No one moved a single inch when they heard the sound of bubbling, and saw a red aura engulf Naruto's body.