(Well, here's Chapter 37. My beta looked this one over, and hopefully it shows. I wrote this one while I was waiting on 36, so I've had this sitting on my laptop for a bit before I sent it to my beta, that's why there's such a short update window. Anyway, enjoy the chap.)
Chapter 37: Family
Thirty minutes later I arrive at the village walls. There are now two gaps in the wall, one with scaffolding and a skeleton structure in it, the other completely blown away with black flames licking away at the wall. In the village proper newly rebuilt buildings have been knocked over and some are on fire, the black flames burning here too.
He must really want to destroy the village if he's using that jutsu.
I can hear the sounds of conflict up ahead, steel clashing with steel and male voices grunting with exertion.
They must be fighting up ahead. I'd better get ready.
Stopping in the middle of the street I close my eyes and draw the natural energy into my body. Bringing it into balance my body shifts into Sage mode and I feel the natural energy fill me. Crossing my hands into the sign of the ram, I use the Shadow Clone jutsu.
The twin clones pop into existence in two clouds of smoke.
"You both know what to do."
The clones nod, disappearing in a swirl of leaves. Thanks to the Rinnegan, I can see the world through their eyes, though I don't need it to know that Naruto and Sasuke are both ahead, and that both of them are fighting.
I just hope I'm not too late.
The village is in chaos, pure and utter chaos. Sections of the village are on fire or demolished. Naruto stands apart from Sasuke in his flash mode, black flames leaping from Sasuke's eyes and shooting toward him. Sasuke wears an Akatsuki cloak above a black pair of pants and a sleeveless black shirt. His headband is missing, and he has his sword at his back, the hilt poking out of the collar of the cloak. Naruto disappears in a blur, avoiding the flames as they strike a nearby building. Lightning flashes across Sasuke's body, forming a protective barrier against any physical attack. Naruto reappears behind him, and the lightning leaps from Sasuke's body, the bolt shooting out toward Naruto. His hands come together, and a whirlwind of wind chakra swirls around him. The lightning meets the whirlwind and there's a flash of light before they both disappear.
Wind element chakra is stronger than lightning element chakra…
Sasuke grins mischievously, turning to stare at Naruto.
"I'd expect nothing less from the 'genius' child of the Fourth." Sasuke mutters.
"I'm not going to stand idly by while you murder innocent people." Naruto growls.
"The Senju and their descendents are anything but innocent." Sasuke says with venom in his voice.
"The Senju are the ones who ordered the massacre of my family! The blood of my mother, father and everyone I ever loved is on their hands, and they deserve to pay. I am an avenger, I always have been. It's what I was born for."
"That's bullshit!" Naruto shouts. "We make our own destiny. We choose what to do with our lives! No one is forcing you to avenge your parents or your family. No one is making you do this!"
"We have been chosen by fate to fight, nothing can change that." He says.
"We control our own destiny." Naruto insists. "Just like Itachi controlled his. He loved you! He did what he did for you, so that when you killed him the whole village would regard you as a hero!"
"My brother was a fool. Everything he did was for a foolish, idiotic ideal. The Senju and the Uchiha can never co exist."
He sounds like Madara.
"What about your parents? Were they deluded fools too? They loved you just as much as Itachi did, if not more!"
Sasuke's eyes flicker with rage.
"My parents and my family were going to overthrow the Senju and take their rightful place as leaders of the village! But the Senju poisoned Itachi. They used one of our own as a weapon against us."
"My father didn't want that to happen! He saved Haruka!"
"You and your family have allied with the Senju; you're enemies of the Uchiha."
"How many have innocent people would've died if Itachi hadn't done what he'd done? How many innocent lives that aren't related to either the Senju or the Uchiha were spared by what he did?" Naruto insists, but his words don't faze Sasuke in the least.
"All who stand with the Senju are my enemies." Sasuke says absolutely.
"You aren't even listening to me!" Naruto growls.
Sasuke draws his sword, lunging for Naruto with lightning flashing along the length of the blade. Sasuke flips the sword in his hand into a reverse grip. He swings the blade, aiming for Naruto's throat as a current of electricity flashes along the length of the blade. Naruto ducks down, avoiding the sword and sticking out his foot, aiming to sweep Sasuke off his feet. Naruto connects and Sasuke falls, using the momentum to flip forward and land on his feet twenty feet behind Naruto. Sasuke grins and the lightning leaps from his blade, shooting for Naruto like flung kunai.
Naruto disappears in a golden blur, evading the bolt of lightning. Sasuke's body jerks suddenly like he's been struck, his face twisting to the left, his left knee buckling outward, his right side caving in, all seemingly in the same instant.
There's a resounding 'crack' as Naruto's foot leaves a print on Sasuke's shirt, knocking the Uchiha back like he's been shot out of a cannon. The Uchiha hits the ground with a thud, and there's an explosion of electricity as the lightning clone disappears. A sound of bird's chirping echoes in the area the moment before a black and white blur slams into Naruto. A flare of blue electricity in front of the blur, the strike hitting Naruto and sending him flying backward.
A Chidori.
Naruto rights himself in the air, a burst of wind from his feet killing his momentum before he drops to the ground, landing on his feet. The back of his vest has a hole in it the size of a softball, the revealed skin is burnt.
Sasuke grins triumphantly at Naruto, his expression filled with arrogance.
"It's time I got serious." Naruto mutters under his breath, and Sasuke's grin doesn't falter.
"I agree completely."
Naruto drops into a taijutsu stance, his expression absolutely calm. In the next instant a yellow flash appears behind Sasuke, the glow stopping just inches from Sasuke's body.
"That won't work." Sasuke mutters as a demonic visage body forms around him. "This is my ultimate defense."
Naruto quickly leaps back, wanting to get away from whatever it is that surrounds Sasuke. Sasuke slowly turns, the…thing… surrounding him forming a layer of what looks like samurai armor with giant horns on it's head. The creature has three arms, one of which holds a bow, another arm holds are dark sphere and the third arm is empty.
"This is absolute defense." Sasuke says matter of factly. "It's even more powerful than Gaara's defense. There's nothing you can do to penetrate it."
Naruto cocks a grin, seemingly unfazed by Sasuke's proud declaration.
"We'll see about that." Naruto grins.
The ground beneath Sasuke's feet cracks and falls away. Sasuke looks down to see a pair of hands come up from beneath him, grasping hold of his ankles and pulling him down. The ground then shatters four feet down, and a second glowing Naruto stands there with two yellow Rasengans, one in each hand.
"Konjiki Rasenrengan!" He yells out, thrusting both attacks straight at Sasuke.
The twin spheres explode in a blast of concussive force that swirls around like a vortex. The blast has two layers separated by a small gap, and I can only imagine being between them would be like being ground in a meat grinder. After several seconds the swirling vortices explode outward with a tremendous burst of force. The real Naruto stands apart from them, and as the cloud settles I can tell that Naruto sent in shadow clones to do the fighting, knowing that it would be a suicide run. He reaches into his pocket, withdrawing a rather large food pill. He quickly pops the stimulant into his mouth and chews, swallowing it. From the cloud of dust and smoke Sasuke emerges, his demonic protector still surrounding him. However, his chakra supply is running low, and I can tell that he can't keep this up for much longer.
"My hatred won't be extinguished." Sasuke growls, walking forward like a marionette on strings. "I'll murder anyone who sides with the Senju. I'll wipe the clan and its ideals from the Earth."
Black flames lance out from Sasuke, aiming for Naruto. Naruto sidesteps, but he doesn't dodge by a very wide margin, and he cringes at the heat from the unearthly flames.
"JUST DIE!" Sasuke screams in rage.
Black flames erupt from Sasuke in all directions, looking to burn the entire village to the ground.
"Bansho Tenin!" My voice echoes across the village.
The flames suddenly change course in mid air. Rather than spreading out all over the village they all suddenly jump toward a small deserted area of village where buildings once stood but now nothing but dirt and rubble remains. I'm there, and in front of me a two foot wide, ten foot long scroll lies unfurled on the ground. As the flames come toward me I plant both hands on the scroll, the sealing formula written on the scroll glowing as the mass of black flames is drawn into the paper. Concentrating chakra into the paper the writing glows as the flames are sucked into the scroll, safely storing them where they can't harm anyone. As the last of the black flames are absorbed into the paper the symbol for fire glows into existence.
Well, that takes care of that at least.
Glancing over at Sasuke I see him weakly fall forward, collapsing onto his hands and knees in exhaustion.
"No…" Sasuke mutters.
His eyes have lost the Sharingan, showing just how low on chakra he's become. Coiling my legs I jump to his location. When I arrive I look down at him with pity in my eyes. Even now, seeing him on the ground nearly passed out from chakra exhaustion I can't help but feel sorry for what he's become.
"Sasuke, I've become the Sage of Six Paths."
"How?" He whispers in disbelief.
"It's my destiny to bring about true peace."
"Idealistic fool." He mutters, his eyes closing and his body flopping to the ground in exhaustion.
Looking down on him, I can't help but feel a bit of sorrow. I know that thanks to his failed assault he'll be enjoying a deep dark prison cell where he'll never see the light of day again. In spite of everything he's done I can only think of Itachi lying on the ground begging me to help him, telling me about how much he cared about his brother and how he wanted him to become a hero in the eyes of the village. Instead he's going to rot in a prison cell. I reach out to grab Sasuke by the collar and drag him into custody when the air in front of me shimmers.
Is that chakra?
From the shimmer of chakra a foot shoots out, hitting me in the gut and driving the air from my lungs. My feet skid back against the ground as a body materializes from the shimmer of chakra. The human body seems to swirl into existence, and I recognize the masked figure standing in front of me, the same man who stopped Naruto and I outside of the village and told us all about the origins of the Senju and the Uchiha.
How the hell did he hit me? He wasn't there, and then his foot suddenly appeared. The only warning I even got was that shimmer of chakra, but even then how could he have known where I was standing? He can't be able to just teleport around like that. Not even Minato can do that, his Flying Thunder God at least requires a seal for him to leap, but he can just jump around with impunity.
"You!" Naruto scowls as Madara stands over Sasuke's prone form.
"Hello again." He says childishly.
"What the hell do you want!" Naruto demands and Madara cocks his head to the side.
"You did well to best Sasuke in a fight, even if it was with help." He compliments Naruto, glancing to me when he says 'with help.' "There are very few who can say they've faced an Uchiha with a Mangekyo Sharingan and survived."
"What do you want, why are you manipulating Sasuke?" I ask the immortal.
"A pair of eyes like his are quite rare." He says, reaching down and scooping Sasuke's unconscious form up under his left arm. "And I'm not the type to let something like that go for free."
"Sasuke-kun isn't a weapon or a tool for you or anyone!"
The masked man looks at me, and I get the distinct feeling that he's grinning at me behind that mask.
"You think I'm manipulating him? I never tried to manipulate others into following me. He agreed to my cause of his own free will."
It's then that the ground behind Madara shimmers with chakra and another figure emerges. This one also wears an Akatsuki cloak, only this one looks like a human Venus fly trap, one half black, the other white.
Oh what now.
Madara half turns toward the new arrival, tossing Sasuke like a rag doll toward him. The new arrival catches him without complaint, his arms catching Sasuke bridal style.
"Take care of the boy." Madara orders the newcomer.
"Understood." He says calmly.
The newcomer sinks into the ground
"No!" Naruto yells out, lunging forward.
Madara steps between them, and Naruto punches the masked man. The second after his fist connects with that orange mask, the two of them disappear in an eye blink. One second they're there, the next they're both gone without a trace. For a second his chakra is gone and I can no longer sense it, and then the next moment I feel his chakra reappear above the ground. Looking up I see him in mid air, his body still in the exact same pose he disappeared in. He seems to float there a moment.
"Huh?" He asks, looking down.
As though gravity didn't apply until he noticed, Naruto suddenly begins to plummet. Naruto flips in the air, putting his feet under him and a burst of air blasts out from his feet, slowing his descent. He manages to land softly, bending his knees on the landing to absorb the shock of the impact. He actually lands a few feet away from where he was standing before he lunged in for the attack, and in the next moment Madara reappears exactly where he was as the newcomer disappears beneath the earth.
"I come here to talk, but you Leaf people are so damn violent." Madara comments.
"How the hell did you do that?" Naruto demands with anger in his voice. "One second I was hitting you, and the next thing I know I'm twenty feet in the goddamn air!"
"That's my little secret." Madara says teasingly.
"What do you want to talk about? You already told us your whole story before you even arrived." I grumble dryly.
"I've come here to try and convince you to give yourself up willingly." He says matter of factly.
Naruto scowls in disgust.
"You can take that shit and go shove it!" Naruto answers for me.
I raise my hand, bidding him to stop, and through the shadow clones I see him open his mouth to say something, but it snaps shut.
"I'm listening." I tell Madara, and Naruto's jaw drops open in surprise.
"You can't be serious!"
"I want to know what he's planning Naruto, and I might never get another chance to find out."
Naruto closes his mouth and I turn to Madara.
"You have my attention." I tell him.
"Like you I seek to create world peace, through the nine Bijuu and my eyes."
"How would you do that?"
"Long ago there was only a single Bijuu. This one was the Juubi, a monster of unimaginable power. The Sage of Six Paths fought this monster and created the sealing method that allows for the creation of a Jinchuriki. He contained the monster as the first and only Jinchuriki for years until he neared death. Just before he died he separated the Juubi from its body and split its chakra into nine smaller portions. Those nine smaller portions of chakra became the Bijuu we know today. For its physical remains he sealed it away inside the moon and hung it in the sky, safe for all eternity."
"What does all that have to do with your plans?"
"I intend to assemble the nine Bijuu together and reform them into their original form. Then I'll take the Juubi's chakra into my body and become the ultimate Jinchuriki. Once I have the Juubi my eyes will finally be restored to their glory and I'll have enough power to cast a certain jutsu."
"What certain jutsu?" Naruto demands.
"A world encompassing Tsukuyomi." Madara says with glee in his voice. "The illusion will be reflected off of the whole moon and encompass the entire world. With that I will bring the entire world into harmony, there will be no more violence, no more pain, no more pointless death and destruction."
"No more free will, no more hopes, no more dreams." I say.
"If peace is ever going to be attained, sacrifices must be made." Madara replies matter of factly.
"That's not peace. That's slavery. You want to subjugate the entire world!" Naruto shouts.
"For the first time, the goal the Sage of Six Paths sought will be realized. The whole world will be at peace."
"Not like that!" I shout, and then something...strange happens.
I feel something pull in my mind, and suddenly I feel like I'm floating in nothingness. I can no longer see through the eyes of the shadow clones and I feel like I've been cut off from the world. There's another presence in my mind, one that isn't the Kyuubi or even Nagato, and I have no idea who or what it is.
"Hmm…" Madara mutters.
"Hinata?" Naruto whispers, and I try to open my mouth to answer him, but my mouth won't move.
Why can't I talk? What's going on?
For the first time in a long time I panic, my thoughts spinning into overdrive as I try to figure out exactly what's going on, and then a new voice comes from somewhere.
"I didn't preach peace through the subjugation of others." A male voice that I don't recognize speaks aloud. "I preached peace through understanding and compassion, which is why I chose the Senju to be my heir. They understood my hope, my vision." The voice finishes.
"Tch." Madara scoffs, and he points directly at me. "You expect me to believe that I'm speaking to The Sage of Six Paths?"
Why is he pointing to me? What's going on?
"When I created the nine Bijuu a part of me was sealed inside each of the nine." The male voice explains. "Now, with this girl I can manifest, but my time is short."
This girl? He's talking about me?
"Your idea of peace is flawed." Madara argues. "The peace I will create is perfect and ever lasting."
"The peace you seek is nothing but a farce." The male voice responds.
It's then that I'm suddenly thrust forward again, and the feeling of my arms and legs returns to me, like I'm suddenly anchored in the world again. Looking down at my hands I see that my body is responding again, and I can once again see through the eyes of the shadow clones still out there.
Naruto is suddenly at my side, a hand on my arm.
"Hinata, you all right?" He whispers, and I nod, shakily smiling.
"I'm fine Naruto." I tell him.
Freaked out, but fine.
"You're quite the interesting little girl Kyuubi." Madara comments.
I look up, and shapes suddenly fill the space that Naruto, Madara and I stand in. I see Kakashi Hatake with Kiba and Sakura, Asuma Sarutobi with his team and even Jiraiya. In addition to all of this a group of ANBU surround Madara, keeping their distance but forming an effective barrier, though nothing short of being held down will keep Madara from fleeing.
Someone must've sent reinforcements.
"I'll see you later, little sage." Madara's voice carries.
I feel his chakra disappear, and I let out a breath that I didn't know that I was holding.
It's been two days since Sasuke attacked the village. With everything that's happened recently, the sight of the villagers rebuilding the village has become commonplace. Compared to what Nagato did, the destruction wrought by the prodigal Uchiha isn't so bad. However that isn't saying very much. Nagato leveled entire districts and caused so much damage that the people of the village will be rebuilding for six months to a year just from that. Now Sasuke has done even more damage and destroyed what had been rebuilt. Many of the villagers view rebuilding as a futile gesture; that the village is cursed and someone else will just come along and destroy whatever they've done.
Unfortunately Madara didn't reappear after the reinforcements from the village arrived. I wonder just how close is he to getting his hands on all nine of the Bijuu and reforming the Juubi. Plus what happened to me when I said those things and acted that way? It felt like there was someone else that suddenly took control of my body and made me say those words.
Currently I've been confined to a guarded room in the bunker under the Hokage Mountain. After coming out of Sage mode I was exhausted, and so was Naruto. However he was in better shape than I was. Since Minato isn't in the village, Kushina has assumed the role of quasi-Hokage and she's been the one making the decisions using emergency powers granted to her by the council. It was her order that confined me to this room, and I know that she means well, but I also feel guilty for sitting in this room on my laurels while the rest of the village is made to toil and suffer. The last two days I haven't had any contact with anyone other than a Chunin coming into the room to deliver my meals.
There's a knock at the door, a gentle rapping as I sit there on the bed in the dark, my legs crossed, my hands on my knees. I open my eyes, exhaling a breath.
"Come in." I call out, and the door opens.
Light shines into the room in a bright beam and I look away as Jiraiya walks into the room, closing the door behind him. I look back to see him looking me up and down. He shakes his head slowly, his gray hair swinging behind him. He crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the door, looking at me curiously.
"What're you doing in here, sitting in the dark like some kind of hermit?" He asks sarcastically, and I don't get up off the bed.
"I was meditating." I tell him.
"Meditating? Didn't you do enough of that on Myoboku?"
"I'm trying to do what I can to improve. What are you doing here Jiraiya? You don't just come to visit, not when people need you."
"How're you doing?" He asks with genuine concern.
"I'm feeling better. How are the people doing?"
"Some are still picking through the wreckage, others have already begun to rebuild. You've actually caused quite a stir within the village. The people are talking and word is spreading that the Sage incarnate is in Konoha, and people want to see you, hear you speak, like some kind of prophet."
I shake my head slowly.
"I never asked to be some kind of symbol. Besides, a couple of years ago the people of this village would sooner spit on me than hear what I had to say."
Jiraiya shrugs his shoulders.
"I don't know about that, but whether or not you asked for this, it's happening. Every shinobi who witnessed your little chat with that guy were all amazed, and I have to admit I couldn't help but feel a little in awe of the visage that came over you. Something seemed to resonate within me when the Sage appeared, and hearing him speak it was as though the Sage of Six Paths himself had in fact returned."
"I don't know what to make of it." I tell the man.
"Someone recorded the fight, and the video of the Sage appearing has come up, and people are watching it. You've become something far more important than a Toad Sage or even a Hokage. You're a symbol of hope."
I open my mouth to repeat that I never asked to be a symbol when I close my mouth again.
Complaining now won't do you any good, nor will it make anything better.
"How's Tsunade-sensei?" I ask curiously.
"She's not as young as she used to be." He says with a grin and more than a little wistfulness in his voice. "Since the attack, she and the medical corps have been working around the clock to help the wounded and saved those seriously injured by Amaterasu."
All I could do was dispatch a few clones with flame sealing scrolls to seal away the fires, I couldn't help heal those affected by the attack, not that I could've been much use. After the Sage manifested I was physically drained, barely able to stand.
"I haven't seen Tsunade-sensei in a while." I think out loud.
"She'll probably enjoy a visit from you Hinata." Jiraiya comments. "The two of you really got close during our time together."
Well, she helped me pick out clothes, talked with me about all the feminine things that were happening to me, it was like she was an adopted mother.
An hour and a half later I'm in the recently erected Konoha hospital. An ANBU used some sort of jutsu to literally grow the building out of the ground. As such there are no decorations on the walls or rugs or even paint. The walls and floor are bare wood, and the furniture has been hastily erected, often just a couple of boards nailed together. A nurse on the first floor told me that Tsunade is on the fifth floor.
Walking by the rooms I can see people in various states of injury, from people missing arms to burns covering various portions of their bodies. The people that I do lock eyes with that are conscious recognize me, and they look at me with a sort of reverence in their eyes, like I'm some kind of hero that's going to make everything right. Rounding a corner I spot Shizune speaking to a uniformed medical corps member with a medical chart in her hands. As I approach the two of them Tsunade's assistant looks up from the chart and quickly spots me.
"Go get that done please." Shizune hands the chart to the medic and quickly dismisses the man, who quickly nods and walks away at a brisk pace. She waves at me, smiling brightly considering the bleak situation. "It's good to see you Hinata-san, are you feeling well?"
"It's good to see you too, and I feel fine, how about you?"
"Tired." Shizune mutters, her eyes rimmed with dark color, and she looks like she hasn't been sleeping.
I look over my shoulder, looking at the doorways on both sides of the hall leading into patient rooms.
"How many?" I ask solemnly, referencing the death toll.
"So far twenty-five, that we're aware of." She says in a subdued tone. "Though it could've been a lot worse, if not for you, Naruto-san and Tsunade-sama."
Twenty-five people. I couldn't protect twenty-five people and I'm supposed to be a symbol of hope? I wonder, do the twenty-five families of those people think I'm some kind of symbol, or just a murderer.
"Hinata-san? Is something the matter?" Shizune asks, and I blink in surprise.
"No, nothing's wrong." I tell her. "I was just thinking about something. I came to visit Tsunade-sensei."
Shizune points farther down the hall toward a closed door.
"That's Tsunade-sama's office, she should be in there."
"Thank you."
I walk to the door, gently knocking on the door for a moment.
"Come in." A weary but familiar voice beckons me from the other side.
Opening the door I step inside and I see Tsunade sitting at a desk with two chairs opposite her. Though her 'desk' is nothing more than a couple of two by fours cobbled together, and the same can be said for the chairs. Sitting there she looks like she hasn't slept in days, though her appearance is still that of a woman in her thirties, not the 'old hag' she should be. Papers are strewn about the desk everywhere, and she looks up upon my entrance, her eyes weary and tired. Her eyes brighten at seeing me, some of the weariness leaving her gaze.
"Hinata." She says in greeting, standing up from behind the desk. "How've you been? It's good to see you!"
She walks around the desk, opening her arms looking for a hug. I oblige, walking to the woman and embracing her in a loving hug. For a moment the two of us embrace one another then she steps back so she stands at arms length, her hands on my shoulders with an approving look on her face.
"So, the new Toad Sage eh?" She asks.
I nod in embarrassment, and Tsunade pats me on the shoulder in approval.
"I'm proud of you. You've become a strong shinobi."
"I don't feel like I've done anything worthy of all the accolades and praise. Naruto is the one who fought of Sasuke and saved everyone."
Tsunade smiles, motioning toward the door.
"Come with me, let's get some coffee."
Fifteen minutes later the two of us walk into a break room of some kind. Several members of the medical corps sit in various chairs and leaning against counters, taking a break from the all consuming work of saving lives. They all stand a little straighter when Tsunade and I walk into the room, and for once I don't feel like the center of attention. The only decoration in the room is a single coffee maker powered by a small electric battery. Around the maker are several cans of coffee, most of them open and empty. There are plastic cups stacked near the maker, and I can only assume they're community use.
Tsunade walks to this maker, grabbing two cups she pours some coffee into each cup, walking back to me she hands me a cup, and I gratefully accept it.
"So, what's wrong?" Tsunade asks casually, leaning on a counter and sipping the cup of coffee.
"I failed to protect twenty-five people." I tell her, taking a sip. "Maybe more died because I couldn't protect them."
"Do you know how many people you saved?" She asks me. "Do you know how many could've been hurt if the fires hadn't been stopped when they did?"
I shake my head no.
"Over one thousand people are still alive because of what you did. You protected every one of those people, saved them not only from Akatsuki but from Sasuke as well. You aren't a god, and neither was the Sage of Six Paths. He was just a person, and while he didn't protect every single follower he had, he did what others couldn't and protected those that couldn't protect themselves."
"I guess so." I reluctantly agree, and Tsunade smiles.
"Has anyone told you yet?" She asks with anticipation in her voice.
I blink in surprise.
"Told me what?" I ask curiously, and Tsunade quickly shakes her head.
"Nothing."
Okay…
"Actually, there is something I wanted to ask you about."
"Hmm?" Tsunade asks curiously, taking another sip.
"Well, I was just thinking, I'm not technically a Hyuga anymore since I lost the Byakugan, and you've always been like an adopted mother, and I don't want to be adopted into Naruto's family since that would legally make us brother and sister. I was wondering if you'd adopt me into the Senju clan."
"You want me to make you a Senju?" She asks, and I nod.
"I know you probably get a lot of people asking for this, since your clan is so famous, and it would only be a technicality, but it'd mean a lot to me."
Tsunade smiles happily.
"I think I'd like that." She says with a smile. "Just because you weren't born a Senju doesn't mean anything. A clan is actually a grouping of people who are bound together by a common descent, even if it's just perceived and not biologically."
"So, you'll make me a Senju?" I ask hopefully, and she nods.
"Sure, though I can't file the paper work right away, I'll do it as soon as I can."
"Thank you Tsunade-sensei, err, I guess I should call you Okaa-san then huh?"
Tsunade blushes deeply when I call her Okaa-san, and I know that she always wanted to have children, but never had a man that she would willingly admit to wanting to be with.
"Okaa-san will work, but only in private." She corrects me, and I nod.
"Thank you Tsunade-okaa-san, I'll see you later, okay?"
"See you Hinata-chan." Tsunade wishes me well, giving me a quick hug before I go.
Ten minutes later I emerge from the makeshift hospital. With my talk with Tsunade over I'm planning on heading toward one of the reconstruction zones to assist with rebuilding. However, I'm not out of the hospital five minutes when two people appear in front of me, facing me with stoic expressions on their faces. The two of them are dressed in robes befitting members of the village council, and I recognize both of the elders from my trips before the village council.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.
The two elderly councilors look me up and down, and I can't help but get a feeling that the two of them have some important business to discuss with me.
"Hinata Hyuga." Homura greets me, nodding his head politely.
Koharu nods her head politely as well, and I know that for me such a motion speaks volumes.
"Do the two of you have something you wish to speak to me about?" I ask politely.
They look to one another, and for some reason I'm reminded of my time with Jiraiya and Tsunade. The look that Koharu and Homura share is one of those looks that people who've been together a long time and been through a lot commonly share. In the brief moment the two of them look at one another a wordless conversation happens, and then the two of them look back to me.
"We're here to offer you the position of Fifth Hokage." Homura says flatly.
W-what?
"You want to make me Hokage? Minato-sama is still around!"
"The Daimyo of the Land of Fire has decided with this incoming alliance that the village needs a leader whose sole focus is the village itself. The Daimyo chose you Hinata."
"I'm very flattered that I was chosen to be the next Hokage." I begin amicably. "But I don't want to be the Fifth or any Hokage." I tell him.
"If not you, then who is suitable?" Homura asks.
Well, first there's Haruka Uchiha, and then there's Jiraiya and Tsunade. They're all more suited to be the Hokage, much more than I am.
"Well, what about the Sannin?" I ask curiously. "Both of them are very powerful and suited for the position. Besides that, I'm just a Chunin."
"The Daimyo has agreed to you." Koharu insists. "And the village council is in agreement; regardless of your rank you've been chosen by this village to be the Fifth."
Where is this coming from? Why me?
"Why me?" I blurt out. "Why not Kushina-san or another Jounin who's been loyal to the village and ready? I'm just a teenager!"
"You possess the same power as the Sage of Six Paths; you've succeeded Jiraiya of the Sannin as a Toad Sage, and have proven to the people that you've inherited the will of the Sage of Six Paths. Who else would be better suited to lead this village?"
I shake my head slowly, trying to think of some way out of the appointment.
"Can I at least think about this?" I ask.
"You may have the next twenty four hours to decide. During that time you shouldn't try to leave the village, or you'll be deemed a missing ninja and treated as such."
"Return to the tower at this time tomorrow with your answer."
"I will." I answer, and the both of them nod.
Ever since we returned and delivered the scroll Naruto has been doing whatever he can to help the village. Neji however has turned the Hyuga manor, one of the few buildings that wasn't heavily damaged, into a shelter for refugees. Now I stand outside the newly erected gate to the manor.
Should I even be here? I just finished asking Tsunade to adopt me into her family because I'm not a Hyuga anymore, and yet here I am.
The gate to the Hyuga manor swings inward. Neji steps through and he hasn't really changed that much since I handed him the secrets of the clan. He must know that I've been standing here, because he smiles at seeing me.
"Hinata-sama, what brings you here?" Neji asks politely.
"I was actually wondering if I could talk to you." I answer him.
He smiles genially, motioning inside.
"Please, come in." He bids me enter.
I walk through the gate and Neji closes it behind me. He then steps ahead of me and starts walking and I graciously fall in step behind him.
"I have opened the Hyuga manor to refugees of the recent tragedies that have befallen our village." He explains as we walk into the building proper. "While conditions are far from ideal, the refugees have a roof over their heads and protection from the elements. Thanks to the work of the clan and the respect of the refugees I have been able to offer these people sanctuary and keep our clan's secrets secret."
"Grandmother would be proud to see that you've risen to the challenge and are helping people." I compliment him.
The two of us round a corner and a door seven feet down the hall opens. Hizashi steps out into the hall holding a bundle of what looks like bloody bandages. Seeing the man who sought to manipulate me into killing him and getting locked away in a jail cell I stop in my tracks and can't help but stare. Neji immediately takes notice and stops a step ahead of me.
"With recent events, every able bodied person is needed to help. Since Otou-san has shown remorse for his crimes, and sworn never to try and harm you again, he was released on supervised probation. He's been assisting with the refugees ever since."
"Oh." I mutter in surprise, and to my surprise Hizashi bows his head apologetically to me.
"I apologize to you from the bottom of my heart." He says earnestly. "I will never try to harm you again. If I had known that you were going to do what you did I never would've destroyed your family records." He apologizes.
"At the time I was angry. But things have changed. I can no longer be called a Hyuga other than in name only, so I had to choose a suitable heir. Neji was the most suitable choice, and I can already tell that my choice wasn't wrong."
"Well, I have to clean these bandages, I wish you all the best Hinata-san."
With that Hizashi bows his head and then walks past me, clutching his bundle of bloody bandages. I watch Hizashi walk away, and I can feel Neji looking at me as his father rounds the corner and disappears from my sight.
"Shall we go speak somewhere in private?" He asks, and I nod.
Neji leads me through the manor to the clan head's private office. He goes in first, and I follow. Neji closes the door behind me, and looking around I can say that the office hasn't changed at all since the last time I was here. The walls are lined with bookshelves, a large darkly stained desk resting in the back of the room with a plush chair behind it. Two wooden chairs rest in front of the desk, obviously meant for any visitors. Neji walks around the desk, sitting down in the chair he motions toward one of the chairs in front of him.
"Please, sit." He bids me sit, and I do, taking the seat on my left. "You may speak freely here; there are no listening devices in this office."
"I've been offered the position of Hokage." I tell him.
Neji's face doesn't show a hint of emotion as he sits behind the desk.
"Did Minato-sama perish?" Neji asks coolly, and I shake my head no.
"Minato-sama has been elected to leadership of the shinobi alliance." I explain. "Due to the increase in his responsibilities the Daimyo believes that a new Hokage whose primary concern is Konoha should be appointed. The council and the Daimyo got together and I was selected to fill that role."
"Congratulations. I assume you accepted the appointment?" He asks, and I shake my head no.
"No, I haven't." I tell him. "I feel like I haven't done anything to earn the position or that I even deserve it."
"I feel that you have." Neji says casually. "You protected the village from Akatsuki, fought off Sasuke and protected the village from his flames and even kept the Akatsuki reinforcements for Sasuke from doing anything to the village."
That's only because Madara didn't mean to do anything to the village, yet.
"People have begun to think of me as the Sage of Six Paths, and I think that's been affecting their decisions."
"With that manifestation and all the things you've done, can you blame them?"
"I never asked for their allegiance, I never asked to be a leader."
"I never asked to be the leader of Hyuga, but there are times when you must step up and do what you can to protect others."
"I don't feel like I'm ready to be Hokage, I'm just a teenager."
"We all have our burdens to bear."
He's right about that, everyone has their burden to bear.
"Thank you Neji-san." I thank him.
An hour later I approach the Hokage manor. The manor managed to only suffer minor damage in Sasuke's attack, so once the repairs were finished Kushina opened the manor for use as a temporary administration building for the village business while the damage to the tower is repaired. With that change, people come and go, and several shinobi now stand guard and check people coming and going into the manor. Approaching the gate I stop for the guard, showing him my ID before advancing. Naruto has been here, acting as a gopher and doing whatever he can to help the running of the village go as smoothly as possible. Even with everyone pitching in, the village has suffered two major blows inside of a month, and it will be months before the repairs are completed.
Walking inside I enter the manor proper, and the place has certainly taken on a different atmosphere now that it's being used as an administrative facility instead of a family home. While I'm in the halls the people that pass me give me a wide berth, and they all nod respectfully at me as I pass.
Naruto is this way, I just know it.
Following my feelings, I walk to an open doorway and peek inside. I see that he's sitting in a repurposed bedroom and I get the feeling that he's basically working as Kushina's secretary. He sits on the bed, papers strewn about in front of him, his eyes darting from one paper to another. Reaching out I gently knock on the door frame, and Naruto's head pops up from the papers.
"You have a minute?" I ask curiously, and Naruto blinks, rubbing his eyes.
"Yeah…" He breathes with a weary sigh.
He's been working himself ragged. Not only that but I'm under light duty orders from the medical corps. They don't want me doing something to overexert myself after everything that's just happened. I don't know why all the attention is on me, Naruto is the one who fought off Sasuke, not me.
Stepping into the room, Naruto smiles, standing up from the bed he approaches me and puts his arms around me, the two of us sharing a quick kiss. Looking down at me with a genuine smile on his face I can't help but feel happy and smile, even though I've got so much on my mind.
"So, what's up?" He asks casually.
"I've been offered the position of Fifth Hokage." I tell him.
Surprise flashes in his eyes.
"Really?" He asks, and I nod.
"The Daimyo believes with your father's new responsibilities the needs of the village won't be his primary responsibility. He wants another Hokage who will look out for the village rather than the rest of the lands."
"Wow." Naruto mutters.
"I'm thinking of turning it down." I tell him. "I know that it's an honor just to be chosen, but I'm still only a teenager."
"It's your choice." Naruto says with a shrug. "I'll support you regardless of whichever path you choose."
Hearing that, I can't help but smile wider, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"Thank you, Naru-kun." I smile, kissing him lovingly.
An hour later I sit atop Minato's head on the Hokage Mountain. The wind blows gently through my hair, the smell of burnt flesh still on the wind and the sounds of construction resonating from the village below. The air is cool, a stark contrast to a day ago when some of the fires still burned. Looking down at the village I can see people milling about, the desire to rebuild what was lost and bring back some sense of normalcy bringing the people together in way that a single person never could.
It's nice up here. The air is cool and the area is silent. I've always liked this place; ever since I first came up here I can't help but be reminded of my time spent meditating on Myoboku. I feel like I'm back there, the gentle sounds of the oil lake, the toads quietly mulling about, it was like another world.
A woman's grunt pulls me from my thoughts and I look toward the lip of the carving to see a familiar hand reach up and grab ahold of the top of the mountain. With a grunt of exertion Tsunade pulls herself up and into a sitting position. Tsunade looks over at me with a frown on her face, her breathing labored.
"You know…" She begins, panting in exhaustion. "…you're really hard to find…when you want to be." She finishes.
I look at her with curiosity in my eyes.
"You were trying to find me?" I ask hesitantly.
She blinks in surprise before she shakes her head slowly.
"Tch…why wouldn't I try and find you? I've spent the last four hours filling out goddamn paperwork so I could formally adopt you into my family." She practically growls, allowing her irritation to show in her voice.
She's handling that now?
"You didn't have to do that right away. I know it's just a formality and it won't mean that I'm actually you're daughter or anything. A part of me just wanted to belong to the clan that Madara says I'm the embodiment of."
"Madara, as in Madara Uchiha?" She asks curiously, and I nod.
"You know about Madara Uchiha?" I ask curiously.
In the academy his name or the Uchiha is never once mentioned during the history lesson on the founding of the village. Then again, neither is the Senju clan. What we're told in the academy is that Konoha was founded when a bunch of clans came together that didn't have a place to call home. Those clans bound together to form the fifth great Hidden Village. What the story in the academy doesn't say is the name of those clans, nor does it mention that it was really just two main clans that founded the village, not a group. The truth is that it was the Senju and the Uchiha coming together that started this village. Then the Senju leader won leadership of the village and was declared the First Hokage. The Uchiha were given special power as the police of the entire village. From what I can tell Madara had some problem with the way things were going and wanted to revolt, but his clan probably wasn't too gung ho with the idea of starting another conflict after just making peace with their most hated enemies.
I guess in hindsight, he was probably right. The Uchiha clan is nearly extinct, only two known members of it left, one of them immortal and the other immoral. But the Senju are no better, the first died and so did his brother the second. Tsunade is the last known member of the clan, the last living descendent of the First. In a way you could say that the Senju paid the price for starting this village, and are just as close to extinction as the Uchiha.
"My grandfather would tell me stories about him when I was little. She said that he was a man unlike any other. When he fought against my grandfather he actually summoned the Kyuubi into the fight and manipulated it, and even then my grandfather still defeated him." Tsunade reminisces.
"Did you think that he could still be alive?"
She shakes her head no.
"No, actually it's impossible. The man would be over one hundred years old and if he was still alive would be nothing but a shriveled up husk of a creature. He'd hardly be able to move, much less teleport around like some spirit."
"He claims that he's the Madara Uchiha, and he knew about how Konoha was founded. He told me the story about the Sage of Six Paths and how the Senju and Uchiha were pitted against one another."
"And you believed him?" Tsunade asks dubiously.
"Why would he lie about what he is? I've seen his eyes, he has a Sharingan."
"So? A Sharingan just means he has Uchiha blood. He could be some unknown who was born to a woman who didn't have the Sharingan and was married off to someone in another village."
"I suppose, but how many Uchiha females were married off in the previous generation? They wanted to protect their bloodline, just like the Hyuga. Even if my husband was a foreigner I wouldn't have been allowed to leave the village because my children could be too heavily involved in the clan. I think the Uchiha probably had similar practices to keep anyone who might manifest the Sharingan in the village."
"Maybe." Tsunade says with a shrug. "Once you sign some papers your name will be Hinata Senju, and I'll legally be your mother, though I can't change what your children will be."
"If my children are born with the Byakugan, they'll be pressed into a branch family and branded with the curse seal."
Saying it I can't help but frown.
Even though I no longer have the Byakugan the bloodline is in my genes, and if Naruto and I ever have children then it's very possible those children will be born with the Byakugan. If that happens then I won't be able to raise them. As soon as it's safe the child will be taken from me and put into a branch family, and I won't be allowed to have any contact with he/she again. The only other option I have for raising a child with the Byakugan is to run away from the village and go into hiding, but then I'd be deemed a criminal shinobi by Konoha and with the new worldwide shinobi alliance I probably wouldn't have a safe haven in any country. Before I could've probably gone to the Cloud or Sand and bartered for clan status and protection. Most villages would love have their own set of Byakugan wielding shinobi, and I still remember everything my grandmother taught me and I mastered during my time away.
I shake my head, clearing my head of the depressing thoughts.
"Something wrong Hinata?" Tsunade asks gently, and I quickly smile happily at the woman.
"I'm fine. Just thinking about what might happen to my children if they were born with the Byakugan."
"Well, I for one hope that every child you have has Naruto's eyes." She says with a hint of spite in her voice. "I never really did agree with some of the practices that clan kept up with. Denying a mother the right to see her child is downright wrong."
So, she knows about my upbringing.
"Me too, I really appreciate everything you've done for me Tsunade-okaa-san."
"I can't imagine Kushina will be too happy to hear that I've adopted you." She grins. "I know for a fact that she was looking forward to the day when you and Naruto finally tie the knot."
"Well, Naruto and I aren't engaged yet, and when everything settles down we'll probably get married. It would be weird if they adopted me and then I married him. Plus with everything going on it just isn't the right time to get married."
"There is that." Tsunade remarks dryly. "Though I'm sure Kushina will want to have a word with you when the adoption papers cross her desk."
"How did she manage to assume the responsibilities like that? I thought with Minato gone the council would take direct control of the shinobi, or maybe one of the other councilors would assume the title."
"Oh, one of them did." Tsunade remarks dryly. "Danzo tried to assume the position, and the only thing that stopped him was that Jiraiya and I were both there, and your cousin sided with us. We elected to have Kushina assume emergency powers, so Danzo called for the appointment of a new Hokage."
"Danzo called for it? I thought the Daimyo wanted a Hokage that would put Konoha first, not Danzo."
"Technically the Daimyo is the one who demanded the appointment, but he never even thought of it until Danzo brought it up and convinced him it was necessary. Of course once candidates were called for Danzo nominated himself. The Daimyo called for any other nominations, and I nominated you, more to impede Danzo than because I wanted you thrust into that position."
"If you didn't want me burdened by the position then why not nominate yourself or Jiraiya-sensei?"
Tsunade scoffs.
"Tch, Jiraiya would never, ever accept a nomination, so I'd be wasting my breath. As for nominating myself, I'm not stupid enough to willingly step up to that without there not being any other choice."
"So, you'd sooner subject me to being Hokage than spare yourself the anguish?" I ask sarcastically, and Tsunade shakes her head.
"I didn't think your nomination would be accepted. I was just trying to buy a few minutes to think of someone else that I could nominate. It was the Daimyo who ended up choosing you. He asked who you were and why your name sounded familiar. When he was told that you're the one who's rumored to be the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths and a hero to the entire village, he immediately settled on you."
"Great…" I mutter dryly.
Chosen to be Hokage, what did I do to deserve that? Sure, I fought off Nagato and saved Kakashi Hatake and protected the village from Amaterasu. Other than that I haven't done anything major since I got back, unless it got out that I'm the one who fought against Shukaku during the Chunin exams?
Thinking about what happened back then, it's like another life time, yet it was only four short years ago that Orochimaru made his bid for the death of Konoha.
Tsunade slides across the smooth stone so that she sits next to me on my right, her knees bent in front of her, her arms on her knees.
"Listen Hinata, I'm sorry that things worked out this way." Tsunade apologizes earnestly. "I never meant for you to become Hokage while you're so young, and I'm not here to pressure you into accepting the appointment. You have every right to deny the appointment and no one can force you to accept the title."
"I know Tsunade-okaa-san." I assure her.
"You should head back." She says patting me on the back for motivation. "Disappear for too long and people will start to think you've abandoned them."
"I know…" I whisper, standing up and brushing myself off.
An hour later I walk into the mission assignment room, which is really just the living room of the Hokage manor with a rectangular table spanning the far end in front of the TV, Kushina sitting on a chair between the TV and the table. Normally the Hokage and several assistants would be here, but with the current situation Kushina is handling it all on her own. I returned here after speaking to Tsunade to sign the adoption papers, and upon my return I was rushed to a waiting room and told that the 'Hokage' wanted to speak with me as soon as she is able about a matter of extreme importance. I know it has to be about the adoption, and that Kushina probably has those papers I'm looking to sign sitting on the table in front of her. I waited for thirty minutes and have only just been called into the room.
The door closes behind me, and I actually look at Kushina, the woman wearing her normal civilian clothes, a long black sleeveless dress with red trim. Her violet eyes are red and dark bags hang beneath them. Her hair looks like she just quickly brushed it and clipped it aside.
She frowns upon my entrance, and I must admit that it's one of the very few times that I've ever seen her frown or scowl. The table she sits at is covered with papers, some stacked, some not, and she quickly starts rummaging through them, searching for a particular set.
"Kushina-sama." I greet her, bowing respectfully as she continues to rummage through the files. "You wished to see me?"
She digs for another five seconds, until…
"AH-HA!" She proclaims in victory, her hand grasping a set of papers and thrusting them up into the air in victory.
I keep my face neutral, allowing the woman to enjoy her victory. I can't even begin to imagine everything that's been shoved onto her plate. She lowers the papers, holding them at eye level.
"Do you know what these are Hinata?" She asks, holding the papers by the top margin between her thumb and pointer finger.
With five feet between us I can read some of the writing on the paper, though I don't need to be able to read the papers to know what this must be about.
"Those are the adoption papers filled out by Tsunade Senju to adopt me into her family as her daughter."
Kushina smiles sarcastically.
"Very good." She compliments with her voice oozing sarcasm. "What I've called you here for is to ask you why you want Tsunade to adopt you."
"How do you know that it isn't Tsunade who wanted to adopt me?" I ask curiously.
"Because on the paperwork it lists the reason for adoption, and Tsunade wrote that it's because you asked for it." Kushina remarks matter of factly. "Did Naruto do something to you that you no longer want to be a part of our family?"
I blink in surprise.
"No! What makes you think that's my reason for wanting to be a Senju?"
"Well, I can't think of any other reason why you'd rather join her clan than ours."
"Well, Naruto and I aren't engaged yet, though hopefully eventually we will marry, but it will look weird if your family adopts me and then I marry my adopted brother." I say. "So, if Tsunade adopts me into her family I'll be a Senju rather than a Namikaze and it won't look strange if I marry Naruto."
"I suppose. I just thought that maybe Naruto did something to you to make you angry, and this was your way at getting back at him."
I shake my head no.
"It's nothing like that, Kushina-sama." I explain to her.
"Then you'll have to sign these papers. Once you do that and I put the village's seal on them your adoption will be official."
"Thank you, Kushina-sama."
With her direction I sign the appropriate places and Kushina puts the seal of the Hokage on the papers, officially making me a Senju rather than a Hyuga. Once that's done Kushina puts the papers aside, looking up at me seriously.
"Are you going to accept the appointment to Fifth Hokage?" She asks, and I blink in surprise.
"I…probably not." I answer, shaking my head.
She nods approvingly.
"Good, you shouldn't have to carry that burden. I'll tear Tsunade a new ear the next time I see her for even nominating you." She growls under her breath.
"Thank you, Kushina-sama."
I take the papers and leave, a small smile on my face.