The previous chapter ended the 'Chie Chronicles', so here is a little summary of where we left at chapter 34:

During the final round of the Chunin Exams, Orochimaru launched an attack on Konoha. His village, Otogakure, was joined by Sunagakure, after its Kazekage had been deceived by Orochimaru's partner Sasori. However, the invasion failed, as Naruto stopped Gaara from unleashing Shukaku and wreaking havoc in the middle of Konoha, and Sasori and Orochimaru were stopped as well. Sasori fell at the hands of Yugito, as the jinchuriki of the Nibi was enraged by the Akatsuki's attempt to capture her 'younger brothers'. Orochimaru managed to poison the Hokage before he was chased away by Jiraiya. Also, in an attempt to get his hands on another doujutsu, Orochimaru sent out Kabuto to kidnap Hinata. Haruki managed to prevent this, though at the cost of his own life. With Orochimaru fleeing the field, leaving behind his grunts to be slaughtered, Sunagakure surrendered. Suna's temporary leader, Baki, saw the snake sannin murdering his Kazekage, and realized they were betrayed. The Kazekage's corpse and his children were left behind in Konoha, when Suna departed, as part of the truce negotiated by Baki and Jiraiya. Kohoha's successful resistance nonetheless left the Hyuga clan in turmoil, as it was evident that Hizashi had broken their clan's laws by teaching his son forbidden techniques, and Hinata found out that people from her own clan had attempted to kill her- attempts that were stopped by Naruto.

Chunin arc

Promotions

Several days after the burial of Hyuga Haruki, the Konoha Council came together; also invited were the four jonin-sensei whose students had reached the later stages of the exam. In addition, the jonin-commander Nara Shikaku, and most of the other clan heads were present. It was an important meeting because the topic was to decide which genin had earned promotion for their actions throughout the Chunin Exams and during the following invasion.

Not fully trusting his councillors to make the right decisions, the Hokage had postponed this meeting in order to be there in person. Sarutobi Hiruzen had weakened significantly due to the poisonous attack from his former student, but with the help of Tsunade and Naruto he at least managed to recover in part. In all honesty, Hiruzen had to admit to himself that a noble death in battle would have been nicer, but he was a shinobi down to the very core. To his last breath, he would do his duty; glory was not something a shinobi should pursue. Their profession was not about glory and heroics, but doing what needed to be done from the shadows. However, he somehow never really managed to get that aspect of his profession into Jiriaya's head, Sarutobi noted. Then again, even as a boy Jiraiya had always been a dreamer, in contrast to the practical mentality Hiruzen had himself. 'Maybe that mentality prevented him from collapsing like Tsunade did,' Hiruzen mused as he was walked into the room, flanked by Jiraiya and Tsunade.

When the old Hokage found that despite his expressed wishes, the meeting had already, unofficially started, a deep frown settled on Hiruzen's old and tired face. Led by the three elders, Mitokado Homura, Shimura Danzo, and Utatane Koharu, the clan heads were already in a heated discussion regarding the validity of the exam. 'Ahh.. I expected this to happen. I haven't even properly drawn my last breath and they are already fighting for power- and Tsunade wondered why I refused to tell them that I am dying…'

"…but the exam was interrupted, therefore any results should not be valid," Danzo urged.

Hiruzen coughed, making his entry known to his three former teammates. Since they had seats facing away from the door Hiruzen had used to enter, since he came from his own office, they had not seen him. After all, the elders were supposed to be the Hokage's most trusted, the ones who knew each other well enough to show each other their backs without hesitation. 'How long has it been since we were just team members? When did we lose the unconditional trust we had in each other? Not long after Tobirama-sensei died, I think..'

Hiruzen tried, and failed, to suppress a chuckle when two of the three froze in their seats. Then again, Danzo always seemed frozen, so he didn't really count.

"I suppose this saves me the trouble of starting this meeting, even though I would have preferred it if you three had waited until the moment this meeting was actually supposed to start. But enough of that. I think we have seen enough to at least consider whether a few notable genin deserve promotion," Hiruzen said dryly as he took his seat. "I'd say that the interruption of this exam did not give any of the genin a real disadvantage.."

"I agree," Aburame Shibi, who represented his clan, argued. "All of the candidates had participated, with the exception of the one contestant who withdrew, and his opponent."

"Still, Sunagakure clearly sent in three genin who were far above the level of what ordinary genin should be. Their fights should not be…" Yamanaka Inoichi started.

"Tch, you're just sour because your daughter lost," Shikaku chuckled, earning him a sharp look from his old friend. "Kirigakure did also send one of the new generation of their seven swordsmen, not to mention that boy with the hyoton bloodline.."

"Those pups were rather unusually skilled this time," the Inuzuka elder said. "Small wonder that amidst that carnage, most of our youngsters hardly did anything noticeable."

"With one exception," Shikaku countered. "The boy surely made a lot of progress, especially considering his… well, let's call it a handicap."

"The Kyuubi-brat has only proven to me that he lacks the control to be allowed to walk freely around in this village," Danzo grumbled. That remark earned him a surprised look from Hiruzen, who gestured to the annoyed Jiraiya to stand down before doing anything foolish.

"I'm afraid you let your prejudice get the better of you, Danzo. Again," Hiruzen sighed. "Uzumaki Naruto did the opposite of losing control. No matter how much he was incited by the actions of Hyuga Neji, he did not lose control of the Kyuubi for a moment. Similarly, no matter how hard the jinchuriki from Sunagakure pushed him, Naruto never lost control. In the contrary: Naruto even showed us how he could use the chakra from the Kyuubi to defeat the Ichibi, that he is in control, rather than the other way around. In my opinion, he proved his worth, and certainly showed that he is worthy of a promotion to chunin. After all, Naruto did something that none of the previous jinchuriki of the Kyuubi managed to do. Something of which I suspect Minato had his hand in, before his untimely death."

Against this, Danzo could not protest, not when the majority of the clan heads seemed to be agreeing. His only hope was the civilian representative, but that man could only bring forth his fear for the demon itself. As a last resort, Danzo turned to the jonin-sensei present. "We have both a former sensei and a current sensei of the Uzumaki amongst us," Koharu spoke up, after a signal from Danzo. "Let them give their opinions about the boy, before we put the matter to a vote. Hatake Kakashi?"

The jonin stood up and bowed his head slightly to acknowledge all the members of the council. "I have only seen Naruto for a few months, and I have seen his growth," Kakashi said, seemingly uninterested as always. "Uzumaki Naruto is the most surprising shinobi I know, a fact that he has proven from the very first day I met him," and he reminded everyone of how Naruto had managed to succeed in the usually impossible test. Kakashi doubted that any rumor had been spread faster through the village than that one, though he still did not know who had leaked that little piece of information- not that Hiruzen would tell.

"His potential, both in skill and chakra capacity, is likely far beyond my own, yet his burdens are also great. But it is the way Uzumaki Naruto deals with those burdens that impressed me the most. He has a remarkable spirit, and never gives up on anything. I understand that people fear the demon, but those that would take the time and give Naruto a chance will see the truth."

The last comment certainly caused a lot of murmuring. Not surprisingly either, considering how Kakashi was known as one of the strongest (if not the strongest) jonin of Konoha. The other being Gai, but people always had trouble of giving that man the respect he actually deserved. And if a man of this calibre praised someone to this extent..

"I fully agree," Kurenai continued before Koharu could speak up again. "Though, I must say that Uzumaki Naruto has suffered more from the prejudice caused by the Kyuubi, than from issues with the demon itself. Naruto has shown several times that he capable of things most people can only dream of, yet he has never once shown that he could be corrupted by that power. Some of the genin I have witnessed during the exam were overly confident in their own power, and would likely sacrifice anything to gain a power like he has, but would only be corrupted by it. Uzumaki Naruto is my student, and I have the utmost confidence in him. Not just as a shinobi, nor as a jinchuriki, but as a human."

"Has the Uzumaki child ever shown power like we witnessed during his fight with Sabaku no Gaara?" Homura questioned. "Did he ever lose control?"

But neither of the jonin could tell the old councillors what they wanted to hear, so Hiruzen added finally: "Well, I am certainly glad Naruto made good use of the demon's power, or I would not be around today. And I have little doubt that many more would have died during the invasion."

"Without the intervention of Uzumaki Naruto, the unleashed Ichibi would have been turned against our village," Shikaku spoke up to silence the murmur in the hall. "Upon investigation of the shinobi we captured from Otogakure, we discovered most of Orochimaru's plan. Though I think that this plan should be described by the one responsible for uncovering most of the information," he gestured to Jiraiya.

"The strategy of Orochimaru consisted of three parts," Jiraiya explained when all faces turned towards him. "First, with the aid of the snakes summoned by specialists from Otogakure, shinobi from Sunagakure and Otogakure were to have flooded through breaches in our walls. Second, Orochimaru had planned to use the Kazekage to steer the unleashed Ichibi, and to cause enough chaos and destruction so that our troops on the walls could not be reinforced. Third, he planned to assassinate the Hokage, thereby crippling the leadership of Konoha, and creating further chaos."

Jiraiya did not add the fourth point, that Orochimaru's partner was supposed to capture Naruto, and most likely Gaara too. Over the years, Jiraiya had heard several worrisome things about the Akatsuki organization that his former friend and teammate had joined, but that Akatsuki would be after the jinchuriki was something he had yet to fully comprehend. As much of this was as yet unconfirmed, Hiruzen had agreed that as long as they had no more information on them, the details about Akatsuki would remain classified. Only those who had seen and heard Sasori knew a little about this, and they all had received their gag order on the subject.

"In short, Uzumaki Naruto prevented the second part of Orochimaru's plan from happening, as well as aided in stopping the third," Hiruzen continued with a clear voice. "He risked his own life to save Konoha, showed remarkable strength and intelligence, and as far as I'm concerned, a promotion is the least Naruto deserves for his heroics. If you do not want to promote him because of a technicality, that his match against Gaara was outside the bound of the exam, then I will be forced to issue a field promotion."

Danzo gritted his teeth when he saw the vast majority vote in favor of a promotion for Naruto, especially now that many now came to realize the full extent of what Naruto had done for Konohagakure. In contrast, Jiraiya and Kurenai both smiled widely, as both felt proud that the boy finally gained some of the recognition he deserved. Even Kakashi, in his own stoic way, silently cheered for his former student, and his teacher's son.

'Looks like I have to deal with the demon in another way…' Danzo thought, prompting the assembled to switch to another subject. "Let us continue with the other candidates. The last of the Uchiha clan performed rather well during the first rounds as well as in the preliminaries, but had the bad luck to draw the hyoton user during the finals."

"His mastery of the chidori was certainly unexpected," Shikaku agreed. "However, his tactical insight certainly has a lot of room for improvement. From what I heard, the Uchiha had faced this Haku before, did he not, Kakashi?"

Kakashi nodded. "We met Haku and his sensei, Momochi Zabuza, while on a mission in the country of waves," he explained to the others. "They were still missing nin at that point, having rebelled against the previous Mizukage, much like the current Mizukage. At that time, Haku defeated Sasuke with relative ease."

"So he knew what he was up against but still charged right at him?" Shikaku frowned. "Not quite the mind-set I would expect from a chunin- especially not from an Uchiha. After all, their clan's shinobi usually excelled in analytical abilities, exploiting every opportunity to use their sharingan to gather new skills. Even if I take the age of those kids into account, I know it is unrealistic to expect great leadership skills, as they still lack experience, but still… if they do not have the tactical prowess to understand their position, or at the very least show a certain amount of potential in that account…" he trailed off.

"True, the performance of the Uchiha seemed to be based upon the notion of brute strength," Inoichi agreed with his friend. "That is how he tried to overcome a much faster enemy. I must admit I was quite disappointed to see him lose like that. I expected the boy to have a lot of potential, especially after all the stories had I heard." He didn't add that many of these stories came from his daughter, who wasn't exactly impartial when it came to the last Uchiha.

Hiruzen had no intention of revealing that Sasuke was burdened with the curse seal from Orochimaru, but it was another thing which made him think that the young Uchiha should not be promoted. Not yet, at least. Unlike Naruto, Sasuke had yet to prove that he could either contain such a vile power, or use it wisely when having no other options. Hiruzen realized that he had already worked out his opinion regarding the Uchiha. "I am afraid I cannot allow a possible promotion of Uchiha Sasuke," he spoke up, when some of the heads started to argue why Sasuke should be promoted.

"What?" some exclaimed. "Why?" Several more voices protested. Hiruzen sighed. 'Why can't they look beyond the blood? The Uchiha kekkei genkai surely is a powerful asset, but it does not necessarily mean that the boy is a good shinobi.'

"Uchiha Sasuke is the last of his line. Well, the last of his line who is still in Konoha," Hiruzen said, cutting off any further protest. "I cannot allow him to be promoted. In the best interest of Konohagakure, Uchiha Sasuke should live and grow old enough to at least make sure he continues his bloodline. As long as there is still doubt regarding Sasuke's mental and physical abilities, I cannot allow him to be promoted and thereby allow him to face even greater risks. Konoha cannot afford to lose the entire Uchiha bloodline. Under the current situation I would only recommend Sasuke's promotion when I would be certain that he would not face an unreasonably high risk to die. Konoha cannot afford to lose the sharingan."

"If it is about risk, couldn't we just.. Well, you know, gather his genetic material, as a backup?" the Inuzuka elder suggested.

Hiashi was not one to show much emotion, but this made him frown. Deeply. "Artificial insemination?" he grumbled. "Surely you know of the risks of that regarding kekkei genkai?"

"Allow me to explain," Aburame Shibi spoke up. "Though the process is already complex, even with a medic as skilled as Tsunade-sama, there are too many risks when a kekkei genkai is involved. Why? Because the delicate balance of chakra within the genetic material is easily disrupted. In the regular reproduction process this already involves a chance where the offspring will not inherit the bloodline abilities of the parents, but the chances of success are even lower using artificial means."

"It is only to be used as a last resort," Hiruzen agreed. "For now, the value of the Uchiha blood outweighs the risks of having Sasuke promoted. Not even considering whether he even deserves the promotion or not." He knew very well that this was a touchy subject to many clans, and any form of research into the matter in order to increase the odds of success were always opposed by the clans. Not that the Inuzuka felt bothered by this. Their bond with their ninken was not relying on blood, so even if many of their skills were indeed depending on genetic factors, such as their improved senses, the Inuzuka were the clan who was least dependant on bloodties. Ironic, considering that the Inuzuka were also the ones who valued family the most. But of all the clans, they were the ones with the least issues regarding the topic of adoption. Nor with other forms of reproduction. 'Well, they wouldn't treat humans any differently than they do their dogs, so it does make sense. But we cannot let the fate of the Uchiha clan depend on such a risky procedure.'

Again, a majority agreed with their Hokage- and again, Shimura Danzo was left disappointed. In his eye(s), Naruto was the one who should have been kept at a short leash, as the Kyuubi was a dangerous but nevertheless a very valuable weapon for Konoha. In contrast, he thought it would be much wiser to eliminate the last Uchiha, as that clan only posed a risk to Konoha. Their power combined with their questionable loyalty had always been a thorn in Danzo's eye. But he knew very well that Uchiha Sasuke could not be eliminated by him. 'Not in Konoha. No, a death while on a dangerous mission would be far easier to explain,' Danzo ruminated. And Danzo had yet to forget the threat Uchiha Itachi had made before he left Konohagakure. None of the elders would forget. And Danzo did not feel ready to risk a confrontation with the infamous Uchiha yet.

"From what I have seen, there is still one more genin who we should discuss. The Nara boy has also shown capacity that is worthy of a promotion," Hiruzen spoke up. "Because of his actions, Naruto was able to breach the barrier that separated me from my reinforcements. Nara Shikamaru showed much promise in the earlier two rounds too, where his intelligence and skill ensured that his team progressed through the stages. It is also highly impressive that he managed to trick and defeat one of the new generation of Kiri's swordsmen."

Shikaku frowned, pleasantly surprised to hear his son getting such a recommendation from the Hokage, not to mention that Yoshino would be overjoyed when she would hear that their son had been promoted at this age. However, there was little doubt regarding his son's response to talk of a promotion- he would either find the whole thing troublesome, or he would lazily remark that it saved him the effort of taking another exam. 'Still, two rookies getting all the way through the exam and earning their promotions was something that hardly ever happened. Even if one of the two was a jinchuriki, it was still against all logic.' It made Shikaku all the more proud of his son, not that he would tell him. 'The moment Shikamaru learned that he did good, he would put in even less effort…'

Shikaku guiltily admitted to himself that he could not blame him. Yoshino never failed to rub it in that Shikamaru got that trait from him. 'Troublesome women…' On the other hand, Shikaku smiled at the thought that his son needed extra attention with training now. Few things were more enjoyable than relaxing while others worked their asses off.

Tsunade frowned as her green-glowing hands moved around to inspect her old sensei. "You should have called a break, be a bit more reasonable," she scolded him. "If you keep overexerting yourself like this…"

"You know as well as I do that these matters had to be discussed as soon as possible," Hiruzen sighed.

Jiraiya could only defend his sensei. It was a shock to the Council when they heard that he and Hiruzen had accepted the official apologies from Sunagakure, in which Suna openly admitted that the Kazekage had been controlled by one of Orochimaru's henchmen. For a village, this was probably the greatest disgrace they could face. And publicly, on top of it all. Normally, it would be as likely to happen as a blushing Danzo, but in this case.. Suna had attacked Konoha, and in the process Kirigakure and Kumogakure had gotten involved too. If Suna did not go all out in an attempt to fix things, it could potentially face a war with three nations at once. And knowing the reputation of Iwagakure, Suna would have to watch their northern borders as well. Sunagakure had no other choice than to swallow its pride and grovel in shame. And beyond those concessions, Jiraiya had even got Baki's agreement on a collateral: in order to ensure that Sunagakure would not betray them, Konohagakure would, for the time being, retain the body of the deceased Kazekage, as well as his children, as hostages.

Of course they had not shared with the Council that Jiraiya had explained to Baki that the sealing on Gaara had been vastly improved, and that Naruto would help to improve Gaara's seal even further, minimizing the future danger of the Ichibi's rampages. Furthermore, it had been agreed that the siblings would not have to remain in their cells, but would soon move to a secure place within Konoha. As a safeguard, Jiraiya had arranged that either he or Naruto would remain as Gaara's guards, until the new formal peace treaty, featuring the improved trade conditions for Konoha, was signed.

A smile crept across Jiriaya's face as he remembered Baki's look when the Sand nin had realized that Konoha would effectively give Sunagakure a supersoldier that would potentially double Suna's power. After all, the Ichibi was considered to be undefeatable when able to take advantage of the vast deserts surrounding their village. Baki had thanked Jiraiya for this, telling him that this would make it much easier to convince the council in Suna to agree with the terms.

And the same had turned out to be true for Konoha's council, which had reluctantly agreed, as no one could go against Jiraiya on this- especially because Naruto had proven strong enough to fight the Ichibi on his own.

The second treaty that they presented had created even more chaos in the council, Jiraiya recalled, nearly causing a heart attack or two among some of the elder members. Even Danzo's visible eye had twitched significantly, something even Jiriaya – who had the habit of trying to sell his Icha Icha series to Danzo with every new release – did not see very often. The conventional wisdom was that Kirigakure had a long history of treason, so how could they accept a treaty between Kirigakure and Konohagakure? 'They would have taken me to a mental institution if no one had witnessed the actions of the new Mizukage. The way that she and her detail had aided in the defence of Konoha had left a strong impression, and certainly helped in getting this proposition to pass. The trade interests came in a close second place though. Greed made it easier for people to forget past transgressions.'

Jiriaya sighed when he heard Tsunade squabble more about the old man's health. They all knew that Hiruzen had more or less a month before the poison would get the upper hand and end his life. 'Even the antidote that Tsunade had derived from Naruto's blood could not help him live much longer. While Naruto already was immune to most poisons due to the Kyuubi's influence, the antibodies he had created after being poisoned by Orochimaru only broke down the poison to a level that was tolerable to him. However, what was tolerable to Uzumaki Naruto would still kill most others.' Intrigued by the ramifications, Jiraiya grinned at the idea of trying to get Naruto drunk. He would never pay for that- if the boy could resist such poisons, there was little doubt that it would take a very serious amount of alcohol to get Naruto floored. Jiraiya stored the thought for future use; perhaps he would goad Tsunade into a drinking contest with the boy. With the debts she had already gathered, she wouldn't mind a little more.

But for the meantime, Hiruzen's condition depended upon Tsunade's ability to create an antidote to the poison that Orochimaru had used against him. It had proven to be virtually impossible. While the poison was similar to the poison used against Naruto, the latter had been less potent. Apparently, Orochimaru had kept this specific poison for special occasions. Apart from that, all three knew that Hiruzen was old, and that his body would not last that much longer even in the unlikely event that Tsunade found a cure. The damage was already done. All they could do now was to prevent the old man to suffer too much. It was a good thing that the partial antidote based on Naruto's blood at least minimized Hiruzen's pain and allowed the man to do his work to some degree.

Jiraiya already dreaded the headaches and chaos that he imagined would hit Konoha once Hiruzen announced his plans to step down again. Last time, Minato had been the perfect successor, but this time there was no shinobi that stood out enough. Jiraiya had wanted to wait a bit longer before taking Naruto away from Konoha for training, but with the way he felt now, Jiraiya intended to leave Konoha the first moment he could. Especially with the likelihood that Danzo aimed for the position of Hokage. If the old war hawk managed to get that, Naruto would probably be forbidden to leave Konoha.

'Damn politicians,' Jiraiya sputtered to himself. 'Perhaps Tsunade is really right in that only idiots would want to deal with this crap.'

Neji and Hizashi found themselves confined to their individual rooms at the Hyuga compound, imprisoned and awaiting the judgement of the elders of their clan- waiting for Hiashi to punish his brother for the blatant transgression of their clan's laws, a fate even Hizashi knew he had brought upon himself.

Neji had first spent several days at the hospital. The wounds on his chest had recovered pretty well, but because the open wounds had been burned, it had resulted in four long and hideous scars. The medics had attempted to restore the skin as well as they could, and had promised that the scars would diminish over time, but Neji knew that they would never completely vanish.

But compared to the pain that those four scars cause him, his forehead was likely far worse. Naruto had likely burned away his seal, and most of his skin along with it. The doctors were forced to transplant new skin to his forehead, because the wounds were too bad to be healed with regular methods. Neji had not seen the results of that procedure yet, as his head remained covered in bandages all of the time. But the looks from his caretakers/guards when changing his bandages had been enough for him; Neji knew his body had suffered as much as his pride.

'How could I ever think I could oppose Naruto.. I don't know what he is, but he is not human,' Neji pondered, still trying to figure out how he had lost. 'How was it possible that someone could reopen his tenketsu, even when they were all closed? All of them!' No chakra storage seal should have been sufficient to do that, and that left aside the puzzle that someone, not of Hyuga blood, could reopen an individual tenketsu. The few within his own clan who could do such a thing had to possess remarkable chakra control and noticeable strength.

'Unless… his chakra is insanely strong.. If that's the case, his tenketsu must be extremely strong to support such strength… could he have just forced so much chakra through them that they reopened, without having his tenketsu break from the strain?' Neji mused. It might have been a possibility, Neji conceded, although he would have probably still thought that it was impossible if he had not seen Naruto's power, that one moment- if he had not seen those crimson eyes, and that seemingly limitless amount of chakra. 'Those eyes... as if I was looking into a bottomless pit of chakra. What on earth was that?' In his dreams following the exam, while delirious from the fevers, those eyes had kept looking down on him. Haunting him.

'I owe Hinata-sama my life and my freedom.. Why did he say that? What did he mean with that?' Before, he would have discarded those words as nonsense. But Neji now knew that Naruto had been the one behind the disappearances and murders within their clan. But why? Normally, the only logical conclusion that Neji could reach was that those people had been threatening Naruto. But now… he recognized that Naruto would not do that against someone who tried to take his life. But if they were after Hinata… Neji now understood that Naruto only became merciless when he defended others.

Neji had seen how the blond had fought Lee. He had heard how he had spared Gaara, even though the medics and the guards refused to share any details of the event. But when Naruto fought for the sake of someone else… Neji had merely received mercy because Hinata had asked, no, because she had begged Naruto to spare his life. Why would someone of the main family humiliate herself like that? But Neji knew... despite her birth right, Hinata was not like any of the main family. But what did it say about Naruto's behavior?

If his assumption was true, then Naruto had killed all those people because of someone else. 'Because of Hinata? Why would all those people have been after Hinata's life?' Neji wondered, especially because most of the people who had been murdered came from the main family itself. Some of them even had possessed high-ranked seats within their clan. 'What could have been the reason for them to be after Hinata's life?'

He had always heard his father complain about decadence of the main family, about how the branch was cursed by them, and had to suffer the main branch's abuse. Hizashi had even claimed that the branch would gain more support if Neji had beaten Hinata. But when Naruto had stepped in, Hizashi had claimed that the blond needed to be beaten as well, because he had acted as a champion of the main house. The world needed to see that the main family was not as powerful as they pretended to be, his father had explained to him. More than anything, the world needed to know about the crimes they committed against the branch family.

Neji began to doubt his father's words now. Hinata had always been considered weak, both in her ability, which had always been below expectation, to the point where even her younger sister could fight her equally, and in her mental strength. 'An heir of the Hyuga clan could not be that gentle. But it was that gentleness that had saved me,' he marveled. Neji had beaten her so badly, and still she had it in her to forgive him. Why? Was that weakness? Neji didn't think so. Then, it dawned on him.

'That gentleness… if she was to become head of the clan…' Neji suddenly made a projection of how her rule would be, based on what he knew about her. If she could forgive him, a person who had been willing to kill her, then she would not allow the continued abuse of the branch either. If she stopped that 'tradition', then many of the most powerful in the main family would lose much of their wealth and power- that was the threat they wanted to get rid of, before she could come of age and ruin the wealthy position of the main house. Moreover, if Naruto had somehow found out, he would not have remained passive, which would explain his involvement. Neji could not claim to understood why, but the fierce loyalty of the blond toward his cousin was, to him, beyond discussion.

Neji knew it was a crazy idea. But if it was real... and, what other reason could anyone from the main family have to target her? Why did the branch help them? 'If that would be true... why didn't father tell me?' he wondered. 'He always talks about plight of the branch family. But if I am right, why didn't we support Hinata-sama? Why did father even scold me for not killing her? Unless..'

For days, Hizashi had been imprisoned in his room, only a short distance from his son. His guards hardly told him anything about what had happened outside, nor anything about Neji's condition. Hizashi had seen his son's wounds, and couldn't help but feel worried. He grimaced when he thought back to how his own brother had turned against him, how Hiashi had ordered his imprisonment, as soon as he saw his brother. Because of that order, Hizashi had been confined ever since the invasion.

But the plans had failed. Neji had fought admirably, but the demon-boy was too strong. It was like many had feared: the boy himself was a monster as well. Even Neji's mastery of the famed Hakke Rokujuyon Sho, the sixty-four palms, had not been enough to defeat the demon-child. Hizashi couldn't even describe the pride he felt that his son had achieved the impossible by mastering a technique like that, without anyone to instruct him. Even Hizashi himself had failed to master the technique, despite the number of times he had seen his brother do it, or the times when he had peeked in on their father training Hiashi. Even with that incomplete information that he had passed down, Neji had managed to pull it off. His son was a genius, proving the system wrong about the 'power of blood'.

In addition, from what Hizashi had heard from the audience, people had thought that the fight itself had never been fair. That unfairness simply was another illustration of the unfairness the branch always had to face. So, even though his son had failed to defeat his opponent, he still had proven his power, and fought bravely for the branch's cause, Hizashi rationalized. So, the bigger failure was that, despite his arrangements, Otogakure had failed to capture his niece. Hizashi felt troubled that he had failed to comply with the orders given to him, but it was hardly his fault, was it? He had ensured that the girl would sit apart from the rest of the clan, that she would be without any notable guards. His sister-in-law never suspected a thing. Only her teammates, a maid, and some cripple were near her. 'Orochimaru would have certainly sent a trustworthy minion when the byakugan was within his reach, so what could have gone wrong? It had been the perfect opportunity to cripple Hiashi's family even more…'

It was not that he had anything against the girl, but Hizashi knew he had to follow his orders. He believed that, even though it would be hard to follow them, those orders would only improve the position of the branch. 'My first responsibility is to the branch. But still… I failed to follow orders.. I failed.. I failed.. Failed,' echoed through Hizashi's mind. 'Must never fail again.. Never. Avenge…'

Hizashi knew all too well that his master would never allow a second failure, if Hizashi even survived his first..

Despite all that had happened recently in Konoha, there were still little things that gave life a bit of color. Upon his return from the Council meeting, Hiashi informed his wife about the news, and asked her to tell Naruto, as he himself would be busy. The chaos that had followed after the invasion had buried each and every clan head in paperwork, not to mention the Hokage himself. Last that Hiashi had seen, the old man's desk was barely visible.

Jiraiya came to feel dismay later that day, when Hiruzen requested his former pupil to help him. Well, requested wasn't quite the term. It was either help, or risk Hiruzen handing over certain pieces of information regarding certain activities involving hot springs where after certain accidental events Jiraiya had seen things he was not supposed to see, to a certain woman who would certainly punish Jiraiya severely- just like the last time she had caught him peeking. The poor sannin rubbed his scars when Hiruzen made that 'request'.

However, the Hyuga were unaware of the Toad Sage's torture, and Hitomi had decided to not go to Naruto herself. Instead, she had sought out her daughter. Hinata had been confused by the revelation that people from her own clan had wanted her to die. Moreover, it wasn't exactly normal to hear that someone else has been killing people that wanted you to die, either. But still, Hitomi was proud that her daughter was more troubled about the boy's situation than about her own issues. Hitomi knew like no other that it was that empathy that would allow Hinata to reach the true pinnacle of insight with their kekkei genkai.

Naruto was not exactly depressed, but he had not been seen with his usual smiling façade ever since Haruki died. The boy seemed extremely contemplative, which was no small wonder either. Hitomi had seen how close Haruki and Naruto were, Haruki had clearly been important to Naruto, especially when one contemplated how hard it was to actually get that close to Naruto.

As she walked towards her daughter's room, Hitomi chuckled at the thought that both of the kids were equally shy, but manifested it in completely different ways. She couldn't help but look forward to how the both of them would develop. Hinata's affections were pretty obvious, to all but Naruto at least, but Naruto himself might be more of an issue. 'Well, at the very least, he seems to see Hinata as an exception to all the other human beings around him. That's a start,' Hitomi smiled to herself primly.

But even Hitomi didn't know how Naruto would think about a subject like love. If he even considered it at all. 'Well, he is still young…' Rounding the last corner, Hitomi knocked and walked into her daughter's room. To her amusement, Hinata was busy reading. Scrolls on ninjutsu, if she saw it right. 'She's training. Even now… And Hiashi-kun keeps saying she doesn't take her position seriously.'

"Mother?" the girl asked with some confusion. She couldn't figure out why her mother smiled that way.

"Hinata, I would like to ask you to do something for me," Hitomi began. When her daughter nodded, Hitomi's smile broadened a bit, and she continued. "Just now, your father returned from the Council meeting. It seems that two of Konoha's genin earned their promotion, the first being Nara Shikamaru, and the other is Naruto."

With a slight blush and a much larger smile than she had shown in days, Hinata listened to her mother and nodded again. "I knew Naruto-kun would get promoted," she smiled.

"Well, his "burden" raised some concerns among some of those who sit in the Council, but his actions during the invasion were rather… convincing," Hitomi added finally. "Considering how Naruto-kun more or less became the hero that saved Konoha from a lot of suffering, they could hardly refuse him a promotion, right?"

"Yes, Kurenai-sensei said Naruto performed even beyond what could be expected of an experienced chunin," Hinata nodded, recalling her sensei's words from the day before. "But why are you telling me, mother?"

"Well... your father asked me to tell Naruto, but I thought you would rather tell him," Hitomi smiled gently, hiding her own amusement when she saw her daughter's blush. "I'm certain Naruto would be happy too. It looked to me earlier like he could use something to cheer him up."

Hinata nodded. "I'll tell Naruto-kun right away," she smiled, hurrying away.

Sitting with his back towards the wall, Naruto looked at the training field. On this very field, he had spent many, many hours trying to improve his taijutsu under Haruki's guidance. Sure, Hizashi had been there every now and then to spar with him after Haruki's health had gotten worse, but Naruto had never really felt much for the stoic twin brother of the Hyuga clan leader. He had been friendly enough at first, for a Hyuga at least, but the bastard had eventually become as cold as his son.

Over the past few days, Naruto had been thinking a lot about the last few years. He had accepted Haruki's death; he had known it was inevitable anyway. However, it didn't stop him from missing the man. In a way, Haruki had been like a father to him. He had been one of the few adults who had been there for him, to help him, to guide him- one of the very few who had acknowledged him.

Now Naruto had to fend for himself, without the man's guidance and insight, he acknowledged. It just left him with a feeling of loneliness, and that was a feeling which Naruto knew far too well from his past experiences. This loss also left a strange gap inside him. 'The normal feeling of loneliness felt empty, but this, it hurts,' Naruto noted. Perhaps it was because this feeling also showed Naruto that he had not been alone for these last years. 'Bonds..' Naruto mused. 'How many more do I have? And why do I only fully realize that I care about someone when it is too late? Fate is way too cruel.'

In such a mood, Naruto stared into the space in front of him. It left him completely oblivious to everything that he could not perceive as a threat. As such, he never noticed that Hinata had been looking at him, that she had been hesitating for a couple of minutes wondering whether to walk up to him or not.

In her eyes, it seemed almost rude to interrupt him when he was so lost in thought. Beyond that, she thought he looked sad, making her wish that she could help him, although she didn't know how. Still, she wanted to tell him about his promotion. No, she had to tell him- especially because her mother had told her that Naruto would be invited to the family dinner that evening.

"E-Ehm.. N-Naruto-kun?" she asked shyly, trying to draw his attention.

"Hinata?" he frowned, as he hadn't even felt her approach. Well, his 'other' sense would not help him much with her, not in the regular way at least. He sighed, knowing that he should stop dozing off and pay attention.

"Ah… I am… I was…" Hinata didn't really have an idea how to say what she wanted to say, which was becoming quite obvious to Naruto.

"There's a bench over there, shall we sit down over there?" Naruto gestured. He considered it rude to ask her to sit on the ground next to him.

"Ah… S-sure…"

"So, what is it you wanted to say?" Naruto smiled when they sat down.

"Erm.. Well, father just returned from the Council meeting. I heard you got promoted," Hinata smiled weakly, trying to suppress her usual blush from being so close to Naruto.

"Promoted?" Naruto frowned again, confused for a couple of seconds. "Ah… Yes! Chunin. Of course, the Chunin Exams," he slapped his own head and exclaimed, "I completely forgot about that!"

She giggled softly, despite her concern for him.

"Yeah. Well, the whole invasion thing, and Haruki…" Naruto frowned. "Well, it just slipped my mind. Can't believe they promoted me though," added, scratching the back of his head, showing his surprise.

"Why not?" Hinata blinked. She really didn't understand him now, as he had exceeded everyone's expectation by a large margin, and then some.

"Well, you know…" he rubbed over his stomach. "I thought most people wouldn't like the idea of me becoming a chunin," he smirked. "I thought I was bound to be an eternal genin," he chuckled.

'Guess that also means I'm going out of team 8..' he thought reluctantly. 'Well.. Not that it matters that much, I was supposed to leave Konoha soon anyway,' he recalled Jiraiya's plans for training him. It was not that he was completely happy about it. He knew that he would miss his team. No, they were not just his team, they had become his friends, Naruto admitted to himself.

Seeing the change in his mood, Hinata wondered what he was thinking. "Mother.. M-mother said that you were invited for dinner too," she tried to cheer him up.

Dinner was quite awkward, as both Hiashi and Naruto stayed rather silent. Hiashi had congratulated Naruto on his promotion, but the latter was not exactly overjoyed with it, and Hiashi found himself feeling rather distracted as well. He was burdened by his brother's actions. With the elders of his clan breathing down his neck, Hiashi would be forced to make a decision soon- especially now that it turned out that the guest he had been protecting for years had turned out to have murdered several of his kin.

Hanabi was not aware of these undercurrents, though. She only saw the strange atmosphere at the table. Her sister had also been acting odd for the last few days now. Her mother seemed a bit agitated too, as much as Hanabi could see... her mother was a bit mysterious to her. As close as Hanabi was to her father, her mother drew more to Hinata. A fact that constantly annoyed the proud scion of the Hyuga clan.

Naruto felt mildly disturbed because of the way they were seated. He had joined the family for dinner in the past, yet most of the times Hizashi and Neji had been present as well. Naruto had already heard about their current situation, and did not really care about their fates. However, he was thinking of a way to make sure that Neji lived through this. After all, Naruto wasn't planning on letting the lives of those he spared get wasted. What really disturbed him was the way Hinata and Hanabi had changed seats. Naruto had learned from Haruki that Hiashi, as head, sat on the head of the table. Hitomi was seated on his right, as his wife and matriarch of the clan. And on his left, Hiashi would position the heir of the clan. The Hyuga were extremely picky about these traditions, some even got to the point that they literally resorted to killing people just to get a better seat at the table.

Tonight, it seemed like Hinata had lost that position as well. She was the first born, but over the years, that position had slowly been corroded. This saddened Naruto, as he knew it was the privilege of Hiashi, and Hiashi alone, to decide about the seats at this table. It was one of the many reasons why Naruto believed that the clan was suffocated by all the rules and traditions. At times, sitting on a certain chair could mean the world to them, yet they called it 'civilized'…

After finishing their meal, Hiashi seemed to wake up again. "Hanabi, would you please excuse us?" he surprised his youngest daughter. Although reluctant, she abided by her father's wish, walking out of the room with what passed for a curious look among the more strident Hyuga, at least to Naruto, who had several years of experience at reading the expressions of these people.

"Naruto. There are several things I would like to ask you," Hiashi shifted his attention back to Naruto.

"Hiashi-sama?" Naruto asked, patiently waiting for the questioning he knew that was to come.

"You demonstrated a jutsu, during the exams, which seems to be tied to a number of deaths within our clan."

"You're asking me if I killed those people?" Naruto asked calmly. "Yes. I did."

"Why?"

"Simple, they wanted to kill Hinata-sama, and I had sworn to protect her when I was accepted into your clan as a guest."

"Why did they want to kill Hinata? How did you know that?" Hiashi frowned, his eyes seemingly piercing right through the blond boy.

Naruto chuckled. "You want to learn how deep the corruption is spread within your clan? I'm afraid even I don't know that." He shocked Hiashi, and Hitomi as well; they had not expected the boy to take such a direct approach. Then again, Naruto was never really known for subtlety, not in the area of human interaction at least. "I guess it was over two years ago, that I sensed someone who had exceedingly bad intentions," Naruto remarked. "Killed that guy, found out he had received his orders from someone else. Etcetera."

"These… senses," Hiashi questioned. "You mean the ability to sense malice, which you have due to the Kyuubi?"

"Yes. Because of that, I found a guy who tried to sneak into Hinata's bedroom. Well… it wasn't like anyone had not attempted stupid things before, but this guy was different. Worse… much darker than usual. So, I went up to him and asked what he was doing. Well, he just attacked me. Not sure why though, because he was rather weak," Naruto shrugged. "I killed him, and disposed of his body afterwards. I figured that people wouldn't be all too happy about me killing someone from the clan."

"How?" Hiashi demanded.

"How I killed him? Snapped his neck," Naruto gestured with his hands, at which Hinata twitched a little more. "And I threw him in the forest of death, just like the others I found after that incident. The wildlife there didn't mind having some extra food, and it's the best way to get rid of someone without leaving a trace.."

Hinata paled when she heard the calculating and emotionless tone he spoke with. 'I knew that Naruto was used to a much harsher reality, but this…'

"How many did you… no, wait, how often did it happen?" Hiashi frowned.

"Well, the first few times it had been branch family members, and when I got curious I found out they were forced to do it by one of the main family," Naruto answered emotionlessly. By now he had completely dropped his usual façade, showing his serious side to the family. "I got a little angry when I found out I had killed people who were forced into that position, so I decided to get to the bottom of it."

"From the main? Was that Hajime?" Hitomi guessed. This man had been one the first of the main family who had mysteriously vanished, and he had held a very high-ranking position within the clan.

"Was that old Scarface's name?" Naruto shrugged, not caring as he had only remembered the man with the nickname he had given him due to the scars on the man's face. Hajime had not been the first of the main house to suffer from an attempt to steal the byakugan. "Well, it doesn't matter. He died easy enough- he never had much chance, because of my stealth seal. He never saw me coming, so disabling him was easy. But still, he refused to talk… stubborn fool."

Hiashi rubbed his forehead. So this had been the truth about Hyuga Hajime. The man had been one of the five clan elders at the time, and had amassed a large position in Konoha's real estate market. His loss had created a bit of an issue in the clan, because his inheritance had to be spread over two sons and a daughter. The headaches that Hiashi had suffered from dealing with their infighting returned with a vengeance when he thought back to how much time he had wasted trying to mediate their squabbling.

"After I killed that guy, things stayed quiet for some time," Naruto continued on an indifferent tone. "Then I heard Haruki talk about people from the branch who suddenly disappeared without a trace."

"You were not involved with that?" Hitomi frowned. She knew that nearly a dozen people had gone missing in the period after Hajime's death.

"Nope. Someone else was getting rid of loose ends, I guess. And thoroughly as well, because I never found out who was behind it," Naruto explained. The icy look in his bright blue eyes made Hinata shiver. "But after a while, they tried again. And knowing that someone had been copying me, probably in an attempt to making it all look like the doing of a single person, I started using a new jutsu…"

"Did you find out who was behind it that time?" Hiashi wondered. After Hajime, no one of his standing had been 'involved' in this matter. At least, none of them seemed capable of being the mastermind behind it all.

"The peons who were sent out to harm Hinata-sama always died when I managed to catch them. I think it was because of some kind of seal that killed them when I got them to talk. I never found out how they did it exactly, but I know that it wasn't that seal on their head," Naruto said coldly. "And the few of them that I could confirm were involved, they were never in the really high positions."

Naruto held back from the family that he had strong suspicions that two of the elders were involved. The elders had increased their guardedness after Hajime's 'disappearance,' making it difficult, even for Naruto, to get through without being noticed. The fact that one of them was Hiashi's own father didn't help either. 'Besides, even with the stealth seal, they were still Hyuga. So getting away with it without being detected at all was problematic at best.' Naruto had had no intention of fighting a full guard detail by himself.

"But why my daughter," Hiashi demanded to know.

"Some people feared that she would become the next head of the clan, while others just tried to harm the main family. Seems like Hinata's kindness is seen as a threat," Naruto shrugged. He saw Hiashi's brow rise, indicating a slight surprise. "It makes her a potential danger to those who profit most from the current system within the clan. If she thought of loosening the main's control over the branch, and restricting the idiotic privileges which the main family has…"

Although Hiashi was not a great advocate of the system in which the branch was ruled by the main family, he stiffened nonetheless. This was a deep tradition which Naruto had just insulted, and a necessary evil. History had shown that a grant of such liberty would only be exploited. It had been rules and traditions that had kept the Hyuga unified, which had kept the Hyuga strong, Hiashi reassured himself.

The very notion that his weak daughter would change a system which had worked well for many decades was rather ridiculous to him. While it was not a system without flaws, in Hiashi's opinion it was the best option they had. What would these children know about it? Hiashi had smoothed many of his father's harsher laws regarding the branch, and now he saw how Hizashi – his own brother – repaid that. His own father had not neglected to remind Hiashi of it over the last few days. If he gave the branch a tiny bit of freedom, they would just proceed to chaos, and the fall of his clan.

Hitomi recognized his train of thought, and sighed. As much as she loved her husband, the burden of his position had made him cynical about human nature.

"Being strong is no guarantee of being right," Naruto remarked with a harsh voice, shocking the Hyuga. Hitomi realized that the boy was far sharper than she gave him credit for. How much had Haruki taught this boy? "Both the people from the branch, and the people from the main family, they are both human beings- capable of good and evil. Bloodlines say nothing about the quality of a person."

Hitomi nodded. "There are also good people on both sides, both in the branch and the main family," she agreed. "But the fate of the branch puts quite a strain on their people-"

"The way Hizashi-sama will be treated will be seen as exemplary of how the branch is treated," Naruto interrupted her. "Or should I say: another example. I know this is not really my business... but if the branch is cornered even further, things will end up badly."

Naruto stood up and bowed to his host and hostess.

"And other than Hinata-sama, I am not planning on taking take sides in this conflict, if things should really get out of control," he remarked while moving towards the door. "But if Hinata-sama is harmed in any way…" he growled lowly, revealing a deep inhuman voice. His head turned towards them and a pair of crimson eyes pierced into Hiashi's white eyes. "I will not spare a single soul if I am forced to retaliate. No matter their position, no matter their blood.. I have sworn an oath, and I will keep it."

Hiashi sat and looked as Naruto closed the door. He could hardly believe that a boy of his age had the guts to talk like that. But he knew the threat was not baseless- the sheer killing intent that had radiated from the boy was a proof of it. Not to mention that Naruto had proven that he would not sit by idly when his Hinata was in danger. 'Considering the rate at which his powers were expanding, and what he had already showed during the finals…' Hiashi paused. He couldn't deny that Naruto was right, the branch was indeed growing restless. But unlike him, Hiashi wasn't naïve enough to think Hizashi's actions could be left unpunished.

Hinata looked at her mother with a pair of eyes which were wide open in shock. Hitomi knew she had a lot of work to do before her daughter would fully realize what was going on in her clan. But the first thing the girl would need to know was the real history of her clan. This would be a busy time.

A day later, three letters were delivered to the Hyuga estate. Three copies of an invitation which left Naruto feeling rather conflicted.

"It might be good for you, you know," Chie remarked. She had lazily curled up on top of Naruto's chest, with him flabbily lying on his couch. His apartment was a mess, with scrolls lying all around, but he didn't really care. He didn't feel all that energetic. There were so many things that he wanted to focus his thoughts on, and now another subject had entered his mind. After having read the letter, he had dropped it to the ground, and had closed his eyes, slowly drifting away while he was lost in thought.

"What, a party? To celebrate? Now?" Naruto shook his head.

"Especially now, you dumb two-leg," Chie continued, when she saw that the blond didn't understand. "There has been enough drama now. Like Haruki himself would have said: it is time to move on. Besides, white-eye-two-leg-hime would probably want someone to escort her to the party…"

"Maybe.. But me? Me at a party? What the hell am I supposed to be doing there?" Naruto sighed. "I'm not really in the mood, and considering the show I gave during the finals I bet they would rather not have me around."

"If they didn't want you there, they wouldn't have sent you a letter, would they?"

Naruto frowned. He could swear the cat had started to meddle with more and more things that weren't her business. 'Seems like Chie changed as well, after Haruki's death,' Naruto pondered. He didn't know, but he was right. Chie did start to take things a little more seriously after the man had died, because she blamed herself for being weak. For still being weak.

He sighed. "Fine, I'll go.. You win. Fluffy little meddler."

Naruto would have found this self-recrimination rather pointless, as Jiraiya himself had told him that one of the captured Oto-nins had revealed that the grey-haired shinobi who had been killed by Haruki had been one of Orochimaru's most trusted men, as well as a spy skilled enough that he had operated inside Konoha's walls for years without anyone noticing. But he knew Chie was surprisingly stubborn. Trying to talk her out of something was usually impossible. Unless you were Ako. Then again, Naruto himself knew well enough not to mess around with the young woman. 'Angry women are scary. Good thing the Kyuubi is male, or I would've been doomed.'

With much internal rejoicing, Hinata received Naruto at the main house's waiting hall, when he came to pick her up to walk to the Nara estate together. Like Naruto, she and Neji had been invited too, as had all members of teams 7, 8, 10, as well as team Gai. Of course, under the current conditions, the Hyuga had sent back an apology stating that Neji could not attend due to 'clan affairs'.

Although she was happy to be near him, all the things she had learned during the last few days had made Hinata feel as if she had hardly known Naruto. Walking alongside, she furtively looked at him. He had the strongest and most remarkable chakra she knew. If he was angry, he was like the hot summer sun, scorching with an unrelenting heat, burning away any obstacle in his path. But on some occasions, which happened with increased frequency even since he joined team 8, Naruto seemed far more kind: gentle and warm, and a beacon of hope to people like her.

But armed with the knowledge she now had, she realized how merciless he was to those he saw as his enemies. Hinata still got shivers when she thought back about the conversation she had with her mother, when she asked if Naruto would really have killed Neji.

"I cannot say that I know for sure what Naruto would have done or not, but I could not see any hesitation in him," Hitomi had explained. "Even his threat to us was not something to trifle with. He spared Neji because you asked him, but even still, he punished him severely. I have little doubt that he would have killed Neji, much like how he killed all those others.."

Only then Hinata had learned of the extent of Neji's injuries. Her cousin continuously suffered from the wounds on his chest, and the wound on his head had left him incapacitated for several days. However, strangely, Neji's seal had vanished too. Even Hitomi could not tell why even the elders of their clan had been unable to reapply it, Hinata found.

Thus caught in her own reflections, Hinata was not aware that she was not exactly subtle in how she watched Naruto. It was something that worried him. After all, would she treat him differently now she knew what he had done? Would she be afraid? "Is it hard?" Naruto wondered, shaking Hinata from her musings. "To see through the lies that others try to tell you?" Seeing the girl's confused expression, Naruto continued. "I bet it must be, sometimes, must be more comfortable to believe a lie than to be confronted with the truth all of the time. Like they say: ignorance is a bliss, right?"

"S-Sometimes…" Hinata uttered. "It feels rather… lonely…"

"I see," Naruto nodded. He looked her in her eyes, and sighed. "Ever since I was little, I could sense the hatred in others. At first I didn't understand. Then I learned to avoid people that felt like that, associating the feeling with the painful things that usually followed. I eventually came to despise nearly everyone, because everyone has some darkness in their heart. Until one day I came to the conclusion that humans were all hateful and despicable creatures," Naruto admitted. "Still, people like you are proof that there are good people too. You showed me that there is more than only darkness in a person's heart."

Hinata was left speechless and looked at him, and he chuckled. "Though I doubt I would have spared Neji's life. Heh, I guess that makes me not such a good a person either. I highly doubt people can just change their views like that. But perhaps you are right… perhaps even those who have fallen can rise up again. It would certainly be a nice idea. It would make the world a bit less hopeless."

"I… I-I think we should n-never give up h-hope," Hinata blushed a little.

"Perhaps," Naruto shrugged. "I really hope you're right about him.."

"You… D-Do you regret… regret killing all those people, N-Naruto-kun?"

"Why?" Naruto frowned. "They wanted to kill you, so I removed them. That's what shinobi do, right?"

Hinata looked down, and started to fidget with her index fingers again. "But… at the academy… They told us it was difficult to… to kill…"

"First time was strange, yes," Naruto admitted. However, he couldn't help but smile. She, and so many others of their age group were training to become shinobi, but never actually killed someone. Up till now, it was more a role they had played; eventually they would all have to face the harshness of reality. "But like your eyesight, I too have a unique sense. As such, I do not try to waste any pity the people who know no pity. Who deserve no pity."

"Is it that… that easy?" Hinata asked with her eyes wide in surprise. She could never imagine herself killing someone else, despite her position as a shinobi. She knew it was inevitable she would one day have to do it, but she did not look forward to that day- yet Naruto talked about it so casually.

"I didn't say it was easy," Naruto laughed softly. "But when I have a choice to either dirty my hands and keep my friends safe, or do nothing and allow them to die, I think it is pretty obvious which way I should pick. By the way, do we have to turn left here, or at the next crossing?" he asked, upon looking around and pointing at said alley.

"Uhm… I believe the Nara compound was a little further, and then on the left," Hinata replied. "But… Why… Why did you do it?"

Naruto blinked as he looked at her. "Of all the people, they threatened the one who felt different from all others. I'm so used to sensing hatred all around me, but you… it's almost like you are the inverse of that. It's true that I once swore to protect you because it felt like it was my duty, in order to repay you for what you have done for me. Because of you, I could live among the Hyuga," Naruto smiled. "But I don't care anymore about duty and whatnot. You are my friend, and I will never stand by idly when my friends are in trouble."

Hinata blushed deeply, and nodded, not knowing what to say- not knowing if she could even speak. Naruto had done so much for her, she barely began to understand how much, and yet he talked about her as if she was the one saving him. It boggled her, and she tried to figure it out while they approached the Nara compound.

Naruto, however, would not say it was Hinata who had given him a reason to carry on. The Kyuubi had pushed away everyone from him, leaving Naruto feeling lonely and sad in an environment where everyone despised him. That was until one night, when he had met that little girl with her remarkable eyes, that little girl who, after it all had passed, had been the one to change his life so much. She was the girl who begged her father to take him in, the girl who felt so differently from all other people that Naruto had ever met. Naruto never really understood the emotions of others, but he did value that strange feeling that came from the girl. All he had seen throughout his life was hatred, so this different feeling confused him. It intrigued him. Even if he did not understand it, he saw it as the sole beacon of light in all the darkness that surrounded him. A light unique to his world, as even his other friends did not radiate the way she did.

In a world filled with fear and hatred she showed him that not everyone was bad.

A/N: The inverse of hatred.. Well, I just theorized that if Naruto could sense hatred, what would he sense if someone really loved him? Of course, at this point in time, the concept of love, in the romantic sense, is still foreign to Naruto. Not to mention that Naruto tries to keep his distance from others, as he knows full well that the Kyuubi influences him, despite his own intentions. So, even if he understood what love meant, it would still be difficult for him, as he would not even consider the possibility that anyone would love someone like him. Good thing that Hinata isn't bothered by such things.

On a personal note: after last chapter, the story has been marked as 'favorite' for more than 500 times! You should've seen me smile! I know it's just a silly number, yet still it made me pretty damn proud of myself. Now, I just have to guard myself against complacency. I suppose it's my new excuse when begging for reviews: keep me sharp.

As always, credit to my beta Illuminated. And his cats!

-Z-

Bonus: The birth of the Paw Clan.

(marked the cat's speech with asterisk, so: *whatever,* Suta said)

Chie hopped down from the fence. That butcher had been stupid enough to fall for her feint, and now she was satisfied after eating the loot she had gotten. The man brought it on himself though. He should not have been so stupid as to insult Naruto while Chie was nearby. 'Stupid civilians still don't see the difference between Whisker-two-leg and the nine-tailed-bastard sealed within him. Idiots. They should blame me if I retaliate in Whisker's name,' the cat huffed. 'He saved their grumpy two-legs and they still have the gall to speak about him as if he is some kind of monster. Moronic two-legs.'

Crossing the street, Chie then saw something very peculiar. Two ordinary cats were dragging a tiny cart – one they likely stole from a child – and on this cart they had some kind of strange charred hump of meat. 'And not the tasty kind of meat, by the looks of it. Ughh.. I wouldn't even feed that garbage to those annoying Inuzuka ninken.'

Still, the behavior of her lesser cousins confused her, and Chie wouldn't be Chie if she was able to contain her curiosity. She never was able to, especially not since coming to Konoha. However, Ako was the sole exception to the rule. Chie knew better than to annoy the woman who prepared her such delicious meals.

*Greetings, cousins, what are you doing with that hump of meat?* Chie asked in a language her lesser cousins would understand. But while the cat on the left, a ginger male, looked at her absently, his brown-furred brother completely ignored her. It was not the kind of behavior Chie was expecting. She was royalty compared to these nincompoops, so ignoring her was a grave insult; however, she didn't retaliate.

She never got the time to do so.

Strings of chakra sprung forth from the charred hump of meat the two felines were transporting. They would be nothing beyond a mere annoyance to Chie. 'Whatever this thing is, it has a mind of its own. Weak chakra control too. Perhaps it is exhausted or just wounded? Would make sense… that's why it forces red-fur and brownie to help it. Troublesome…'

With a quick lash of her claw she severed the strings that allowed the hump to control the two cats. *I don't know what kind of thing you guys were moving around, but little humpy here is going down,* Chie declared.

*NO, don't touch the master!* the ginger cat meowed. *He promised us cookies!* he added desperately. *Lots of cookies!*

Chie gave the others no time to resist, cookies or not. Quickly transforming into her adult form, she sank her teeth into the charred hump of meat – ignoring the foul taste of burned flesh – and took off. That day, several people witnessed a giant black-and-white cat with a chunk of meat in her mouth being chased by two smaller cats. No one understood what was going on, no one would ever understand, and no one really cared.

However, when the cats crossed a street where team 10 was walking, Shikamaru did care about the strange thing he saw- mostly because he knew Ino would be annoying enough to want to go figure out what was going on, and she always dragged him and Choji along. It was a good thing she was just looking through a nearby window, apparently scouting for her next shopping spree. And clothing was one of the few things that had precedence over cats in the Yamanaka's mindset.

Meanwhile, in a panicked frenzy the lump of meat tried to resist Chie, desperately trying to latch its chakra threads to Chie's body in order to control her. But it was too weak, or Chie just too strong. Chie guessed the first, but would have preferred the latter assessment. Chie smirked at the idea that entered her head. 'Sorry Chibi-mutt, it seems that I have to take back my own words, and cause some stomach aches to you brethren. Just be glad it isn't a laxative like last time.'

Leaving the two cats in the dust, Chie charged on towards her destination. Simply walking up the wall, Chie entered the Inuzuka compound. It was not her favorite place to be, considering all the tail-biting-four-legs that lived there, but she had a goal this time. After all, she knew the schedule of the clan very well, and it would be feeding time any minute now. After all, Chie did pull a prank every now and then, if only to annoy Akamaru, and knowing their timetable was definitely invaluable.

However, Kiba's nest-mate was her medic. It would not pay to let her medic know that she had pranked her, or her three partners. Chie had not forgotten Hana's threat of removing Chie's nails.

Moving quickly, Chie dropped the lump of meat into the big bowls where several clan members already had deposited food for their dogs. Jumping up into a nearby tree, Chie ignored the dogs that soon walked down to the bowls, hoping they would ignore her as well. However, Kuromaru noticed her, and looked mistrustingly at the bowls, then up to her.

"No pranks this time, Patchy-four-leg, I swear on my own tail," Chie sighed. "Seriously, I only threw some laxative in there once. I'm not lame enough to repeat my own pranks. That would be stupid." Whether the explanation was enough, or that it was just that his hunger was too compelling, Kuromaru turned to his food, sniffed a few times, and ignored the feline.

By the time the two cats finally caught up (and worked up the courage to enter the infamous cat-killing compound), it was already too late. Their 'master' had been devoured, and its control over them had been undone.

*You freed us,* the ginger cat bowed his head.

*We are forever in your debt,* his brown-furred brother followed his example.

Chie blinked a few times as another devious idea entered her mind. *Underlings, eh? That could be fun… What are your names?*

*I'm Siro,* the brown cat replied, proudly waving with his tail to show off its white tip. *And this is my younger brother Sakana.*

*Sakana? Fish?*

*Yeah.. You can't imagine the things he does for food. That's how our owners gave him the name- after he stole the fish off their table when we were kittens. Inoichi-sama still doesn't trust him around the kitchen.*

*Hmm… and you're in my debt you said?*

*Yes, my lady.*

The two cats were caught by surprise when Chie let out a cat's version of an evil chuckle. *All of Konoha's catnip shall be ours. Our clan's rule shall be unmatched. Muahahahha.*

Large sweatdrops formed at the back of the heads of the two males. *Did we just trade one insane master for the other?* Siro whispered to his brother.

Completely oblivious to his brother's concern, as well as the drops of drool that fell from his mouth, the ginger cat replied: *Probably, but if there will be catnip, I'm game!*

Slapping his paw against his face, Siro sighed. *It's always about food, isn't it?*

*Did I mention that I was planning on robbing the dango shop on main street?* Chie purred. Siro knew he could just as well give up and just follow. His brother had already lost his mind.

A/N: Yeah, poor Anko is about to lose her dango-supplier. And I've got another prank prepared as well (them poor tomatoes..). But you guys wanted more of Chie, so what other pranks can you think of? Let me know. Leave them in a review, or pm me, and don't feel embarrassed cause I don't bite. Unless you're an attractive young woman who doesn't mind it. (yeah, I've got an inner-Jiraiya too... srry)

Crowd participation always brings up the most funny ideas, so surprise me :)

Edit: I've added a poll to my profile page, take a look and cast your votes!