"When I turned twenty, the council finally broke the impasse of who would be the next clan head. They decided to make my sister the official heiress. As for myself, though no longer the heiress, I was still considered a prize. After the war, much has changed with many clans having suffered losses. There were also so many changes to both the economic and political order. To ensure the Hyuuga Clan's place in the new world, I was arranged to be married to the younger son of the Fire's Daimyo."
She tells them the story in a calm and gentle voice, hoping to blunt the effect of her words but, as can be expected, it still garnered the ire of the two stubborn, hot-blooded men.
"Fucking Hyuugas," Madara growls harshly.
"Bastards!" Izuna says through clenched jaws. "How dare they? How could they do that to you?"
She simply rolls her eyes before reprimanding them. "Don't be too dramatic and judgmental, you two. Arranged marriages aren't that uncommon. And as clan leaders, you both should know better what's required of the position. Sad as it is…I simply didn't have the mind or the disposition to lead an old, proud and powerful shinobi clan in such a cutthroat world as ours. I didn't even want to be a shinobi in the first place. Sure I wanted to be strong but—the shinobi way of life—it's just too violent for me."
She feels Madara's warm breath as he sighs heavily on her neck. "Was it the bastard you were married to that caused your death?"
Hinata shakes her head and laughs wryly, "No. That's the irony. I didn't even get to. It was the curse seal."
"What?! Curse seal? Why?" he erupts once more, his chakra dark, erratic and a bit suffocating.
"Please, calm down," she implores him and squeezes his arm gently to lessen his anger. "As you can see, I am perfectly fine. Everything that's happened—they're all behind me now. They don't matter anymore. It's alright now."
"I don't want to hear anymore," Izuna says, the look on his face dark and frightening. "Don't say anything anymore or I might just kill every fucking Hyuuga Elder I meet when walking around the village."
"That's not such a bad idea, brother," her husband says, voice sounding equally thrilled and menacing. "We can get rid of them. Not out in the streets of course, but through a more covert manner—one that won't be traced back to us. I'm sure I can convince Hashirama to look the other way. The idiot might even extend help after we explained things to him. With the Main House elders gone, it would be easier for the Hyuuga to change their ways."
"You can't!" Hinata snaps immediately, feeling dismay at the utterly irresponsible and ridiculous plan taking shape inside the two's hot heads. "You cannot simply use murder and violence to change the Hyuuga."
"Why not?" Madara asks, voice challenging. "What's to stop us from getting rid of a few old dirt bags?"
"Because the village is just starting to rise and everything is still so dangerous. If you do anything right now, even if secretly, it will have ripple effects. It will cause the other clans to distrust the idea of a village and possibly destroy what we're just starting to build. What's more, with me married to the Uchiha Clan, most will definitely look at us with suspicion. A series of wrong moves and our clan might just find itself being cast as the villain that the entire village has to get rid of."
For all that peace among the clans and the creation of Konoha has brought to their lives, Hinata cannot forget the fact that danger has compounded several folds as well. It is especially perilous at present as the village is only at its infancy stage with past grudges still so fresh in everyone's minds and the relationships between clans still so tenuous and fraught with much distrust. Any wrong move and it might just blow up like thousands of explosive tags on their faces. She cannot let that happen. She cannot allow the same tragedy that occurred in the future happen once more to the Uchiha Clan—her clan now.
"Hime, surely you're not content to simply let those rats continue using the seal?"
She turns to face Izuna. "Of course not," she vehemently tells him while looking him in the eye. "That seal is abhorrent and has twisted the Hyuuga in disgusting ways for many generations. It is my goal to see that gone."
She'll never forget the curse seal and what it's done to her and the rest of her family. Her forehead may be clean now but the seal has practically shaped her entire life she may as well have it marked on her soul.
It has left its mark on her that first time she saw her father used it on her Uncle Hizashi. That horrifying moment when she saw her strong uncle fell and writhed on the floor in agony, froth and pained groans pouring out his mouth, hands clutched desperately at his head while the seal burnt bright and menacingly green on his brows.
The mark burrowed even deeper over the years. It dug every time she saw young Neji's silver eyes gleaming with blame and hatred after his father's sacrifice. When his seal was activated as punishment and he too, like his father, fell on the floor—agonized, guttural screams coming out his young throat.
All those times when it was branded on little children's foreheads as though they were nothing but cattle. The times she saw the way the main house members used it so callously on the members of the branch for any small slight committed.
Almost her entire life, the elders dangled it threateningly over her and Hanabi's heads as they pitted them against one another like fighting dogs in a ring. It's why she could never defeat her sister during their spars. The sickening image she conjured of Hanabi being given the seal if she proved herself a strong and capable heiress—the thought had plagued her every day and night for many years.
She will never forget the sight of it on Neji's forehead during the war, when he died. How in some small part of her mind, a little voice whispers sometimes that his sacrifice was made not only because of his love for her and his wish to protect Naruto but because that's what the seal and the station in life forced upon him by their clan has taught him since he was just a little boy. It's what he was conditioned to do.
She'll do her best to get rid or modify the damned curse seal so that it won't be used as a tool to subjugate the other half of her family anymore. For Neji, she'll do it.
"How do you plan to get rid of it then?" Madara asks, voice a lot calmer this time.
"First step is the creation of laws and as Clan Head, I will need your help in this," she says while giving her husband a glance. "There must be established laws that will protect every individual's rights—provisions that will require the village's ruling body and the clans to treat each person equally and impartially."
"Of course you'll have my support in this," her husband says with a firm voice. "That has always been Hashirama's and my dream—peace and equality for everyone. But how about the seal?"
"It was almost impossible to abolish it before because of one main reason—there was an abject lack of seal masters then. But we have a lot of seal masters here and now. We have the Uzumakis, Hashirama-sama and Tobirama-sama."
The two brothers' predictably grouse upon hearing the younger Senju's name.
"Please Hina, try not to involve the white-haired asshole," Izuna says with his face scrunched up in disgust. "The thought of you spending even more time with that piece of shit—I can't take it."
"Tch. I agree," Madara grumbles. "You're already spending enough time with the bastard as it is."
"This again." Hinata closes her eyes in exasperation. "This hostility with Tobirama-sama is really becoming tedious. Give him a chance. He may be a grumpy man but he's quite very helpful and hardworking and dedicated in helping make Konoha a better place."
"Sage! Don't tell me you've fallen for that asshole's cold charm?" Izuna loudly reacts, face aghast.
"No. I have not fallen for his cold charm as you put it. But you do understand that if you want our clan members to work together, for the other clans to trust the Uchiha more and for this village to flourish—you understand you have to stop antagonizing him, don't you?"
"Let's not talk about that bastard anymore hm? It feels wrong to hear his name from your mouth while in our bed," Madara grumbles before scraping his wicked teeth at her nape and sucking hard, enough to leave a mark.
"Oh I totally agree with Nii-san. No more talking about bastard Hyuugas and Senjus. Ours should be the only names coming out of your lips while in this room, Hime. And I believe it's my turn now," Izuna says in a low voice while giving her a smoldering look, making her breath hitch as one of his hands reached up to squeeze a breast while the other went down between her thighs.
…..
Inside the room she was given, Hinata activated her byakugan and, with a foreboding feeling in the pit of her stomach, she watched as some shinobi of the Uchiha Clan entered the gates in a much more subdued manner than when they had left the day before.
She knew from the rumors she's heard that they'd just been in a clash with the Senjus over a territorial dispute between two noble families near the borders of the Land of Grass. Madara and his younger brother Izuna, along with some of their men had gone to the border to deal with the Senjus stationed there and she was left behind in the Main House with guards watching her every move.
Watching them now, from the looks of it, it seemed the battle had not gone in their favor.
She was about to turn off her byakugan and go back to reading the novel she decided to pick up for that day when she saw her Madara rushing past through the gate and into the Main House as though a death reaper was hot on his heels.
Her breathing hitched when she saw that the Clan Head was carrying his younger brother, both their long hairs disheveled and their clothing bloodied. Upon taking a closer look, she found out with a jolt that all the blood was coming from the younger Uchiha brother who had a large gash from his chest down to his stomach.
"Healers! Get the healers! Now!" Madara shouted, his voice so loud and commanding but with a hint of panic that it carried even to her ears.
Her interest suddenly gone, she dropped the novel she was about to read and instead observed as the Uchiha Clan Head went down the hall leading to his brother's quarters, followed by some women. A few seconds and he had laid his injured brother on top of his large futon to be looked at by the healers.
The women went through a flurried series of movements. They cleaned the large gash and poked and prodded and lathered something on it but to her surprise none of them attempted to actually heal the gaping wound. They didn't know the mystical palm technique yet, she realized. Of course. Wasn't it the Senjus who invented the healing technique?
Biting her lip, she watched tensely as they continued with the same futile actions while Uchiha Izuna lost more and more blood, his chakra levels going down dangerous levels as his body tried to heal itself but failed.
She turned her gaze to Madara and found him with his back stiff as a board as he watched his brother fade before his very eyes. The man's expression was one of helplessness. Of hopelessness. His dark, dark eyes bright with unshed tears, his jaws clenching and unclenching while his hands curled into fists.
Was this it? Was this the start of his spiral to madness and delusions? Was this the reason thousands upon thousands died? Was this why he wanted to subject them all to an Eternal Tsukuyomi? Because his last remaining brother died and the harsh reality has become too much for him he would rather live in a perfect dream?
What if Uchiha Izuna lived? Would Madara also be prevented from going off the deep end? Would the world, the time she came from be a better one or would it cease to exist? Would all the people she loved get to live happier lives or would they be denied existence?
But what about those who will suffer and die if she stands by and does nothing? Don't they also deserve a chance at a better life?
Such a difficult decision to make! So many what ifs and so many possible consequences.
…..
After almost an hour of watching the healers failing and her own guilt at doing nothing growing, with shallow breaths and weakened knees, Hinata got up and went out of her room. She walked the hallway and approached the sliding door leading to Uchiha Izuna's rooms and with trembling hands, she slid it open, causing all the people inside the room to turn and look at her.
"What the fuck are you doing here Hyuuga?! Get out! Get out!" Madara bellowed, face twisted in fury at the sight of her.
Taking a deep breath, she raised her hands up in an attempt to pacify him. "Help. I can help. Let-let me help. Let me help heal him. Please," she pleaded before closing her eyes and bowing deep, feeling nauseous and terrified at the absolutely crazy decision she just made.
She felt movement in front of her and suddenly, a large, calloused hand lifted her chin, forcing her to look up into red eyes with swirling tomoes. "Heal? You're a healer? You can heal my brother?" Madara asked in a low, dangerous tone.
"I- I know some," she stuttered then swallowed to ease her parched throat. "If-if you let me try, I will…I will do my best. I swear."
He stared at her intently for a while before speaking once more. "You better Hyuuga. Or I'll make you regret it. You understand?"
Hinata nodded her head jerkily and breathlessly whispered. "Yes, Uchiha-sama."
…..
Madara sat seiza style and watched with sharp eyes as the little Hyuuga knelt tremulously by his wounded brother's side. He watched as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before lifting her lids, her byakugan active with veins protruding at the sides of her face and her temples.
Then, all of a sudden, he felt a change in her chakra composition. The normally calm and pleasant one was being coated—no, it was being dominated, by a chakra that was colder, more potent. It felt just like what happened a week ago, during her escape, he remembered.
He sensed the new chakra surge and watched with surprise when it became visible and wrapped around the Hyuuga like a thick purple cloak. The sight also made the other useless healers within the room gasp and start whispering amongst themselves. He ignored them of course, and continued watching his captive with rapt attention.
The woman lowered her face and looked at his brother before saying in almost a whisper, "I am…Izuna-sama's chakra is down to very dangerous levels. What I am going to do is transfer some of mine to boost him first. So please, don't be alarmed."
Though puzzled at how a chakra transfer was possible, Madara gave his permission. "Go on."
The Hyuuga placed her hand on his brother's chest and in a blink of an eye, Izuna's alarmingly low chakra level instantly shot up. The effect was immediate too—his brother's deathly pallor noticeably improved and his shallow breathing eased a little.
At the first sign of progress, Madara felt the constricting feeling in his own chest lessen and the dark thoughts that plagued him earlier—the thought of losing the last of his family, of burying the last brother he swore to protect—they also slipped away a little.
After the chakra transfer, the Hyuuga's unique purple chakra cloak disappeared. It was gone so completely that he could neither sense nor see a hint of it using his sharingan. Her normal, calm one returned and next he saw, the chakra coating her hands was colored green.
"I'm going to start the healing now," she said softly before placing her green chakra-imbued palms above the large gash on his younger brother's chest and stomach.
It took hours—four to five perhaps—but he watched everything with his sharingan. The Hyuuga made an impressive display of focus and chakra control as she pumped the healing chakra to her hands and kept working on his younger brother's injury, the gash growing smaller and smaller while Izuna looked better and better. When it was finally over, it looked as if his younger brother was never injured in the first place.
"It's done," the Hyuuga breathed out tiredly while wiping sweat from her face with the sleeve of her yukata. "He's all healed but, he'll need, at the very least, two weeks of rest to ensure he won't strain the organs and muscles that were just mended."
Madara wrenched his eyes from his unconscious brother and turned it to the woman who just spoke and saved his life. He has thought the Hyuuga beautiful many times before already but, right now, with sweat beading on her forehead and some rolling down her cheeks, with a muted expression of accomplishment written on her face, and her arms trembling just a little bit after hours of healing and keeping his brother alive—he's convinced she's at her most beautiful.
"Thank you, Hyuuga," he said after clearing his throat, feeling overwhelming relief at the knowledge that his brother will continue to live and so very grateful at the woman who made it all possible. "For what you've done. For saving my brother. Thank you."