Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

A/N: I posted Chapter 11 on 11/7/20, but the last two chapters have taken several days to properly upload to the website, for some unknown reason. The FFN app has been more reliable. I have also posted all the updates to my AO3 account, same username, same story title. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 10

His normally silent footsteps nearly pounded down the long hallway as he charged towards the far wing of the compound where his wife lay in confinement. A few Branch servants barely darted out of his path before being overrun. His focus was on one thing and one thing only: his son.

Ane-sama had been laboring for nearly two days. The strain of the intense anticipation was rattling even to his own facade of calm. Hiashi never approached the domain of the midwife and her assistants, but his pacing had brought him close on multiple occasions, always listening for that certain sound of a high pitched cry. The Clan Head's paperwork had suffered, even his brother had dared to smirk at the dark circles under his silver eyes that revealed how the stress had robbed him of sleep. It was nigh impossible to be calm, he had been dreaming of this day for years...

The recent crescendo of screams had him tapping his foot in a disgraceful show of anxiety. He knew it meant the time was near. He dared not activate his bloodline, no matter how temping the idea. Hiashi had no wish to become intimate with the matter of birth itself, but he had been lurking within earshot for what felt like hours.

Activity in the vicinity of the birthing room had suddenly increased, the cries had changed pitch from shouts of anguish to the squalls of an infant, and instantly his feet were carrying him down the corridor before he could stop himself. He had waited so long. And finally...

Bursting through the sliding door before anyone could announce his presence, he was greeted by a startled midwife and her assistant, the latter of which held a thrashing bundle of blood stained cloth. Hiashi ignored the frown on the face of the midwife who was firmly massaging his wife's abdomen as she moaned, and made a bee line for the baby.

"Let me see him," the father demanded, barely restrained eagerness pulsing through his body.

The assistant blanched and glanced at the midwife, her mouth opening and closing like a koi fish as she hesitantly peeled open the soiled linens.

The lusty cry of a perfectly healthy, and loud, baby girl greeted him.

Hiashi stared in dismay at the brown haired infant, disappointment coursing through him so keenly he could taste the bitterness of it. Again? Why?

His shocked gaze fell to his wife. She had sat up as best she could, despite obviously being exhausted. Her hair was in disarray and her pearly eyes were glazed over and red, giving her a slightly crazed look. For the first time that he could remember since meeting her, she looked remorseful, and perhaps a bit frightened.

"The next one will be a boy, Husband," she croaked through chapped lips. "I have delivered one healthy babe, I can do it again."

Hiashi's mouth was pressed into a thin line, fists clenching and unclenching at his side with the effort of suppressing his drumming vexation. He drew closer, standing at the foot of Ane-sama's bed, studying her clammy face and wide eyes that fully revealed the depth of her fear as she fixated on him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the midwife move towards him with displeasure emanating from her stiff posture. His nostrils flared as he exhaled sharply and forced his perpetual mask of detached aloofness into place.

Ane saw him emotionally withdraw from her and panic coursed through her wracked body like a shot of adrenaline. She had failed him, and the idea of his rejection and its consequences were terrifying. She started to crawl towards him on shaky limbs as he began to back away from the bed, but the midwife grabbed her arm and firmly pushed her down onto the pillows, scolding her in harsh whispers. She ignored the old woman, smacking away her hands and pinned the Clan Head with a penetrating silver gaze that was alarming in its intensity.

"Do not give up on me," she begged him. "I am strong. Our love with be fulfilled, I will not disappoint you Hiashi-sama." The sweat of her efforts still clung to her, her cheeks were flushed, and her hands fisted the sheets with a white knuckled grip. She looked spent, she looked unbalanced, she looked...young. We still have time, the Clan Head realized internally, and bestowed a solemn nod on his frantic wife.

"Rest yourself, Wife. You need it." Without waiting for any further response, Hiashi turned to leave, sparing a glance back towards the baby who was now neatly reswaddled in a clean blanket and bouncing in the Branch girl's arms, blinking slowly at her surroundings with the same pearly eyes of her mother.

"Do you wish to hold her, Hiashi-sama?" the assistant asked in a timid voice, turning the infant out towards him.

He flicked his cold silver gaze at the woman, before turning abruptly and exiting the room without uttering another word.

The midwife narrowed her eyes after his departing form, boring holes into his back. Seeing to it that the baby was handed over to its mother, who was reluctantly attempting to allow the baby to latch onto her breast, the keen old woman grabbed her haori, and slipped out of the room and into the shadowed corridor.

Dim candlelight and the heavy smoke of many a lit pipe greeted her as she entered the council chambers to see a few of the Elders still awaiting news of the new heir even at the late hour. She immediately spotted the former Clan Head, Hiroto-sama, seated next to Ane-sama's father at the far end of the table, and met his clear, sharp gaze with her own.

The room quickly hushed with her entrance and she did not wait for an invitation to speak.

"Ane-sama and her daughter are healthy and recovering well." Her low gravelly voice carried easily throughout the room, hushed murmurs rippled around the group.

The Hyuga patriarch at the head of the table flicked his eyes at Ane-sama's father just in time to see his knuckles turn white around his pipe. "And Hiashi-dono?" Hiroto asked, carefully studying the midwife's face.

The shrewd old woman looked him in the eye with an audacity that few Branch members dared display to any member of the Main House. With a boldness born of experience, and a white eye that flashed with the wisdom of her cumulative years, she did not mask her feelings. Pursing her lips in a way that accentuated the lines around her mouth, she delivered her next words with thinly veiled disgust, "he is aware."

The old man's silver gaze hardened to steel. "I see." Hiroto's eyes closed as he pondered for the millionth time, the plans of Kami in this world. The fancies of the gods seemed to have found quite the entertainment within his family, always mocking the best laid plans of men. He opened his eyes slightly, focusing on the glow of a nearby candle as it danced merrily with the chilly winter breeze creeping in from the open window. The flame was contained, but undulated unpredictably upon its wick.

An unpredictable flame could easily become a fire. Putting out fires before they blazed out of control was always preferable. But if the smolder had begun years before, and was only now starting to show signs of smoke, how drastic was the damage yet hidden? Without lifting his gaze from the taunting flame Hiroto asked, "What is her name?"

"She calls her, Hanabi. Perhaps if you see him, you can inform the baby's father. He did not bother to ask." The crease between the grandfather's brows deepened, but he nodded his thanks to the midwife. She bowed to him, pleased at his grasp of the situation, and took her leave to tend to her patient.

Curiosity satisfied, the small group of elders slowly began to wander out of the council chambers for the night. Hiroto observed Ane-sama's father wipe nervous sweat from his temples as he disappeared into the night.

The aging former Clan Head continued his inner contemplations as he slowly made his way out into the night as well. His cane tapped with each silent step as he strode along the outer walkways, allowing the cool night air to sift through his robes and blow long white hair away from his face.

Giving up his position as Leader of the Hyuga had been a difficult decision, relinquishing control was never easy for him. Controlling fate was the highest aspiration of any Hyuga, and as the Head of the Clan who held the authority to sway even the most obstinate council elders, Hiroto had tried his best to force destiny to bend to his will. Perhaps it was this determined pursuit of power, attempting to rob the gods of their jurisdiction, that had offended them so greatly?

Hiroto had felt certain that his son Hiashi would be a comparable, or even superior clan head to himself. The fact that the boy was forever competing with his own twin and genetic equal had driven his son to achieve more notoriety at a younger age than any previous heir. The Hyuga were not known for having low expectations, and yet Hiashi blew them all away. He was stronger, smarter, faster, and more cunning than any of his peers, save perhaps only his brother.

Equally impressive was the way that Hizashi had refused to bow to the favored son, never allowing him any easy victories and pushing back against his every gain. The two boys had sharpened each other like steel on steel, and Hiroto had felt content knowing that the future of both branches of the Hyuga were in their qualified hands.

But lately that peace of mind was troubled.

Ever since the tragedy with Hitomi, Hiashi had seemed increasingly unbalanced. Compounding an already delicate situation was the new wife's immature handling of her role, which paled in comparison to the way in which Hitomi had smoothly maintained the fealty of Branch and Main Hyuga with her peaceful personality and acts of compassion. Hiashi may have viewed her chosen methods as ignoble for The Honorable Wife, but age had granted the retired Clan Head a perspective that made the wisdom of her delicate approach obvious. The Branch members had adored her, and that had lead to a loyalty based on respect instead of fear. For all his skill in maneuvering the larger political aspirations of the finicky Elder Council and the Hyuga Clan in general via his attempts to raise the clan up the rungs of influence in the The Land of Fire, Hiashi was flirting with the dangerous possibility of losing the support beneath his very feet. Worse still, was his refusal to admit that he was capable of making a faulty decision. Hiroto had gone to his son in private to try and help him see reason, but Hiashi's ego and single minded obsession with his "legacy" had rendered the attempt at advice pointless.

Rounding a corner as he approached the door to his chambers, his cane stopped tapping and Hiroto paused with his hand on the wooden panel. He turned his head slightly, the scarcely visible form of a man stood motionless under the roof's shadow. Unworried by the presence, he did not activate his Byakugan, for he would know this man in any light, and his purpose for the private visit was easy to guess.

"They both are fine Hizashi. It is a girl, Hanabi-sama."

The figure stepped a bit closer, allowing the moonlight to catch his sharp profile and he closely studied the face of his father. The Branch House leader had learned the unteachable art of interpreting other people's thoughts by simply taking the time to see them, instead of always worrying about how he appeared in their eyes. It was a shame Hiashi had never bothered to see anyone but himself.

"I am relieved to hear they are doing well," Hizashi answered with as much sincerity as he could. He crossed his arms and frowned, then nodded imperceptibly as he decided to confide his concerns in his father. "I fear what the disappointment may do to Hiashi. He has made no secret of his expectations, and with his erratic behavior over the last few months, the Branch House is increasingly dubious of his leadership."

Hiroto did not scold the Branch Head for doubting the ability of the Main Head to react appropriately to the birth of a perfectly healthy child, for he shared the uncertainty himself.

"Hn." Gnarled fingers came up to comb his white beard, the only tell the man ever allowed of his agitated mind. "Give him time. Ane-sama is young. Very young," a small crease between his eyebrows appeared, further revealing his inner displeasure with the immature wife. "If she manages to produce a male heir, he may cease this obsessive behavior and again focus on more pertinent priorities."

"And in the mean time he will be permitted to continue discarding his children like useless toys that no longer suit his fancy," the bitter tone of the words was hard for the son to disguise and harder for the father to rebuke. It was a problem with no immediate solution. The men could only wait and watch, hoping they would not have to orchestrate a humiliating family intervention.

The comment had reminded Hiroto of a piece of information regarding his son's discarded progeny that had recently come to his attention. Choosing to redirect the futile conversation, he watched Hizashi carefully as he made his next statement. "I saw Hinata-chan returning with Neji-kun the other day, is it true she is attending the academy this year?" The smirk on Hizashi's face perplexed the father, but not as much as his son's next words.

"It would be negligent of me to leave such a talented Byakugan untrained."

Hiroto's eyes widened slightly at the surprising revelation. The girl was apparently stronger than he ever would have given her credit. Perhaps the gentle nature and grace inherited from her mother, was not the only genetic gift bestowed upon her by a parent? To have cast the poor child aside without even knowing her full potential was unforgivable as a leader and as a parent. It gave Hiroto yet another twinge of regret, wondering if he too had made a premature judgment with that fateful decision so many years ago in the days of is youth. If I could go back to that night, would I trust fate, or would I do it again?

Hindsight was 20/20, and regret paved the path to nowhere. The future of the Hyuga was what concerned the old man now. Contemplating the wisdom of his past decisions was only useful to prevent the same mistakes from repeating themselves. Hiashi obviously felt that Hinata was a mistake, a useless pawn for his strategies and purposes. But if he only could see her, see the phoenix rising from the ashes, he would know how very wrong he had been. Hiroto had taken the time to do exactly this, and had come to his own conclusions. Leveling a sharp gaze upon the face of his perceptive son, Hiroto raised a silver eyebrow and cast his bait, "She is her father's daughter."

Hizashi stared back unflinchingly into his father's discerning eyes. Immediately seeing the question hidden within the statement. There was no devious intent in the clear white orbs, and the wrinkles around his mouth hinted at a small smile. Hizashi exhaled slowly and closed his eyes, allowing an expression of uninhibited of pride shine from his features, reminding Hiroto of how he used to look whenever he had bested his brother as children.

"Yes. It would seem she is, and I am immeasurably proud of her."

Hiroto observed his son for a beat, taking in the aura of humble pleasure that a parent always radiates when their child is praised. Satisfied, he grunts his acknowledgment, before resting a hand on Hizashi's shoulder. As he passed through the doorway into his quarters, the father said in a tone just loud enough for the words to reach his son's ears, "well done."

Naruto sat with Hinata near the edge of the schoolyard. They had just finished eating and he was carefully wrapping her hands for the afternoon sparring session. It had become their little tradition. She would always bring him lunch and he would wrap her hands, gently weaving the sturdy fabric across her palms and around her fingers. She had long since ceased trying to tell him not to bother by arguing that she would never build up the callouses needed to protect her hands if she didn't rough them up. Naruto had smiled at her and said it just didn't feel right to let her fight without making sure she was all prepared. Hinata had a feeling it just made him feel better. The way Neji had slightly smiled with approval when he saw Naruto's daily ministrations from across the schoolyard had made her roll her eyes at how overprotective the boys could be. She was the top kunoichi when it came to Taijutsu after all, and she could even hold her own against some of the boys.

"Do you know who you'll be facing today?" Naruto asked her as he tied off her last bandage and gave her hand two quick pats.

Standing up, she interlaced her fingers and pressed her palms outward, stretching her arms up to the sky and back as far as she could go. Hinata had discovered that she was unusually flexible, even compared to the other kunoichi in her class. So far this had yet to truly play into an advantage of any kind, but she wasn't willing to give up the idea that she could use it somehow. She just had to find the right jutsu.

"Mmm, Sakura-chan I think," she said, and widened her stance with one foot in front of the other to continue stretching her legs.

"Ha! Piece of cake." Naruto laughed, grabbing his own elbow and pulling it behind his head.

Hinata hummed but did not flat out agree, not being one for smack talk. "She would improve much faster if she focused on her katas as much as she did on Sasuke-kun," she mumbled. "Sometimes I almost wish she and Ino-chan would fight until they refuse to speak to one another, it makes class much more bearable." Hinata had found it extremely frustrating how little energy the girls had put into their work. They had no idea what it was like to have to fight for an opportunity like the one they had been given. Ino-chan was practically a shoo in for genin being the Yamanaka heir, and Sakura-chan never so much as had to ask twice for anything from her parents. But Hinata refused to allow her jealousy to fester, and recently had found a way to turn the situation to her own benefit, as well as theirs.

"Yesterday I may have mentioned that you overheard Sasuke-kun talking about how much he respected an intelligent woman, while accidentally allowing my test score to slide off my desk to the floor beneath Sakura-chan's chair," Hinata giggled as she reached one arm down in a triangle pose that the kunoichi sensei who taught yoga had shown them earlier that year. Naruto snorted derisively before switching arms to grab his opposite elbow. "I can't believe that worked. Just the idea of me and that Teme having a civil conversation is ridiculous."

Hinata gracefully straightened up and shrugged. "Anything that has to do with Sasuke-kun gets their attention. Add in an element of competition and they are unstoppable." Adjusting her feet she prepared for her next stretch, reaching out to Naruto as he frowned and shuffled towards her.

"Do you have to keep calling him that?" Naruto grumbled, grabbing her right hand without being asked and pulling it back as Hinata twisted into a deep torso stretch with his assistance. "It's polite," she chides him teasingly. Naruto sticks out his tongue and blows a raspberry at the idea of the Teme being deserving of any proper manners. "It's not like he ever bothers to return the favor," he retorts, they both know how rude the antisocial boy can be to his peers and even his instructors.

Hinata rolls her eyes as she comes back to center. "Not all of us are blessed with such unusual creativity as you when it comes to handing out nicknames, Naruto-kun." She still couldn't believe he called the Hokage his Jiji, and Jiraiya the Sannin a Pervy Sage. Ane-sama had nearly blinded the last Branch maid who had forgotten to address the newborn heiress as "Hanabi-sama" when offering to change the child's pants. The audacious blond boy grabbed her left hand and pulled it back as she twisted the opposite way. "It is one of my many gifts," he grins at her like a mischievous fox.

"Just one huh? Does that mean you finished that fuuinjutsu book? Are you a seal master now?" Hinata enjoys the look of glee that brightens Naruto's entire demeanor whenever she mentions his father's books. Just as she had confided her parental secrets in him, he had not hesitated to share with her the discovery of a piece of his own heritage. In truth he had nearly been bursting with it and was likely to lose his mind if he didn't tell someone. The fact that she had been his chosen confidant had made her heart flutter with delight.

"Oh its only a matter of time, believe you me," Naruto arrogantly declared and the pair assumed the first position of their warm up katas. "But for now, lets just say I have a few trials to conduct." That got Hinata's attention, her unpredictable friend was always walking a fine line between brilliance and disaster when it came to his 'ideas'.

"Naruto-kun," she said nervously, darting her eyes around to make sure no one was within ear shot. "You're not planning on testing out those explosive tags on our classmates are you? Remember what happened the last time you pulled a prank?" The girl imploringly raised her eyebrows in an attempt to convey the seriousness of her warning.

Naruto waved off the caution much too casually for her comfort. "That wasn't a prank, it was just a misunderstanding, I was trying to do Sensei a favor by cleaning the chalkboard all in one go. I didn't mean to flood the classroom. In the middle of lecture. And force us to do sparring exercises outside the rest of the day...total coincidence." His act of mock innocence was only missing a crooked halo and wings. "But no, our classmates are safe. I got my sights set on the peeping toms that hang out down by the bathhouse." Hinata didn't know whether to be proud or petrified of the way the boy switched from cherub to imp at the drop of a dime.

Just then a biting wind kicked up and whipped the coat around her body and nearly tore the scarf from Naruto's neck. A late winter storm had been threatening all week and it seemed like the gathering dark clouds were ready to empty their contents as soon as the sun made its exit for the day. Hinata snatched the flailing red tail and carefully wound it back into place around Naruto, firmly tucking the end into the collar of his jacket. The yarn had lost some of its soft texture over the last year, but remained a vibrant red. "I should knit you a new one," she murmured thoughtfully, but Naruto backed away from her grasping the precious gift protectively. "No way! I like this one just fine. Besides, its my turn to give you something this time."

Hinata blinked in surprise as the blond started rummaging through his pockets, finally pulling out a piece of paper triumphantly from his hip pouch. He extended the neatly scribed storage seal out to her, but just before she grasped it he snatched it back, meeting her confused eyes with a scolding blue glare. "I almost decided not to give it to you, I still can't believe you didn't tell me it was your birthday a whole month ago." Hinata shrugged her shoulders up to her ears in chagrin, poking her fingertips together in an almost forgotten habit. "It wasn't that big of a deal. You didn't tell me you had a birthday either."

"That was different," Naruto sighed, an anguished expression crossing his features. "My birthday is...complicated." Immediately shaking the gloom off his face, he thrust his hand out once more. "I made the seal myself! I hope you like what is in it!"

Hinata blushed, tucking her face down into her own high collar so he wouldn't notice, and channeled chakra into her hand. Passing her fingers over the intricate seal she gasped and nearly fell over when a large rolled up mat popped into existence in her arms. "Oh!" she squealed, allowing the thick springy foam to unravel on the ground. "A mat for my yoga practice! Its perfect! Thank you Naruto-kun."

The blond smugly ran a finger under his nose with poorly hidden pride. "Yeah, Ero-sennin told me it was stupid. He said that I was supposed to get you flowers and chocolate and stuff. But what fun is that? I know you have been pushing yourself with the whole flexibility yoga thing, so I figured this would be useful so that you don't have to roll around on the hard ground when you practice!"

Hinata nodded happily as she ran her fingers over the rich purple colored mat. She loved that he knew her so well as to think of a present that spoiled her as well as aided in her ever present drive to make herself a stronger kunoichi.

"But just to be safe, I got you these too." Reaching into his other pocket Naruto pulled out one more storage seal, and swiped his hand over it. A brown paper bag with the unmistakable aroma of warm cinnamon wafting upwards to Hinata's nose had her mouth instantly watering. Her round pale eyes widened in mild shock and she involuntarily mumbled, "I think I'm in love."

"Say what?"

"Uhhh, I love it! The gifts, all of it! Its all so thoughtful! Thank you!" Hinata busied herself with rolling up the mat, keeping her head down to hide her flaming face and the slip of her tongue. Where did that come from?

The two friends happily snacked on the sticky treats until Iruka-sensei appeared and announced the beginning of the afternoon sparring session. Hinata waved at Naruto as he followed the rest of the boys over to the field on the north side of the academy grounds where they would be meeting a guest instructor for the day.

Even at this distance he could see a bright green spandex clad bellowing ninja that was upside down and boisterously greeting the academy students and jumping back and forth from one hand to another while juggling barbells through the air with his feet. Trying not to allow the obscenely snug outfit to ruin his lunch, Naruto looked anywhere but directly at the man shamelessly parading in front of them. Hesitantly taking his place next to Shikamaru and Choji, the only other kids who did not try to either knock his head off or threaten his intelligence on a day to day basis, he gratefully accepted the chip the Akamichi passed over.

"Where did they find this guy? Nobody should be that excited to be here with us. Who do you think he pissed off?" Naruto mused as he crunched on the salty snack.

"He mentioned something about a bet he lost with his rival and how he would be instructing us in the guy's place," Choji answered, extending out a chip to his other friend.

"I think we're the ones who lost," Shikamaru grumbled, morosely grabbing the chip and placing it in his mouth.

"Alright my youthful little friends! My name is Maito Gai and today we will be doing my own personal strength and endurance routine that I have happily crafted so that you may reach the pinnacle of your youthful potentials! And if we cannot complete it today, we will run 200 laps around the academy on our hands!"

The three boys froze mid chew with horror. "He's joking, right?" Naruto croaked. Choji upended the rest of the chip bag into his mouth, before immediately opening a new one. As the green maniac began to dance around performing complex katas that were way over the kids' heads at a blindingly fast speed, Shikamaru summed up the situation perfectly.

"Troublesome."

The walk home had been one of the most difficult of Naruto's life. Even with his blistered hands healing at the freakishly fast pace they usually did, his whole body ached from head to toe.

"Noble Green Beast my lily white ass," he moaned, trying and failing twice to steadily place his foot on the bottom stair leading up to his apartment. "More like the Nearly Naked Green Monster. Who the fuck put him in charge of a bunch of academy students?"

"You rang?" A puff of smoke preceded the arrival of Dog and Pakkun, who snorted unmercifully at the boy's obvious suffering.

"Don't tell me this was your doing," Naruto glared at the tall gray haired shinobi who always found a way to tease his "cute little Pup" (the sarcastic bastard) whenever he had the chance.

"Then don't ask." His single eye crinkled up in a way that translated into a snarky smile under his facemask.

"If I had complete control of my limbs right now I would kick your ass."

"You would try, and fail miserably. But fear not. I have taken pity on you and brought you dinner, but you have to make it up the stairs first if you want it." With that he hummed a jaunty tune as he easily pranced up the stairs, disarmed the trap at the front door with frustrating ease, and waltzed into Naruto's apartment.

The normally endlessly energetic blond yelled all kinds of creative insults as he forced his body up the stairs, but both knew they were only empty threats. They had sort of forged a rather odd kind of brotherly relationship thingy over the last few months. Though neither would admit it out loud, the idea of somebody out there checking for you now and again, just to make sure you were alive and kicking, was a welcome feeling.

"Any slower and I let the dogs have it," Dog's taunting voice carried through the first few flakes of falling snow.

"You give my food away and I will burn that stupid little orange book!"

"Blasphemy!"