A Leaf in the Wind

by Lord22

No one would miss him. Naruto Uzumaki has spent most of his life shunned and rejected. So he and Hinata decide to give the people what they want and go away. Only now the village has decided it wants him back and are dispatching capture teams. Would it be too much to ask for them to make up their minds?

1. The Call

Chapter One: The Call

Neji Hyuga was meditating at four o'clock in the morning.

Unfortunately, the problem with meditation is that it was a mental excercise—one which required a great deal of quiet. And despite being in the woods, Neji saw Lee coming through closed eyes. The green blur shot down and landed in front of him, taking a stance with one bandaged hand forward.

"Alright, Neji, today is the day that I will finally defeat you," said Lee. "I, Rock Lee, stand ready to face and defeat you as a splendid ninja."

"Your destiny is to fail, Lee," said Neji, standing up. "You will never defeat me. Much we go through this once again."

"We shall continue until one of us gives in. And I will never give in," said Lee.

Neji shifted into a stance. "That remains to be seen.

"You really should find a new rival, Lee. I recommend Naruto Uzumaki; he seems far more your speed."

"Doesn't he have the lowest score in his class?" asked Tenten, lying on a tree and juggling knives.

"Yes," said Neji.

Lee narrowed his eyes and prepared to strike. "Your mockery will not cause me to give up, Neji. I will defeat you someday-

"Hey, where are you going?"

Neji turned to walk away, losing interest and putting his hands in his pockets. "To meditate elsewhere."

And then another completely different green blur landed in front of Neji. Guy-sensei looked like an older, first edition of Rock Lee, and Neji wondered if they were related. "Not so fast, Neji."

"Guy-sensei, what is it now?" asked Neji.

"I'd like a word with you in private," said Neji.

Lee halted. "Guy-sensei, is something wrong? It is usually me who you speak to."

"Not today, Lee. You're doing great, but I feel Neji, and I have to talk in private," said Guy-sensei.

"Very well then," said Lee.

Neji became worried. He hoped Guy-sensei hadn't started to favor him. If so, he might end up having to wear a green jumpsuit. No, no, that was a matter of preference. He walked to one side with Guy-sensei. And Guy put a hand on his shoulder. "Alright, Neji, I feel that your rivalry with Lee is not providing enough motivation."

"We do not have a rivalry. I don't even consider him an opponent," said Neji, looking into the woods.

"Ah, the denial of youth. To recapture those days," said Guy-sensei, who had his own process. "But seriously, Neji, you need to get some extra focus if you want to achieve your dreams. And the first step to that is knowing what your dreams are.

"What is it you want, Neji?"

Neji halted. "I'm sorry?"

"No need to apologize," said Guy-sensei. "What do you want? You can't follow your dreams if you can't see them?"

Neji realized he honestly did not know. Looking into himself, he thought about it for a bit. "...I don't think you want to know the answer to that question, Guy-sensei."

"Of course I do. You're my student, so I've got to know," said Guy-sensei.

"To kill the Raikage," said Neji.

"And?" asked Guy-sensei.

"To burn the Cloud Village to the ground," said Neji.

"Good thought, what next?" asked Guy-sensei.

Neji considered what else to want. "To take their women as trophies as slaves to my whim."

"Always heartwarming to see a Leaf Shinobi with big dreams. Never let reality get you down.

What else?" said Guy-sensei.

Wait, he was okay with this? Neji thought about things. "...To be the heir the Hyuga Clan as my destiny ought to have been."

"Great," said Guy-sensei. "Now you gotta ask yourself, which of those can you achieve first and how you can make that desire lead to the others."

"Wait, so you don't have a problem with any of these?" asked Neji incredulously.

"Of course not, Neji," said Guy-sensei. "You're entire family is based around slavery of your own flesh and blood, and I'd never pass judgment on you. So if you want to spread the beliefs of the Hyuga, that's your business. The Hokage never called it wrong, so why should I?

"Burning the Cloud Village to the ground is no big deal. You don't have to kill the people inside it, and they can always rebuild. They might enjoy the renovations."

"And killing the Raikage?" asked Neji, blinking in surprise.

"Make it slow, Neji. Make it slow," said Guy-sensei, giving a big grin and a thumbs up.

Neji was beginning to think he'd misjudged him. "...Right."

"Alright, good talk! Now for some exercises!" said Guy-sensei.

It turned out the talk had been very helpful.

Neji was able to think things through and found a go board. Putting it out, he began placing both pieces while thinking to himself. As he did, Tenten came out, carrying her Fuijutsu scroll. Her hair was tied into a bun like usual, and she was clad in a pink top and blue pants. "Neji, what are you doing?"

"Playing shogi against myself," said Neji.

"Um, okay, why?" asked Tenten.

"I've been trying to find a solution to my problem," said Neji.

"You mean Lee challenging you to a duel once per day for the past year?" asked Tenten.

"No, my other problem," said Neji.

Tenten paused. "The fact that your family is an abusive, paranoid mess."

"That is a symptom of my problem," said Neji.

"Oh, the Caged Bird Seal," said Tenten. "So uh, that doesn't seem like something you can solve."

"Yes, thus why I am playing shogi against myself," said Neji, placing a black piece and then white. "Guy-sensei encourages us to work hard one day to try and achieve our dreams. The problem is that hard work is not a solution for me."

"What do you mean?" asked Tenten.

"I am a member of the Branch Clan," said Neji. "So, Hiashi will want one of his daughters to succeed him and take control. I am likely to be married off to one as a means of keeping the bloodlines pure."

"Okay, that's pretty screwed up," said Tenten.

"I wouldn't expect a commoner to understand," scoffed Neji.

"Oh, I understand; I just think it's screwed up," said Tenten, sitting down across from him and placing a black piece.

"Nevermind that," said Neji, placing a white. "You see, I have to hide my full abilities. Whenever I spar with Hinata, I always tailor my fighting ability to be just a little bit above her. Hiashi assumes I am weak because he wants to believe that. Hinata sometimes spars with Hanabi, who is quite talented." He placed a white. "Hiashi assumes Hinata is weak because Hanabi has more confidence and natural talent. If his opinion of me were to be raised, his opinion of Hinata would be raised by proxy."

"Okay, so what's the problem," said Tenten.

"The problem is Hanabi," said Neji. "If Hinata becomes the heir Hiashi wants, I still have a Caged Bird Seal on me. And if Hinata doesn't, he keeps Hanabi as his heir. Either way, I lose."

Tenten placed a piece. "Are you planning to murder your cousins? Because I don't think that's what Guy-sensei-"

"No, I am not," said Neji. "At least not in a way that I could legally be prosecuted for. I need some way to remove both of them from the succession. Once that happens, I can demonstrate my full power, and Hiashi would have no choice but to pick me.

"Then, once I become the head of the Clan, I'll have all the Elders dragged before me and killed in front of me." He smiled at the thought of watching their life's blood drain into the floors on which he'd been tormented. Oh, they thought they were so superior, torturing him when he attacked Hinata—and torturing him when he didn't attack hard enough.

But he'd pay them all out for it, in the end. Then he'd kill all those worthless simpering slaves who took pride in their brand. He'd definitely crucify that fool Ko.

"That's a little brutal," said Tenten, placing a piece.

"Yes, but it would work," said Neji, irritated at having his dreams disrupted. "Without them, I would have absolute power."

"To get rid of the Caged Bird Seal system, right?" asked Tenten.

What? Oh, right, liberating everyone from slavery. He ought to do that at some point. "... It's somewhere on my to do list. But only after I burn down the Cloud Village and take their women as slaves."

Tenten blinked. "You know, I'm not sure Guy-sensei encouraging you to follow your dreams was a good idea, Neji."

"Can we focus on me?" asked Neji.

"Whatever you say," said Tenten. "Okay, so how are you going to take Hanabi out of the picture?"

Neji considered it. Murdering her and burying her in the woods seemed viable, but she was too well guarded. "I have no access to her is the problem. I'm always sent to train against Hinata since Hiashi thinks I'm weak."

"So I guess you have to get some sparring in with Hanabi, then?" guessed Tenten.

"That won't happen as long as Hinata is here in the village," noted Neji. Plus, he couldn't murder her in a sparring match with Hiashi on the prowl. Then what he'd said occurred. "Here in the village."

"Uh, Neji, I'm going to let you kill your cousin. If you do-" began Tenten.

"I'm not going to kill Hinata," said Neji. "I would not be able to cover it up, and murdering one's flesh and blood is something only the lowest form of scum would do." Fortunately, he did not consider the Main Branch family.

"You're planning to murder all the elders, Neji," said Tenten.

"I will disinherit them first, Tenten," said Neji.

"Kind of missing the point here," said Tenten. "How are you gonna get rid of Hinata? Get her to run away?"

Neji shrugged. "She hardly leaves her apartment except to go to the academy. And to stalk that failure Naruto Uzumaki."

"Who, the kid who lives alone and keeps painting falls and destroying property," said Tenten.

"No honor among orphans," noted Neji.

"Hey, I worked my way up honestly and paid for my own ticket into the academy," said Tenten. "Naruto got handed a place into it and hardly even studied. And he spends his time vandalizing property. Nobody would miss him."

Neji considered that last line, and finally, he smiled. "Nobody would miss him.

"Thank you, Tenten. You've just given me the keys to the Hyuga."

"Are there actually keys?" asked Tenten.

"No," said Neji before he hurried off.

Neji made his way through the clustered streets of the village. As he did, he scanned with his Byakugan and looked for Naruto Uzumaki. If this plan worked, it would solve his problem. If no, well, no loss.

Eventually, he found Naruto slinking toward the Hokage monument.

"...Ahem," said Neji, landing behind him.

"Yeah, what is it?" asked Naruto.

"Where are you going with that paint?" asked Neji.

"Why do you want to know?" asked the blonde boy.

"Well, it occurs to me that you might be doing a lot of damage to private property," said Neji. "That is what you've done before. I was hoping to convince you to stop."

"Why do you care?" asked Naruto.

"I have an interest in understanding your reasons, and I don't think they're doing you any good," said Neji. This was all true.

"You're interested in me?" asked Naruto, blinking. "Nobody has ever been interested in me before."

Neji looked around and decided this was not a good place for this discussion. "Why don't we go somewhere else. You'd better return that paint to wherever you got it; I think it could have a better use than hurting people."

"They hurt me," noted Naruto.

"Does hurting them back help you in any way," said Neji.

Naruto didn't have an answer to that. Pretty soon, they were sitting on a rooftop, watching the sunrise. Neji looked to Naruto and considered how best to manipulate him. "So, why do you pull pranks like that anyway? I remember you were doing it when I was still in the academy." The Byakugan had let him see it.

"I guess because it's the only way people acknowledge me. No one paid any attention, and people pretended like I didn't exist," said Naruto. "So I decided to make them acknowledge me."

"Bad attention is better than no attention?" surmised Neji.

"I guess," said Naruto.

Best to bring up empathy or something. "I didn't have the luxury of that.

"If I'd behaved how you do regularly, I'd probably be dead. My family is... strict."

Naruto shrugged. "At least you have one.

"I've been on my own, right from the beginning. I don't have anyone to train with or teach me outside school. All the teachers are just looking for a chance to kick me out, well, most of them."

"I gather Iruka-sensei is not most," said Neji.

"No, he's strict, but he never goes after me like some of the others," said Naruto. "And he got Mizuki-sensei to stop doing it too."

Oh damn, if he got too attached to Iruka, the whole plan could fail. Downplay it. "Iruka-sensei is a professional.

"And unlike some of the other academy teachers, he takes his job personally. Even if he hated you, he would still go out of his way to give you the best education he could."

"You don't think he hates me, do you?" asked Naruto.

"I wouldn't know," said Neji. "I am not close with any of my teachers or anyone beyond my teammates."

"Yeah, well, just you wait," said Naruto. "I'm gonna be on that monument up there someday. I'm gonna be Hokage, and then everyone will stop disrespecting me and treat me like I'm somebody."

He'd shown weakness. "Do you think that goal is achievable?"

"What?" asked Naruto.

"Well... you're grades weren't that good last time I checked. Even if you improved them, that wouldn't guarantee success. Look up there," said Neji, pointing to the Hokage Monument above them. The faces of their ancestors. "Hashirama, Tobirama, Minato, and Sarutobi.

"Two of them were members of the legendary Senju Clan, Sarutobi married a Senju. Minato was married to an Uzumaki who are cousins of the Senju."

"Uzumaki?" asked Naruto. "You mean like me?"

Wait, was Naruto connected to those two? "I wouldn't jump to conclusions based on a name," said Neji quickly. "The point is, all of those people up there were prodigies among prodigies. Everyone knew they would be great from the beginning. And all of them had a family connection to a great clan.

"How are you going to become Hokage without any of that?"

Naruto thought about it. "I'll bring up my grades. I'll quit slacking; I'll train myself up."

"What if that doesn't work?" asked Neji.

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto.

"A lot of people want to be Hokage," said Neji. "Most of them have better connections and a better record than you. Even if you get perfect scores from now on and prove yourself again and again, there can only be one. You might end up spending years on the project and end up in second place.

"There is no silver medal.

"Do you want to spend your entire life working toward a goal just to have it be snatched from you at the last minute?"

"That won't happen," said Naruto firmly.

"It happened to Orochimaru, Guy-sensei's master," said Neji. "He spent his entire life training obsessively and had a war record rivaling Sarutobi. But Minato was a better politician and got the job instead. That's why Orochimaru became a rogue ninja, and he's now hunted wherever he goes.

"All because he decided to quit the Leaf."

Naruto shifted. "But if I can't become Hokage...

"What's the point? How do I get people to acknowledge me?"

Now move in for the kill. "Have you considered cutting your losses?"

"What?" asked Naruto.

"Why don't you just cut your losses. You aren't bound by duty or oath to the Leaf, not until you graduate. You're just a civilian right now," said Neji. "If everyone in this village is so horrible to you, why not just ditch them. Why bother working so hard to impress them? You could probably find someone else who you can impress much more easily."

"Well yeah, but then I'd never get them to acknowledge me. It'd be like I was letting them win," said Naruto.

"They could just as easily acknowledge you if you became important in some other way," noted Neji. "And realistically speaking, you'd have a better chance at it than here.

"If everyone is trying so hard to sabotage you, go somewhere where people treat you better."

Naruto considered the question. "Well, why don't you do that, then?"

"I don't have that option," admitted Neji. "I am a Hyuga and have a long family lineage and obligations to that family. It is my duty to serve the Main Branch unless I become the Main Branch. You aren't tied down the way I am.

"Even if you did, I sincerely doubt the Hokage would start a manhunt for you if you left of your own accord. You're not that important."

"That's not true!" said Naruto. "The Old Man cares about me! I know he does! He got me into the academy, and he lets me hang out in his office and everything!"

"He tolerates you," said Neji. "You just don't know the difference because everyone treats you badly."

"Old Man Teuchi and Ayame like me," said Naruto.

Who were they? "Perhaps they do.

"Do you think everyone else will come around?"

"Yeah!" said Naruto.

"Are you willing to stake your entire life on the idea?" asked Neji. "That people who hate you for no reason will change their minds if you bow and scrape enough?"

Naruto halted. "...Well, where would I go?"

Neji considered where would be best. "Try going to another ninja village. The Waterfall Village has a long history of tension with the Leaf. If you can get that far, you might be able to get training. Of course, you'll probably have to get a lot better to impress them. Failing that, you've got more combat training than most.

"You could work as a caravan bodyguard.

"And you'll need supplies and such, and likely someone who can come with you. I'm not an action; the Caged Bird Seal on my head makes it impossible."

"Who'd follow me?" asked Naruto, looking upset. "I mean, I don't..."

He wasn't going to start crying, was he? "Maybe no one.

"But if no one is willing to go with you, doesn't that mean you should leave at once? No one would miss you."

That words seemed to cut through to Naruto as a knife and tears welled in his eyes. "...Right, I'm going to pack up. I guess um... I guess I'll find someone."

"Actually, I might have a solution," said Neji quickly. "How do you feel about my cousin, Hinata?"

"Hinata? She's always nice to me but shy," said Naruto.

Neji paused. "...Pack your things and prepare to leave after the academy shuts down today. I'll tell her where you are going. With her Byakugan, she can find you."

"Won't she try to stop me?" asked Naruto.

"If she does, what have you lost?" asked Neji.

Naruto paused. "Nothing, I guess. Thanks, uh, what's your name?"

"Neji Hyuga," said Neji, and he hurried off.

What in God's name had Neji told him his name for? He might identify him with someone. No, what was he thinking? Naruto was nobody, just some random outcast. If he were somebody, the village wouldn't have treated him this way.

Granted, Jinchuuriki were sometimes mistreated. And the Nine-tailed Fox was technically unaccounted for. But there was no way the Leaf Village could be stupid enough to torment an innocent child. One who could destroy them all if got angry.

That would just be ridiculous.

No, the real problem was Hinata's Byakugan. Hinata would cause a major stir if she disappeared. Fortunately, Hiashi had no regard for her at all, and she lived in an isolated apartment. So, Neji found her just after school as she walked toward her residence.

Hinata was a small girl with black hair. She was unusually curvaceous for her age and seeing him flinched. That was right; the elders had driven him to be especially harsh with her last time. And he'd been hit with the Caged Bird Seal for it when he went too far.

"Hinata," said Neji.

"Oh, cousin Neji. I believe we are meant to spar in a few hours," said Hinata.

"I thought you might like to know that Naruto Uzumaki is planning to leave the village," said Neji.

"What?!" said Hinata. "But how do you know about-"

"You aren't nearly so good at stealth as you pretend," said Neji.

"But why would he do that?" asked Hinata.

"I imagine he has come to believe he is universally despised in a village that does not want him," said Neji. "This being the truth. If you head off now, you might be able to catch him before he leaves.

"Though I'm not sure you'll be able to offer him any reason to stay."

"That's not true, he... he..." Hinata shuddered. "I mean I..."

"Have you been there for him before? Save in spirit?" asked Neji, smiling.

"No, but I..." Hinata halted.

"Then perhaps you should be there for him now," said Neji. "If he leaves before you find him, you'll never see him again."

"Right, of course," said Hinata.

Then she turned and raced off.

Neji smiled and wondered how Hinata could possibly be this stupid. Oh well, given her treatment by the Main Clan, she'd probably be better off. The Byakugan was the most practical of the Kekkei Genki eyes and also the most powerful. And the least risky.

The Sharingan really drew the short end of the straw, all things considered.

Either way, Neji decided all he had to do was stall until Naruto and Hinata were outside the village. With the Byakugan and Naruto's talent for avoidance, they'd be able to disappear. They might be terrible ninja, but they were still trained killers. Common thugs would be no threat, and they'd have escaped the Leaf Village.

Wait, was Neji the hero here? This didn't seem right, given his actions. Either way, Neji was going to enjoy murdering all the elders.

But for now, he attended the Hyuga Manor and found Hiashi waiting with Hanabi on his right side and an elder on the left. "Neji, you are here."

"Yes, Uncle, I thought I should arrive early. Where is Hinata?" asked Neji.

"Late, it seems," said Hiashi. "I will have words with her teacher, Kurenai, when she next comes here." That would be in two days at most, probably longer. By the time Hiashi realized Hyuga was gone, it'd be too late. By the time he realized she was coming back, the trail would have gone cold.

"Father, how long must we wait here. I have training to do," said Hanabi.

Hiashi paused. "I suppose you do.

"Still, it might be better to pit you against a different sparring partner than usual. Neji, you will spar with Hanabi. It may be worthwhile to see you against a different power. Hanabi, I expect you to fight down to his level."

Hanabi came forward and raised her hands. "As you wish, Uncle.

"I will not hold back, Neji."

Neji remembered her fight with Hinata. Hinata had held back to avoid injuring her sister. Hanabi had not, and it had been the deciding factor. He'd taken her measure and could destroy her. "I know that well."

But it would be better not to.

Impress Hiashi too much, and he might kill her.

Hanabi surged forward, and Neji went to meet her.

But Hanabi did not hold back. The move surprised Neji.

She struck all out, and Neji was nearly taken off guard and was driven back. Even so, he regained his footing, turned a strike against her, and got a near miss. Hanabi leaped at him, but he spun away with an efficient movement. Striking at her back, she twisted from the movement before turning to clash hands.

They separated and began to circle, and Neji calculated. Hanabi was no fool, then. While Hiashi and the Elders stood in stunned silence, she was watching his movements. They adjusted their movements and clashed against. They were striking all the harder against one another. Neji, however, abandoned the gentle fist and instead went for direct punches.

Although less lethal. The aggressive, direct strikes were something Hanabi was not used to. Her own strikes, Neji could evade. But the raw, brutal attacks taught by Guy-sensei proved something she was not prepared for. Eventually, she backflipped away, turned in midair, and kicked off the wall. Neji spun away as she made a four-point landing and kicked at him. He leaped over the sweeping blow before deflecting a punch from her.

Okay, so Hanabi was good.

Very good.

She was aggressive, unlike Hinata, and not an out-of-touch fool like Hiashi. Hiashi had believed Neji was weak because it was what he wanted to believe. His place should have gone to Father. So he had assumed Hinata was weak at all.

He had underestimated Neji, underestimated Hinata through it, and finally, underestimated Hanabi. The two shifted and bowed to one another.

"Enough," said Hiashi. "You are performing exactly as well against Hanabi as you were against Hinata.

"You've been holding back this entire time."

Neji must be the very pinnacle of the subservient nephew now. "Of course, Uncle."

"Why?" asked Hiashi.

How to say without offended? "I am a member of the Branch Clan, Uncle. It is my purpose to serve the Main Branch, not show them up. I was set against Hinata in order to train her and so always fought just a bit above her level."

"But the aggressive steps you took against her-" began the Elder. "Why then did you attack Hinata?"

"I perceived that you wished her to be more aggressive," said Neji. "And that by doing so, I could set an example for the Branch Clan. So, I sought to bait her into it on your behalf. Have I erred, Uncle?"

It was all too good to be true. But Hiashi only saw what he wanted to see. One fantasy had been destroyed, so Neji only needed to replace it with another. "...No, no, you have not.

"We will discuss this at a later time when Hinata is present."

Neji decided it would be best to be out of the Hyuga Manor when the word came down. "With your permission, I would like to return to my apartment."

"Of course," said Hiashi.

Neji hurried back to his apartment as quickly as possible. As he did, he wondered if he'd been observed. Was it possible what he did might get out? No, even if someone found out he'd talked to both Hinata and Naruto, he could spin he. Perhaps he could say his provoking of Naruto was accidental.

No, if Naruto got caught, he'd sell him out in a heartbeat.

Neji would just have to hope no one was watching. So he came home to an empty apartment save for a desk for writing reports and the basics. Getting to his bedroll on the bare floors, he went to sleep and slept very fitfully.

When he awoke, Neji saw through his Byakugan that the village was in a flurry of activity. Why? Surely Hinata could not be that high a priority. Standing up, he moved to the door and heard a knock. Opening the door, he looked out and saw a beautiful, violet-haired woman dressed in nets and wearing a jacket.

"Neji Hyuga," said the ninja. "I'm Anko Mitarashi. The Nine-tails Jinchuuriki has disappeared, and you and your team are to assist in the search."

"Nine-tails Jinchuuriki," said Neji. "What are you talking about? We don't have a Nine-tails Jinchuuriki."

"Oh, right," said Anko ." The law. It's been waved for the purposes of this mission.

"Naruto Uzumaki has disappeared. There's going to be an all-out search. We've got personnel pamphlets you are to familiarize yourself with. Now come on."

And nobody had even noticed Hinata.

Oh damn, Naruto was the Nine-tailed Fox.