Summary of what had happened so far:

Hinata left the clan after she decided to live together with Naruto. Hanabi is appointed as the new heiress. Soon after that, Hinata received the seal, without the knowledge of Naruto, which made him very angry.

Hanabi and her team (Ebisu, Konohamaru and Moegi) have completed a mission and are now heading back home...

11. The 'surprise' that awaits at home…

'The first thing I'm going to do when I get home is bathing!' Moegi sighed jumping from branch to branch.

'And I'm going to the Ramen shop!' Konohamaru exclaimed.

'Don't you even take a bath first?' Moegi replied giving him a dirty face.

'I will do that right after, but I'm hungry, okay!' He answered slightly irritated. 'Hanabi-chan? Are you coming with me?'

'You are asking her on a date?' Ebisu-sensei questioned.

'No!' Konohamaru blushed. 'I just…'

'I'm sorry, Konohamaru-kun. But I wanna go home…' I replied absentminded.
Back home… I wondered what awaited me there. Somehow I got a depressing feeling. The weeks before the mission were really tumultuous. Hinata left the clan, I became the new successor, Hinata got the seal, Naruto got mad… And it was like I finally realized the things Konohamaru said to me… '"Knowing him he would not leave things with this!" "You mean he would do something to our clan?" "Yeah!"' Would Naruto really do something to our clan? He spared me because he liked me in some kind of way, but he hated father…
I sighed and went faster.

'Hanabi-chan! Why that sudden rush?' Ebisu-sensei called out.

'I'm worried, okay!' I replied.

'Why?' Moegi asked me.

'Moegi-chan, just let her…' Konohamaru instructed her. Did he know why I was worried?

A couple of hours later we arrived at the village.

'So, now what? Are we going to the hokage-office, or shall we bring the Pellucidia to the hospital right away?'

'Let's drop of the mushrooms at the hospital first.' Ebisu-sensei told us. 'And right after, we will report the mission to the hokage.'

'Okay!'

Our way to the hospital was ominous. People were watching me and whispered, like they'd never seen a ninja before.

I got depressed more and more. I knew it, something was definitely wrong. The others noticed the peeking too. 'Why are they watching us like that!' Moegi exclaimed. 'Yeah.. I wonder too…' Konohamaru replied, 'Wait here' He said walking up to the closest peeker. 'Why are you guys watching us, like we are some giant ants? Answer me!' Konohamaru commanded.

'Uhhm, because of the 'thing' that happened a couple days ago?'

'What 'thing'?'

'Uhhm… I guess you haven't heard yet?' The old man replied nervously.

'Why else would I ask!'

The man coughed. 'Well you see, that girl is an Hyuuga right?' He questioned. My eyes widened and I nodded vaguely. 'It's been hot stuff around the village, but they say the former carrier of the Kyuubi went on rage at the Hyuuga compound…'

I was stiffened. So he really did…. I balled my fist to prevent my tears from falling. If I only stayed at home…

'Hanabi-chan…' Moegi putted her arm around my shoulder, trying to comfort me.

'Are there… any deaths?' Ebisu-sensei questioned his eyes aimed on me.

'No..' The man watched me with a sad look, 'but they say the leader is badly injured and the medics wonder if he will survive…'

I bit my teeth, pushed away Moegi's arm and ran as fast as I could. But where to? I was not ready to see my father yet… Naruto! If I could lay my hands on him, I would…! I would do what? I slowed down my step. Father hurt Hinata, so may be it was only fair Naruto did this to him. But then again… NO! This was not right. 'UZUMAKI NARUTO, WHY?' I screamed. I fell down on my knees and cried.

'Hanabi-chan…' Konohamaru said nearing me. He stretched out his arm and wanted to touch me, but I stroke his arm away from me. 'Leave me alone!' I shouted. Everything became to much for me. I suddenly felt empty in my head and collapsed…

I heard whispers. I picked up words like lucky and worried. Where was I? Someone was holding my hand. But who? I tried to open my eyes.

'Hanabi-sama!' Was that… Neji! I felt relieved.

'Hanabi-chan!' Konohamaru! No, not him…

'Hello.. guys…' I said. 'Where… am I?'

'You're in the hospital. You passed out and I brought you here!' Konohamaru answered.

'Hospital?' Why? … Suddenly I remembered everything. 'Father!' I said as I sat up.

'Hanabi-sama, please rest some more. Hiashi-sama is doing fine in the current circumstances, you can better visit him later on.' Neji said pushing me back on the bed.

'Right…'

'So… How did your mission went?'

'That's not important, I would rather know what had happened here. So please, Neji-niisan, tell me…'

He sighed and watched me. 'You can better rest a little first…'

'No, Neji! I want to know now. I was away on a mission and no one informed me! We didn't get any message from the village. I've been in denial for to long now… So please, tell me…'

Neji's eyes scouted Konohamaru. 'Uhmm…'

'It's okay…' I said. 'He knows about the seal. So he may stay.'

'Thanks, Hanabi-chan.' He said.

I nodded. 'So.. tell us what happened, Neji-niisan…'

'Right…' My cousin gave in. 'It was the evening after you left, when an outraged Naruto came to our compound. He stormed of right to the training field, nobody could stop him. I was training with Hiashi-sama. Naruto had stopped and shouted, "YOU BASTARDS!" But Hiashi-sama was far from impressed "Well, well, Naruto, isn't it? How can I help you?" Well I can tell you, Naruto went berserk and ran straight towards your father. I tried to stop him, but he threw me roughly aside. I was smashed against the wall and I broke my leg.Th..'

'You broke your leg?'

'Yes, but it's fine now.'

'If you broke your leg, than he surely threw hard!' Konohomaru said slightly surprised.

'Let's just say I got lucky. But Naruto was smashing in on Hiashi-sama. Even without the fox, he is strong, especially when he is mad… Everytime someone tried to near them, Naruto or one ofhis clonestossed them aside. If it wasn't for Hinata-sama, he would've killed your father…'

'Hinata-neesan came?'

Neji nodded. 'After Hinata-sama came back to her positives she told the story of what had happened, Naruto marched of right after. Some time later Hinata-sama realized his destiny and went after him. She begged him to stop…'

'And he did…'

'In the end he did, yes.'

'And father was…'

'Barely alive. He had a lot of bruises and had blood all over his body. It's a miracle he was still alive…'

I sighed. 'Then.. what about Naruto?'

'They arrested him and he was sent to prison. He didn't resist. He told ushe didn't had any regrets. That the only regret he had, was that he didn't realize Hiashi-sama really went that far sealing Hinata-sama.'

'…'

'Hinata-sama is currently staying at Kurenai's place, from what I've heard.'

I finally realized I was crying. I wiped away my tears. 'If I only stayed at home…' I sobbed.

'No, Hanabi-sama. It's only better like this. There was nothing you could do… At least you're unharmed now…'

'But still, I feel so useless…'

'Hanabi-chan! Just cheer up a bit! We couldn't miss you during this mission! If it wasn't for you we might never had defeated those stupid grass-nins and that stupid chameleon!'

'You lot got into a fight?'

'Yes, only the two of us, the others left for a moment! But Hanabi-chan taught those grass-nins a lesson! She overwhelmed them! And she defeated a huge chameleon!'

'You and Enma defeated that stupid reptile.' I corrected him. 'And Ebisu-sensei finished of with the grass-nins.'

'Don't be so modest, Hanabi-chan! You defeated two of them all by yourself, you weakened the others with that awesome move and without your eyes and instructions Enma and I couldn't defeat the summon.'

'Awesome move?'

'Yeah! She swirled around in the water and created a whirlpool!'

'Did you?' Neji asked looking at me again

'Yeah…' I nodded. 'The Kaiten you teached me…'

'Good job!'

'It was all thanks to your teachings…'

He lay his hand on my arm. 'But you were the one who did it, right?'

I felt that I was blushing and nodded quickly.

'And how about your emotional training?'

'I think I managed to control it for the most part.'

'That's good to hear.'

'Hanabi-san! You woke up already. How are you doing?' We suddenly were interrupted.

I looked up to Sakura who had just entered the room and I nodded. 'Fine..'

'Good! And before I forget, thanks for the Fungus! You too, Konohamaru-kun!'

'Sure' I said to her.

'No problem, Sakura-neechan!'

'Don't be so familair with me!' She twitched showing her fist to Konohamaru.

'Don't take it to seriously!' He answered as he quickly hid behind his chair.

'You brat!'

'Calm down please, this is a hospital.' Neji interrupted.

'You're right. I'm sorry for it. But you Konohamaru-baka, I'm not ready with you, yet.' Sakura said glaring at my scared teammate, 'Anyway your teammates already left of for the hokage office to report the mission, but they will visit you soon.'

'I don't have to stay in hospital, do I?'

'No, I don't think so, but I advice you to take it easy for the coming days…'

'Right.'

'Neji-san, how is your leg doing?'

'Fine, it's recovering fast.'

'Good to hear.'

'Sakura-san? Can I visit my father?' I asked.

'… Are you sure you're ready for it, Hanabi-san?'

I glared at her. 'Father is already here for a couple of days and I haven't visited him yet! He might be waiting for me! So of course I'm ready for it!'

'Hanabi-san, we're not sure if he can hear you…'

'I don't care! I just want to see him!'

'Alright then. Follow me.' I stepped out of the bed and slowly walked after her. I still was dizzy.

'Uhmm, Hanabi-chan? I will leave you now, I'm going to the hokage, there's something I want to ask him, okay?' Konohamaru suddenly said.

'Sure.' I said to him wondering what it was that he suddenly wanted to talk about to Kakashi-sama.

'Well, see you later than, bye!'

'Bye!' I looked at him as he walked of. During the last mission we somehow cleared up the sky that was hanging around us. He felt more like a friend to me now… 'Konohamaru-kun!' He stopped and turned around. 'Thanks …for everything…'

He smiled. 'You too, Hanabi-chan and… good luck…'

'Thanks…' I turned to Neji-niisan and Sakura-san and took a deep breath, 'Okay, I'm ready for it…'

We walked through the corridor. I felt nervous. Was father's condition really that bad as they told me? I was worried. If I only stayed at home… Suddenly Sakura stopped. 'It's here…'

I looked at the door which separated me from my father. I raised my hand, laid it on the door-latch and opened the door slowly. I sighed and entered the room, but I didn't walk up to the bed. When I looked to him from a distant, I trembled. His face had a lot of bruises, his lip was thick and so was his nose. His lower body was hiden under the blankets, but his arms where resting on it. They were bandaged. He was linked to a drip. 'Hanabi-sama…' My cousin called me out taking my hand. 'Come'

I started to move and walked up slowly to my father, with a limping Neji next to me. I sat myself down on a chair. 'Father' I whispered taking his hand. 'I… I…' I didn't know what to say. I was confused. I still was unsure whether this all was right. Father had sealed my sister and this was the result. In my eyes this punishment was to harsh, but then again, I was raised as mainhouse-member. What did I actually now about the seal? For me it was not a big deal. It was given to branchhouse-members to conserve the Byakugan secrets after their deaths and undermine their powers, in case they wanted to revolt against the mainhouse. But then I remembered Neji's fight against Naruto. My cousin was mentally badly hurt by it. And the impact it had on Hinata… I looked at Neji's forehead. Under his forehead protector his seal was hidden. 'Yes?' He asked.

'The seal…'

He sighed. 'For us branchhouse-members it feels like we're caged birds. We're assigned to a fate. We must protect the mainhouse by any costs. And we can't escape it.'

'You want to leave the clan?'

'No, it's not like that, it's just we're not free to do what we want...'

I turned to my father again. 'Do you hate us mainhouse?'

'I did once… I always blamed the mainhouse for the death of my father. But for him to die, it was his own choice.'

'But you still hate Hinata-neesan, right?'

'It's not that I hate her, but old wounds just don't heal that easily…'

'Yeah…'

'And she had a choice whether to become a branchhouse-member, I had not…'

I turned around quickly and glared at him. 'How can you say that after all the things she had gone through?'

I tried to stand up but I almost fell. My cousin caught me.

'Hanabi-sama, please sit down and let me explain.'

'When I was just a little kid I got the seal. It's not like they asked me if I wanted it, and even if I didn't want it, there was nothing I could do against it. As a four year old child, I wouldn't have a chance against the leader. I just hoped, that Hinata as the 20 year old daughter of the leader would make a fuss about it, that might have opened the eyes of your father…'

I sighed. 'You know, Neji-niisan? I think father understands it quite well, he acts like a tough man, but that's just the cover. From the inside he is afraid.Father is very strict and he respects the rules as they were made centuries ago. There's never been big trouble in the clan and I think he is afraid that things will go bad when he changes those rules.'

'…'

'But you're right, something has to change. And if father won't do it, I hope that I will have the guts that are needed to change it all…'

'Hanabi-sama…'

'Neji-niisan? When the time has come that I will be the leader, will you be there… to support me?'

'I will…' Neji answered me laying his hands on my shoulders.

Slowly I raised my left hand and rested it on his right hand.

'Thanks' I whispered as I watched my father again. With my right hand I still held his hand.

'Father? Did you hear that? Things are going to change, but you don't have to worry over that know. Just… wake up soon, please.' I sobbed as a tear rolled of my face and landed on our linked hands…

A/N: Finally! Chapter 11 is up! I took me longer than excepted though :-/ I think from now on I will call this a monthly update-story instead of a weekly update story :-) I think that suits much better.
While I was checking on this story I found out that Fanfiction doesn't except a combination of the question mark and the exclamation mark Hehe. Quite a late discovery :-P

Anyway I hoped you liked this chapter. And of course merry christmas and a happy new year! :-D