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The Hyuuga Clan
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The day of the tournament arrived quickly. Konoha was celebrating, but at each corner of the street, a guard was stationed, tasked to ensure the village and its people were in no danger. Some of them wore the Konoha attire, but many more had been employed under-cover. They roamed the city seemingly carefree, yet their senses were on high alert. The Hokage had prepared for the worst after Jiraiya told them about the secret meetings between Sunagakure and Orochimaru, especially after the latter had shown up during the Chuunin exams. He even went as far as telling the Fire daimyo to cancel his plans of visiting Konoha for the tournament. Instead, they came up with an excuse for Suna as to why he could not attend.
Kakashi and Sasuke arrived at the tournament together. It had already started and the first round was over. From the chatter of the people around them, they could tell that Temari had won against Shikamaru and that the next fight would be Neji versus Hinata.
Sasuke's eyes searched for his team. He found Naho sitting next to Tenten. He didn't go over to her. Instead he asked, "Are Naruto and Sakura still on that mission?"
Kakashi shrugged. "They have to be. Otherwise I'm sure we'd hear them yelling around."
Sasuke fell quiet. He didn't want his teacher to think that he actually cared whether his team was there or not. But he did not complain when Kakashi decided to go over to Naho, Tenten and Gai. He followed after him.
Naho greeted them both with a small smile, just like she always did. "How was your training?" she carefully asked.
"Good," Sasuke answered shortly. It was the first time the two saw each other again since the last round of the Chuunin exams. Part of him wanted to ask her if her shoulder had healed properly, but there were too many people around to bring up the Forest of Death.
Her eyes fell on his neck, where the curse mark was, but she too chose not to address it.
"Man, are you two actually teammates?" Tenten asked with a scoff. "You look more like strangers that accidentally bumped into each other in the bathroom. If Neji or Lee came back from a training trip, I'd make sure to greet them with a good hug."
She threw a daring grin at both Naho and Sasuke. They both ignored her, and looked in different directions instead.
Now that Lee and Neji's names were mentioned, Kakashi wondered whether he should inquire about one of them. Because while Gai wore a smile on his face all the time he was standing next to Naho and Tenten's seats, Kakashi had seen enough smiles of him to tell that this one was not genuine. It was forced.
"Where is Neji? I heard his match is next." Kakashi decided to choose the safe route first. Immediately Gai started to boast about his student, and how he knew that Neji would win the next fight with ease.
"He already went down to the waiting area for his match," Tenten answered the teacher's question when Gai didn't.
Gai was still telling Kakashi and everyone else who listened about Neji's hard training and the exercises the teacher thought of to fully foster his student's skills. When suddenly, they heard a girl's voice.
"This is hardly a fair match," Ino commented, walking up the stairs in the stadium towards them. Both Shikamaru and Chouji followed her. "Hinata and Neji are from the same clan, yet Neji is one year older. Of course he'll be more experienced." She stopped next to Sasuke, way too close for him to still feel comfortable. She tucked her arm into his, and with a smile said, "To your fight I am looking forward the most."
Sasuke freed himself, pulled away. Then he turned around and left.
"Where are you going?" Kakashi asked after him. While Naruto was currently Jiraiya's responsibility, this one was his.
"Bathroom," Sasuke shortly replied and kept walking. He heard Ino protest, telling him to stay, but he didn't care.
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Sasuke poured cold water on his face. He'd never admit it, but part of him felt nervous about the upcoming match. Kakashi had told him that this was hardly a true fight and the outcome would barely have any repercussions. It was a form of entertainment for nobility and villagers first and foremost. Still Sasuke felt the pressure. When looking into his own black eyes in the mirror, he could hear the voice of his father, telling him not to disappoint.
Sasuke had to win. He was the last representative of his entire clan. He didn't plan on providing entertainment. He planned on proving that his clan was respectable, strong, a legend in Konoha. Because most had forgotten that the Uchiha were the co-founders of the village. He wanted everyone to remember. His clan was not dead.
On his way back to the others, he heard voices. Surely that was nothing extraordinary in a building filled with hundreds of people. But it was the secrecy that those voices carried that drew Sasuke's attention. Carefully he approached and stayed hidden behind a corner.
"She is the heiress of our clan. And you are of the side branch," he heard a male voice, half whispering, half yelling. "You are supposed to protect her, not hurt her. Even if it is for a tournament. Today, protecting Lady Hinata's honour is part of your duty. You know what I am trying to say, right?"
Sasuke wasn't really interested in other people's business. But he did like to be informed. And lately, there were too many secrets that people kept from him. So he leaned closely against the wall to listen, making sure they wouldn't notice him.
It was Neji who calmly answered, "You want me to lose my match on purpose."
"Of course," the other man replied dryly. It was Kou, Hinata's guardian. "So does Lord Hiashi."
"Are you threatening me?"
"I'm just reminding you. Of your place in this world."
Sasuke had often seen Kou during his time at the Academy. Kou had brought Hinata to the Academy in the morning, and picked her up again in the afternoon. Sasuke had never quite understood. He too had special eyes, but no one ever made such a fuss about his safety.
"What are you two doing here?" This time, it was Hinata's voice. She too had discovered the secret meeting between the two.
"Lady Hinata!" Kou exclaimed. "It's nothing. We were only chatting."
"Neji?" Hinata asked, wanting to confirm that everything between the two was alright.
It was quiet for a moment.
"You are in my way," Neji eventually complained and pushed past Hinata to leave.
Sasuke heard him approach, but it was too late to vanish. He distanced himself from the wall again so it wouldn't look like he'd been eavesdropping. The eyes of the two boys met. One pair was dark as the night, the other bright like a spring day among cherry blossoms. They looked at each other for a moment as Neji was clearly aware that Sasuke had heard their conversation.
Neji didn't address it, and left. Sasuke liked that approach, and was ready to leave as well, pretending he had never heard a word. This really was none of his business.
"Oh, Sasuke-kun," he heard Hinata behind him.
He stopped after all, wondering whether she too now knew that he'd been eavesdropping. But then again, he hardly cared what she thought of him.
Hinata's gaze dropped. Then she started fumbling with her fingers before saying, "Is uh… Is Naruto here too? I haven't seen him yet." Somehow their eyes met after all when she glanced at him and noticed his dark stare. She faltered slightly, wondering whether she'd done anything wrong, said anything impolite.
"Really?" Sasuke asked. "It's Naruto who's on your mind right now?" He turned away again and left, mumbling, "If I were you I'd worry about the match instead."
There had been a short period in Sasuke's life when he thought of Hinata as someone he had to beat. She was the heiress of the Hyuuga clan and he was, almost, the heir of the Uchiha clan. Their clans went way back. The First Hokage used to teach both the Uchiha and a Hyuuga heiress. They both had a bloodline that affected their eyes. And some in his clan even used to say that the Hyuuga and Uchiha were two sides of the same coin. That was why, naturally, Sasuke thought there'd be a rivalry between them when they both joined the Academy in the same year. But quickly he had to realise that Hinata made for an awful rival.
He thought of Ino. She was annoying, but at least she was always one of the best in their class. That was how an heiress ought to be. Exceptional. But Hinata was no more than ordinary. She was lacking the drive to be the best. Maybe she was lacking any drive at all.
He couldn't stand her for it. She was an heiress with a perfectly alive clan. She had what he wanted. And as far as he was concerned, she did not deserve it.
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Neji was standing in the middle of the arena, surrounded by crowds of people. His ears were throbbing with the thumbing sounds around him. It was like everyone was talking, and everyone's voice came crashing down into the arena, overwhelming him.
He concentrated on Hinata standing opposite of him instead, reminded himself that most eyes would be on her, not on him. She seemed aware of it too and nervously fumbled with her hands, just like she always did. Her eyes scanned the faces of the people around them.
"Ready?" Genma asked them. When both nodded, he reminded them what all those people around them wanted to see - a good match - and announced the start.
The tournament had never been an event to show off one's true strength. The First Hokage had introduced it decades ago to provide entertainment for the daimyo. Back then, fights had even been choreographed in advance with the goal of showing off the most impressive jutsu. Impressive in looks, not in skill.
Over the years the tournament slowly became more competitive, especially after Konoha invited their ally Suna to join in as well. It was a token of friendship, mostly. A show of trust to practice jutsu in front of another village. But also an opportunity to directly impress both Wind and Fire daimyo.
Bloodlines played an especially important role during such events. They were powerful. And they could not be copied. So naturally, both Neji and Hinata chose the Gentle Fist as their main form of combat for this match. It had a long tradition in their clan, and anyone fairly knowledgeable about fighting styles recognised the stance they both took on.
None of them attacked just yet. Kou's voice resounded in Neji's head. He'd trained for so long, trained so hard all his life. Yet it didn't matter. He could never reach Hinata. Even when he surpassed her, she'd always stay above him. It was her birthright to be superior to him.
He looked at Hanabi, Hinata's little sister. She was sitting next to their father, the head of the Hyuuga family. She had the same parents as Hinata, the same eyes. Yet a ribbon on her forehead hid the same seal he too was wearing. Hanabi was worth less in the Hyuuga family than her sister, because she had been born a few years too late. Just like his father had been worth less because he'd been born a few minutes too late. A few minutes. That was all that set Hinata's father apart from Neji's. A few minutes had decided both their lives, made one the leader and one the slave. And those few minutes had decided Neji's life too.
All those thoughts ran through his mind as he stood there and watched Hinata. She didn't dare make the first move. The audience around them started to get impatient. They wanted to see them fight. They wanted to see the Hyuuga heiress beat up the lowborn side branch member. That's how Neji interpreted their cheers and calls.
He wasn't going to give that satisfaction to them, he decided. He went for the first hit on Hinata. She managed to dodge, answering with a weak counterattack.
Neji landed a hit, and another. Feeling the reaction of the crowd around him was satisfying. It made him want more. He wanted everyone to see that he was superior, at least on the battlefield. So he hit again, and again.
His eyes showed him all of Hinata. Her chakra pathway, every single chakra point. Looking at her chakra flow and muscles helped him anticipate her every move. It was clear she couldn't do the same. Because while he landed hit after hit, Hinata never even touched him.
The Gentle Fist style was perfect for tournaments like these. It was slow. Grabbing a kunai and holding it to the other's throat would have been a quick way to win, but no one wanted to see that. They wanted to see an exchange of blows. Neji was ready to give them what they wanted, even allowing Hinata to land a hit here and there. But he always anticipated correctly which point she was attacking, and protected it accordingly.
Closing off chakra points was not without risk. Though mostly, effects were subtle as human bodies could easily compensate. At least for a while. There were only a few vital chakra points that could prove lethal when closed off or damaged. And not even Neji could hit those steadily. Much less in a moving target.
But Neji wasn't content with just closing off some minor chakra points. It was what everyone expected them to do, to force their opponent to surrender by sealing off arm and leg function. That way of fighting bored Neji. So each time he pressed on one of Hinata's chakra points, he pushed more of his own chakra into her pathway than needed. This way, it didn't properly close off the chakra points, but the overstimulation damaged surrounding tissue and organs. He wondered whether anyone around him realised what he was doing. He wondered whether Hinata even realised what he was doing.
"Maybe you should forfeit," Neji suggested. Because he knew that if he kept going, Kou would not be pleased, and neither would his uncle Hiashi be. If he kept going, he would seriously hurt her. But he wasn't going to hold back for them. He could hurt her, because he was better.
"I'm not giving up," Hinata returned, already gasping for air. Her eyes fell on the crowd around them again. They searched for someone, and quickly found her father and family.
"I won't let you win." At least he warned her, he thought. It was her own fault for being too weak to protect herself. "I'll make sure you lose so everyone can see that you are a failure."
Hinata slightly cringed at his words. Being called a failure hit deep. "I don't want you to let me win."
Neji looked at her heart. He could see every beat, every contraction of the strong muscle. Focusing on one of the chakra points, he attacked again and infused a great amount of chakra. He hit the point perfectly, and saw his own chakra spread in her system.
Hinata groaned with pain. She collapsed to her knees, pressing a hand against her chest.
Even those who couldn't see it before now knew that the fight was over at that point. Hinata was numbed from pain. It would have been easy to overpower her in this state and press her to the ground until she surrendered. Neji had already won.
Yet he waited for her to recover. It was what the audience wanted to see, he told himself. But truth was that Neji was enjoying himself. He enjoyed seeing her suffer. He didn't want it to end just yet.
So he continued. Next he closed off chakra point after chakra point in her left arm, until it hung next to her like dead meat. It was too easy, but showing the audience what he was capable of felt good after all. Without one of her arms, there was no way for Hinata to properly attack or defend.
Yet she still didn't surrender. And if she kept going, Neji would too.
He went for another hit on her other shoulder. To his surprise, instead of dodging or defending, Hinata let it happen, and grabbed his arm when his hand connected.
"I know you hate me," Hinata gasped, just loud enough for only him to hear.
Being so close to her appalled him. Intuitively, his knee found her belly in an attempt to free himself. He pulled away when Hinata felt the pain spread through her abdomen.
She fell to her knees once more, crouched up, waiting for the pain to pass. "I know you hate me, and I understand why." She was struggling to speak at all, and the words came out all horse and breathless.
"You don't know anything," Neji quickly said. This was nothing he wanted to talk about.
The pain slowly seemed to cease. With her right hand she took off her jacket. Neji's eyes showed him how she injected her own chakra into the closed off points to open them up again. Red dots were visible all over her skin. She rolled her left shoulder, testing the function of her left arm. It was back to normal, Neji had to realise. How exactly she could open the points again with such precision and ease when she couldn't hit a single one of his he couldn't quite understand.
It irritated him. But her words irritated him even more.
Her face held the most determination he'd seen all day long in her. "Just like you never got to choose your life, I never got to choose mine," she almost yelled at him.
"Be quiet," he snarled back at her. He didn't need to listen to the whining of a princess. He didn't need to listen to any of this.
Before she could say another word, Neji attacked again. This time, he didn't have the time to focus on a particular chakra point. He chose the first one he could find, close to her chest, and simply pushed. He wanted it to end now. So he pushed as much chakra as he could before Hinata tumbled backwards and fell.
She started coughing as she lay in the dirt. Neji's own heart was beating heavily. He was gasping for air as he watched Hinata do the same. She started choking until she rolled to her side and spit out blood.
"I'm sorry," she said in between two short breaths. Somehow she pushed herself up yet again. "I'm sorry that this is your life."
"I don't need you to feel sorry for me."
"But I am."
Neji swallowed hard. Was she mocking him?
He searched for his uncle in the crowd. He couldn't find him next to Hanabi anymore. Instead, he found him at the exit of the arena, talking to the proctor. Their eyes met. Hiashi slowly shook his head.
Neji felt his insides twist. He could humiliate Hinata as much as he wanted in front of everyone. It wouldn't change anything. Once they left this arena, she'd be the princess again. That fact would never change.
He turned back towards her. Hinata had somehow managed to stand up again. She didn't move. Just stood there, breathing heavily. Blood dripped to the ground.
Now that she was standing still, Neji found the one vital chakra point in her heart. The one that was protected by so many more. He stared at it, knowing that if he managed to touch this one, it would be over. Everything would be over.
Almost unconsciously his finger moved in its direction, pointed right at it. His eyes were locked on it. Hinata never moved. It was like she was waiting for him to end it.
Neji started running.
He heard voices behind him, yelling, shouting. He didn't care.
Right before the tip of his finger could reach her, Genma appeared out of nowhere and grabbed his wrist.
"That's enough," Genma said.
Hinata looked at him. They were close, way too close again. Genma had taken his time to intervene and waited until the last moment.
"I'm really sorry," she murmured before coughing up more blood. She collapsed, and Genma let go of Neji to catch her almost immediately.
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All the adrenaline and pride Neji felt at winning the match was washed away when he saw the circle of Jounin form around Hinata. It felt like everyone came running to her side - the proctor, her teacher, Kou, several medics. Even her father was waiting at the exit of the arena. Their eyes met again, and Neji could feel his disapproval, the judgmental air around him. For a moment he thought that his uncle would come over to him, yell at him for what he'd done. But Hiashi waited for Hinata to be carried past him on a stretcher, and then followed after her.
Neji was left standing alone in the arena, an ocean of people around him. They were all talking. He couldn't understand a single word. It all just fused into one big muddle of voices. But in his head, they too were judging him. They judged him for beating up the princess of his clan, for being from the side branch.
He rushed off out of the arena.
Back inside, in the hallway, he ran into Kiba and Shino, who were on their way to Hinata as well.
Kiba stormed towards him as soon as he spotted him, grabbed his collar and pushed him against a wall.
"What the hell!" he yelled at Neji, grabbing him tighter. "What is wrong with you? You almost killed her. Aren't you two family?"
Neji didn't respond, nor did he try to free himself. He accepted Kiba's anger.
Even when Kiba raised his other fist at him, ready to strike, Neji didn't flinch.
"Kiba," Shino calmly said. "Let's go to Hinata first. This isn't helping anyone."
Kiba gritted his teeth, considered for just a moment before letting go of him and walking away.
Neji kept standing against the wall for a bit longer. When he saw more of his classmates from the Academy approach, he fled into the bathroom.
There was just a single drop of blood on his right hand. It wasn't his own. He washed it off.
In the mirror, an angry face stared back at him. With the headband on, he looked like all the other shinobi. Angry for no reason. He grabbed the Konoha band and ripped it off, slammed his fist down with it against the sink. The caged-bird seal on his forehead didn't care that he'd won his match against the Hyuuga princess. It was still there. It still told himself and everyone else that he was inferior.
"What a tragic fate," he heard a voice behind him. When Neji whirled around, a man he'd never seen before was standing in front of him. He was wearing a headband with Sunagakure's symbol engraved on it. "Being born into the side branch of the Hyuuga clan, it must be a harsh life. So many limitations, a shame."
Neji wanted to leave. He felt caught during intimate thoughts. Yet somehow he didn't dare move, and kept quiet instead, hoping the stranger would vanish again as quickly as he had appeared.
But he did not. With a calm voice the man said, "I used to have an ally once who was in a similar situation, condemned into the side branch at birth." He smiled to himself. "Before birth even."
"The Hyuuga's side branch?" Neji asked, even though he believed his own question to be stupid. It couldn't be his own clan. They had no connection to Sunagakure.
Yet the man lightly chuckled. "A Hyuuga by name she was." He eyed the door of the bathroom. "The Uchiha boy's match is next. I'd like to watch it. "
Neji took a step backwards, his back pressed against the sink. The man turned towards him again, and a cold shiver ran down his back.
"You are special, Neji Hyuuga. I can see it in your eyes. You don't want to live a life full of servitude. And I believe you deserve more than that." He pointed to his own forehead. "That seal, I know a way to remove it. With my help, you could be… free."
Neji swallowed. His own heart was beating so fast, he thought it would explode. He couldn't tell why. He couldn't tell whether he was scared to death by this man or whether the thought of being freed from the seal excited him this much. But he did know that this man was strange. He could tell that this man was not supposed to be there, making such grotesque offers.
With the calmest voice Neji had ever heard, the man continued, "Did you know that once, a long time ago, your clan had a contract with a flock of birds? You probably don't. You are a member of the side branch after all. But isn't it quite preposterous how the clan's spirit animal used to be the birds, yet now all that is left is a seal called the caged-bird seal?"
He laughed as though someone had just told a joke. Neji didn't feel like laughing. It irritated him how this stranger claimed to hold all this information about his own clan.
"Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Orochimaru Tsuchinoko. You might know me, you might not. It doesn't really matter. What does matter is that I can offer you a new life. A life away from the enthralment of your clan." He took out a small piece of paper and gave it to Neji. It was a map. A village was marked on it, far away from Konoha, and outside of the Land of Fire. "You and Sasuke are both cordially invited. Feel free to have a chat with him about my offer. But I'd rather you wouldn't speak to anyone else about our little meeting here. At least not quite yet."
With those words, the man left. Neji stared at the map in his hand. Otogakure, he read. His mind was racing as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. He remembered the name Orochimaru Tsuchinoko well. He was one of Konoha's Sannin. Yet he wore the headband of Suna. And handed him a map with yet another village marked on it.
Neji's head kept boiling until someone knocked on the bathroom door, and he heard Tenten's voice.
"Are you in there, Neji?"
Quickly he put the map away and hid it in his pockets. Outside, Tenten waited for him with a concerned look on her face.
"Are you alright?" she asked as Neji stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him. "Sensei and I were waiting for you to return."
Neji couldn't look at her. He had enjoyed hurting Hinata. He didn't regret it. Yet he felt ashamed. And he knew Tenten would judge him too. Because someone like her could never understand.
He didn't know what look she wore on her face, still he felt like he had to explain himself. "I won that fight because I was better than her. She could have given up, but she didn't."
Tenten didn't answer. Whether that was a good sign or not he was unsure.
Neji was done. He didn't want to deal with any of this anymore, with the tournament, his clan, his whole life. So he said, "I'm not interested in the rest of the tournament. I won, so I'm going home."
Tenten hurried after him. "Really? Then who is going to explain jutsu and combat styles to me during the next fight?" she answered, almost like the fight between Neji and Hinata had never happened. Like the world was all normal.
He didn't have the energy for such a conversation, so he simply kept going.
Tenten grabbed his hand to stop him. It immediately angered Neji. He whirled around to snarl mean words at her, but once his eyes met hers, he couldn't find his voice anymore.
Tenten's eyes were sad and worried. A look he'd seen too often those last few days.
"Don't run away, Neji, please," she said. "I'm your friend, at least let me come with you."
Neji grunted, but didn't complain any further when she walked next to him. Together they left the building.
"You know, you are right," Tenten said once they were outside.
Neji turned to her, confused what she was talking about.
Calmly she said again, "You were right that Hinata could have surrendered. That Gaara guy completely smashed Lee's arms and legs, and tried to kill him. And no one's making a fuss. I'm sure it's because he's the Kazekage's son." She stopped herself, realising that she was getting off track. "Anyway, I don't think you are to blame for anything. You did as you were told, you fought. I'm sure she'll be fine again soon and everyone will forget about this."
Neji studied her face. She seemed genuine. Usually he'd hate it that Tenten took longer to grasp all sorts of things, and that he repeatedly had to explain the world to her. But not today. Today he appreciated that she was just so slightly dense, oblivious to the darkness that still threw shades upon his heart.
"You know, we should go visit Lee!" Tenten enthusiastically suggested.
"Again? We only went there this morning. You should give him some time to rest too."
She put both hands up in the air, and with almost overflowing motivation said, "My father always says that resting is for dead people. Lee will only get bored and lazy without us."
Again, Neji wondered whether Tenten was truly oblivious to Lee's condition, of the graveness of his injuries. But maybe her carefreeness was just what he needed. It didn't matter whether it was sincere or not.
"Alright, let's go," he said, and he could see that his words made her happy. And maybe, that was enough for now.
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While Tenten and Neji left for the hospital together, Sasuke's match against Gaara started. Orochimaru was standing close to an exit, watching as the two Genin entered the arena. He couldn't help but smirk at all the interesting Genin that participated in the exams this year.
He glanced over at the Hokage and Kazekage. They were both sitting on a special viewing platform. Only the two Kage and their chosen guards had access to it. Not far away, the Wind daimyo and his samurai guards, as well as a few guards from Suna, sat alone on his own viewing platform, shaped like a balcony. The seat next to him, meant for the Fire daimyo, was empty.
One of his own students approached. "We are ready," Kabuto calmly said. He was wearing Konoha's Anbu attire, covered by a black cloak. On his head, he wore the symbol of Konoha.
Orochimaru nodded. "Let's wait a bit longer. I want to see Sasuke's fight."
Kabuto glanced around. They stood fairly secluded from other people. Still he stepped closer to Orochimaru and in a low voice said, "The Kazekage wants it to happen during Gaara's fight."
"And it will happen during Gaara's fight," the man returned sharply, annoyed at the distraction.
Kabuto stayed quiet.
A small snake slithered across the ground of the stadium, past feet and bags. It approached Orochimaru, who promptly picked it up. It flicked its tongue at him, and a wide grin formed on the man's lips. He looked at the audience, scanned it until he found who he was looking for.
"Oh, splendid!" he exclaimed. "Truly splendid. If only Tsunade was here as well. They'll love my little surprise."
He kept snickering to himself in anticipation of what was to come.
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A/N:
Not gonna lie, this chapter almost had me convinced that Neji would make a better disciple of Orochimaru than Sasuke does, lol.
In this AU, Hinata's kidnapping never happened. I really don't think Neji needs a reason to hate the main family (such as his father sacrificing himself). I'd much rather he hates the system as such. So in this chapter, he was bitter not because of the death of his father, but because the few minutes Hiashi was born before Hizashi determined their whole lives.
Also, a bit of AU trivia:
My personal headcanon is that the Caged-Bird Seal, which was originally called the Sun Seal, can actually be removed again by a head member of the main family. It's not exactly without risk (just like applying the seal), but possible. Hanabi here has it as well, because Hinata is the official heiress and there can only be one heiress. Should Hinata die (or be disowned), Hanabi's seal can be removed again and it'd be clear that she would be the next heiress. Similarly, if a member from the side branch marries into the main family, their seal would then also get removed.