Disclaimer: I Don't Own Naruto
Uzu The World Traveller
Chapter 2: Honor of the Hyuuga, The Seal of Fire
Konoha- Hyuuga Main Branch Escape Tunnel
"We need to Talk."
Four easy words that meant nothing by themselves but all the world to Naruto when they came out of the mouth of Hyuuga Hiashi.
Too put it mildly, Naruto was intimidated.
"uh…uh" Naruto thought quickly searching for a way to buy time and escape from the imposing man in front of him while backing away getting ready to make his run for it.
"Do not fear me Naruto. I am not here to necessarily stop you" Hiashi assuaged Naruto's fears with a smirk on his face.
Naruto's face scrunched up in confusion. "You're not?" he asked warily.
Hiashi shook his head with a somewhat sad and wistful smile rather than his previous smirk. "No Naruto-kun. I will not deny you this chance to escape your cage."
Taking in the words, Naruto's face softened immensely. "Thank you Hiashi-sama." Naruto bowed after the use of the honorific.
Hiashi was surprised by his sudden change in demeanor, but carried on. "Still, I must ask. Why, Naruto, do you feel the need to flee Konoha?"
"That Hiashi-sama…" Naruto trailed off for a moment as his eyes stared out focusing and unfocusing in intervals… "Is both easy and difficult to answer." Naruto walked over to the wall nearest to him and turned his back to it before sliding down to rest in a supported squat. Making eye contact with Hiashi he began anew. "The easy answer is the treatment I receive here in Konoha. No matter what I do or is done to me I'm treated like trash. You know this better than anyone except maybe the Hokage. Despite the fact that I saved Hinata, your clan elders and some of the ninja involved still wanted me executed. I mean come on! I saved her and they... they wanted to kill me Hiashi-sama... " Naruto's voice trailed off with a sad, wounded tone while Hiashi himself looked away for a moment in shame of his clan and village. His attention was brought back to Naruto when the boy began speaking again.
"How am I suppose to live like that? Where everything I do makes me the bad guy?" Naruto seemed to look to Hiashi for an answer he knew he could not give. " I can't live like that... no one can. That's … part of why I'm going. "
"… and the rest being Hinata and Hanabi ?" Hiashi asked in a calm manner.
Naruto jumped up quickly in anger, pointing at Hiashi with his finger. "YOU!" he accused by jabbing his finger in the man's direction. "You were there, listening the whole time?"
Hiashi had no reason to lie. "Yes, yes I was."
"Why were you spying on us?" Naruto asked angrily with his arms gesturing madly.
Hiashi enjoyed the boy's squirming for a moment before deciding to answer.
" Because the only way the clan elders would allow you to come into contact with Hinata and Hanabi was if I was there, myself. " he replied rationally.
Naruto's mind whirled as he took in this information. If Hiashi had to be with them whenever they were together and he hadn't noticed him earlier in the day did that mean……
"Yes..." Hiashi intoned. "I have been there each and every time you and my daughters have met."
Naruto was shocked speechless. If that were true... He and the girls had met at least every other day for at least an hour or so each day! He didn't have a full comprehension of the duties of a clan head but even he could realize the strain it would put on the time and duties of the man before him. He had to ask...
"Why, Naruto-kun?" Hiashi asked as he read the expression on Naruto's face (something that always irritated the boy to no end). " I did so for a multitude of reasons, only a few of them being that I personally owed it to you to do so as well as the fact that despite them being unawares, I have been able to spend time with my daughters that otherwise I would not have been able to. I have been allowed to watch them flourish and grow with you, Naruto, as I was never able to before."
" Oh.." was all Naruto managed to make out in his surprise.
Hiashi smirked for a second before his features became solemn once again. " Indeed, but back to the matter at hand. You would leave your homeland for my daughters' sakes? Once again, I ask why."
Naruto's surprised expression quickly formed into one of sad acceptance and hesitance to address the subject. "You already know why Hiashi-sama. You were there and seem to know everything else so why not that?"
Hiashi realized that to force such emotions out on a raw topic was potentially damaging for the boy but with what he had in mind he had to be sure...
" I must insist on an answer Naruto-kun."
Naruto's eyes teared up for a second and he quickly wiped them away, trying to hide them from the man before him.
"Naruto-kun..." Hiashi stressed.
"It's..." Naruto spoke up. " It's because I love Hinata and Hanabi, Hiashi-sama. That is why I am willing to leave for them. Because they...they mean so much to me... they're all I have..." Naruto's tears ran down his cheeks as he looked at the ground. " … I have to leave... because just me… . being here will hurt them..." he finished with a broken sob.
Hiashi had heard the words before as they were spoken to his very own daughters, but this level of emotion had been held back, he supposed more for his daughters' sakes than the boy's own. Here and now, however, he could see a broken boy who had sacrificed what precious little he had to protect the ones he loved. It was powerful, moving, and held a purity the likes of which had not been seen in quite some time. A boy who had never known love in his life had discovered it with his daughters and was more than willing to sacrifice for them.
He had come to a decision.
Naruto was more than surprised when he was embraced and held tightly by the stoic head of the mighty Hyuuga. " Hiashi...sama?" he croaked.
" Naruto-kun." Hiashi addressed him with a firm, but caring voice. "Thank You."
" Wha what?" Naruto asked in confusion.
" Thank you , Naruto... " Hiashi intoned again. " For being there for my daughters when I could not and helping me to see what I was blind to with these eyes." Hiashi backed out of the hug but kept his hands on the boy's shoulders as he continued to kneel down. "Thank you for reigniting a fire within myself and Hinata that was beginning to die out."
" I...don't understand..."
" I don't imagine you do right now, Naruto-kun..." Hiashi actually ruffled the hair of the boy in front of him, something he had never done before. "But some day you will. You've helped my family in more ways than you might ever understand..." Hiashi trailed off in thoughts for the future for a moment. " But now I must ask something else of you. Will you grant me this request Naruto?"
Naruto could tell Hiashi was more serious with whatever this request was than anything he had ever been before. There was only one acceptable response here.
" Hai.'
Hiashi grinned, something that on such a stone-faced indivdiual seemed... nearly unnatural.
"Good." Hiashi removed his hands from Naruto's shoulders and sat down on his knees and folded legs and motioned for Naruto to do the same. One both parties were settled, Hiashi began to speak. " Naruto." He spoke while removing a heavy, metal pendant resembling the Hyuuga crest from over his head and holding it in his hands. "This is the Seal of Fire, the basis for both the symbol of the Hyuuga and the reason why we are regarded as royalty." Hiashi paused to let the information sink in. " Since before the founding of Konoha the Hyuuga have served as the guardians of the Fire Country, protecting it from threats from within and abroad. We have served honorably ad nobly for many generations, but now I feel it is time that it be passed on to another..."
The young blonde was at first enraptured with the story but then the enormity of what he could sense coming put him in shock.
" NO WAY! " Naruto shot up off the ground. " Why me? I'm a nobody! I don't even have a bloodline limit!"
Hiashi ,with equal force and presence, stood up overshadowing Naruto. " It MUST be you, Uzumaki Naruto. You are the only one I deem fit to sit as my successor and guardian of the Seal of Fire."
"But why?" the confused boy demanded with his hands in his hair.
"Because no one else can." Hiashi replied in direct honesty. "No one else in this nation has suffered as you have. No one has persevered as you have. No one else in this country truly possesses the fire of spirit that you, Uzumaki Naruto, have." Hiashi moved in front of Naruto and once more kneeled down. "You must be the guardian of the Seal , Naruto , because no one else knows the true depths of sacrifice like you have now proven yourself to know. No one else has such an inherent potential for good and selflessness like you do."
Naruto was so confused. He had never been so complimented and so taxed at the same time. He didn't know what to do. Hiashi was asking him to take on a burden when he was trying to escape burdens. What would he do?
" Naruto." He got the boy's attention despite his dazed stupor. "You have already accepted this burden. There is no turning back. " he gripped the boy's shoulder tightly. " I, Hyuuga Hiashi, defender of the land of Fire, Head of Clan Hyuuga hereby charge you, Uzumaki Naruto, with the task of guarding the symbol and spirit of the Nation of Fire for the duration of twelve years, upon which you are to return to Konoha and return the seal to me. Do you accept?"
Naruto was silent, staring up into the eyes of the man before him.
"Do you accept!" Hiashi stressed as he felt the time passing quickly.
"Yes... Hiashi-sama..." Naruto finally decided. "I, Uzumaki Naruto, will guard the Seal Of Fire with my life for twelve years upon which I will return."
Hiashi smiled before quickly hanging the medallion around Naruto's head and tucking it into his shirt. He then stood, ran over to some shadows and pulled out a pick that Naruto could see was filled with scrolls.
" Naruto" Hiashi urgently spoke. " Time is now of the essence. I have enclosed in this pack sufficient supplies for you to travel a considerable distance. They are sealed within the Kanji of the scrolls. To find out how to use them consult the teaching scrolls you have acquired. You must run now, swiftly and silently. Do not stop to eat or sleep till you hit the border of Fire country. This will take a few days at your speed, but with these..." he paused to hand Naruto some soldier pills. " you can continue on without having to worry about your chakra running dry. When you do stop finally, make sure you are in a secure location. You're going to be there for a while."
Hiashi dropped to the ground before embracing Naruto one last time. "Naruto" he whispered to him. "Grow strong... unlock the potential of which you spoke and do not let anything stand in your way to greatness. You will see horrors on this journey I would never have wished upon you, but you must carry on. Keep us in your heart and your fire burning bright. It may not seem it now, but Konoha is your home. Return to us, return to Hinata and Hanabi." He stood and pulled Naruto with him. "Now RUN." He shouted while pushing Naruto towards the exit. "RUN AND DO NO LOOK BACK!"
Naruto struggled for just a moment to speak. "I promise you I will fulfill and exceed my potential, I will become strong, and I will return." With that said Naruto ran down the darkened path, never looking back, only at the future.
Konoha- Village Council Meeting
"HOKAGE-SAMA!" a group of chunins shouted as they broke into the middle of a High Clan meeting. "HOKAGE-SAMA!" they yelled again.
The clan heads as well the Hokage, sensing the urgency of the situation, quickly stood up to attention.
"Hokage-sama!" breathed out the frantic chunin in charge of the group. " The Demon has escaped! The Demon has escaped!"
"WHAT!" roared Uchiha Fugaku as well as several of the other clan heads.
"What do you mean by 'The Demon has Escaped'?" enquired the Hokage in grave tone.
"When... When some of the Chunin instructors went to begin class today they wished to consult the Academy teaching scrolls first to refresh themselves with some of the concepts... but they were gone!" explained the chunin leader.
"What the hell does this have to do with the Kyuubi escaping, boy!" yelled a frustrated Fugaku.
A shaken Iruka came forward next to the leader. "The last person seen at the Academy was Uzumaki Naruto. I should know as I was there with him at the beginning. He was serving a detention for... being late… and I didn't want to have to wait for him to finish up so I left him to finish cleaning the school."
"What do you mean by cleaning the school? Surely you mean his classroom Iruka." The Hokage suggested.
Iruka looked away in shame for a moment. "No, Hokage-sama. I made him clean the entire school. He was told not to go home until he was finished."
The Hokage began to speak, but was cut off once again by Fugaku.
"I knew we just should've killed him when we had the chance." Stated the Uchiha clan leader with a decent majority of the room agreeing with him.
"Hold it." The Hokage firmly ordered with his hand raised. Turning to Iruka and the other chunins he spoke. " Has anyone bothered to even try to find the scrolls or Naruto?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Answered the chunin leader. "We have partially searched the village as well as his residence, the Ichiraku ramen stand, the Academy grounds, and any others frequent haunts of his."
Sarutotobi moved his fingers to massage his temples and his oncoming headache. "Fine, contact the Anbu and have them search within and around Konoha for Uzumaki Naruto as well as any leads on who might've taken the academy teaching scrolls." He looked to them to make sure they understood the orders before dismissing them. Turning back he addressed the clan heads. " As I am sure you can see, pressing business has arisen. We will have to discuss things another time."
Moving to exit the room, his attention was caught when a fist slammed on a table.
" Damn it Sarutobi. How can you be so calm with that Demon running around with those teaching scrolls! They contain all of the training methods of the leaf and our village's techniques up to chunin level!" Fugaku shouted. "This is treason against the state! Damn the Kyuubi! This is a matter all its own! If another village gets their hands on those scrolls they will have the initial steps to all of our greater techniques and secrets!"
Sarutobi didn't turn around but his head did sink. " I know Fugaku-san." He slowly breathed out in defeat. "If Naruto is indeed found to be guilty and has fled the village with out secrets he will be tried as a traitor to the state and treated as such...until that is proven, I will do nothing." With that the Hokage walked out of the meeting room, taking the back hallways to hide the few tears that passed down his wrinkled cheeks as he thought about he was about to do. ' Arashi-kun... please forgive me for this. I have no other choice...'
"Anbu." The Hokage said right before a group of four cloaked and masked nin appeared before the Fire Shadow. "You are to determine is Uzumaki Naruto has indeed stolen the Academy Teaching scrolls and has fled the village with them. If this is so..." the old man had to take a moment to force himself to say the words. " You are to dispense to him the Justice of Konoha."
"Hai, Hokage-sama." Was the muttered response before the shadowy figures disappeared once again.
" Naruto-kun" the old man cried. "please forgive me..."
Konoha- Hyuuga Grounds
One Hyuuga Hiashi sat in meditation in front of the same seal access-way that Naruto had used the day before. He wondered if the boy had heeded his words and not stopped. Considering how fast things had slid downhill after the council meeting, he prayed that he had.
His thoughts were interrupted, however, when a form emerged from the shadows of the trees surrounding the clearing he sat in.
"Hello Brother." The form spoke.
"Hello Hizashi. How are you?" Hiashi replied.
"Fine brother, just fine. Neiji is doing well also."
"That is good to hear." Hiashi nodded. "From what I have been told, he is taking to the Jyuken at an unprecedented rate."
Hizashi smiled slightly. "This is true. It's amazing how fast he takes to the forms. I swear he will surpass yours and mine strength. Combined."
Hiashi smiled slightly as well. It was good to hear that such strength was still growing in the clan despite its deterioration .
" So you gave him the Seal of Fire?" Hizashi asked from seemingly no where.
Hiashi considered how best to respond. He settled on a simple yes.
Hizashi was quiet for a moment before speaking . "This, I think, is good."
Hiashi nodded, pleased that his brother understood his position and would not try and oppose him.
"You did of course tell him what all it entailed." Hizashi added in question.
Hiashi's small smile ticked just ever so slightly on one side of his mouth before answering by nodding his head.
Hizashi continued to smile as well before walking up behind Hiashi and hitting him upside the head, his smile disappearing with a disapproving glare. "Don't lie to me with that smile and nod crap. I saw your smile slip. You didn't tell him everything did you?"
Hiashi's smile turned more sheepish than pleased as he massaged his head for a brief moment before returning to his meditation position. "There was a limited amount of time in which to discuss the manner, but the most important aspects were discussed."
"Oh?" Hizashi questioned with a nod of his head and his arms crossed. " Then of course he knows that he's now betrothed to either one or both of your daughters."
Hiashi elegantly stood up and moved with the grace of a master nin before nearing the exit of the clearing. "Perhaps..." he spoke over his shoulder. " I skipped over a few things."
Hizashi slapped his hand angrily over his face while muttering before removing his hand to look at his brother and chastise him only to find him missing.
"HIASHI!" called a voice that was heard across the compound.
WIND COUNTRY – Barren Prairie lands
Naruto was overjoyed to find a small cave to finally crash in after his long sojourn. Sprinting while carrying his supplies all the way from Konoha had really taken its toll out on his small body and not even the soldier pills had taken the stripping edge of the journey.
While he was frightened that others would soon be coming for him the fact that he was at least temporarily free set his soul alight with glee. Taking the teaching scroll of history and geography out, he traced his journey so far. He was a few miles into the Wind country, a nation famous for its harsh environment and rugged shinobi. He knew if he could make it here, he'd be able to make it anywhere.
As he finally drifted off to sleep after having gotten food and drink from the Kanji-sealed supplies, he couldn't help but smile at the thoughts of adventure in his future.
N – A – R – U – T – O - N – A – R – U – T – O - N – A – R – U – T – O
A/N: Well hello everyone. First I want to address a question that's been popping up. Why Is Naruto so smart? Let me ask you this… What about Kakashi being a genin at the age of 6? Or Itachi after him doing... something... at the age of eight? Naruto's had it much worse than either of them so I figure he'd probably come out differently from that. Besides, ever hear the term street-smart? It's b/c people that have to fight for their survival develop faster.
Second thing, I'm sure some of you are even more confused now that Hizashi has shown up. Let me explain this: the whole Cloud thing happened far differently from what happened in canon. Let's just say all the parties affected changed drastically eh? As for the Seal of Fire per se? No, it doesn't have any special ability, but to say the least, it can open doors in the right situation.
Thanks for reading everybody!
