A/N - Okey dokey, here we gozie! I haven't updated this one in well over a year, but I don't really know why. lol. I decided that I'd go ahead and update this one finally, so here it is!

Not a lot happens in this chapter. However, some important things are discussed in this chapter, and some things happen. So...yay? lol

Anyways, I hope you guys and gals enjoy this chapter. I was having a hard time focusing while writing it, but I think it turned out okay. Hopefully. lol

Read on and hopefully enjoy!

Chapter 4 – The Truth Revealed

Naruto was smiling as he listened to Hinata describing her first C-rank mission to him. Even if he didn't quite understand everything she was saying, he still paid rapt attention. At one point, she complained about Kiba doing something stupid and making a mess of things, and this caused him to giggle for a while. Still…

Hinata stopped talking and pulled her boyfriend into a hug, resting his head against her bountiful bosom. Gently petting the top of his head, she said, "If only we had been on the same team together. I could share in your burden and ensure that nobody harmed a hair on your head. I could have handled those horrible people so you wouldn't have had to. You're too pure a person to put through things like that."

Naruto nodded slowly and said, "Explosions hurt people. I hurt people with explosions. Didn't mean to. Ino hurt. I got mad. Big explosions."

The Hyuga heiress frowned sadly at him as she allowed him to cry it all out. Kissing the top of his head, she said, "It's okay. I know, sweetie. I know. Did Ino thank you? Is she treating you any differently than before?"

"Please don't talk about me like I'm not here." Ino said from her place in one of the chairs nearby. "Yes, I said thank you. And no, I'm not treating him worse simply because he killed someone. Naruto-kun is…" Frowning slightly, she looked at her fellow blonde and said, "He's…delicate. He needed support in that moment. Not scorn or fear or whatever else you might be thinking of. Then Sasuke sold him out to a potential enemy and only made things worse. I think if Kiyomi-sama could have gotten away with it, she would've killed that bastard."

Haku frowned at this point and said, "I still don't understand why they'd let someone as unstable as Sasuke become a ninja. He didn't even hesitate to sell out Naruto-sama. If I hadn't realized the kind of pain Naruto-sama was in, or recognized that he had been through a hell of his own, I would have tried to kill him for killing Zabuza. Zabuza was all I lived for. When he died, I was lost, without a purpose. Then, when I saw the kind of pain Naruto-sama has endured, I decided that I would serve him and live for his sake. I will always protect him, and I refuse to let any harm befall him, so long as I can help it. I don't even care if I'm not part of Team 10 or even a ninja registered to this village. I'll go everywhere Naruto-sama goes and I'll deal with any problems that may arise. That is a promise."

Hinata narrowed her eyes at Haku and said, "For even thinking of harming Naruto-kun, I should kill you. However, Naruto-kun trusts you and seems to value your friendship with him. And, considering you have vowed to serve him, I will place my trust in you. Don't betray it."

Haku didn't flinch even once. Instead, she kept a stony glare on her face and said, "I would never hurt Naruto-sama. If I knew who was responsible for hurting him to the point it shattered his mind, I would hunt them down and slay them all. Naruto-sama has been through far too much."

Hinata scowled at this point and said, "We don't like to talk about that day. Nothing but bad memories. As for harming the ones that broke him? Get in line. I'm still waiting for my chance to end the life of the one behind the assault on Naruto-kun. He's a coward and a monster. I thought that by staying close to my target that I'd be able to find some opening to slay him. I wanted to find some kind of weakness I could exploit. I wanted proof of his actions. But he feels no regret for what he has done. He won't drop his guard around even his own family. The man deserves to die. But the monster has hidden behind the same excuse for years. Clan affairs that the Hokage has no business getting involved in. I want to make him suffer before I finally snuff out his wretched life."

Ino's eyes went wide as she listened to Hinata. When she was finished, Ino was shaking. "You can't mean…? Your own father?! Are you sure?!"

Kiyomi scowled and said, "Hiashi may not have done the deed himself, but he was behind it all. He orchestrated the attack, but made sure it couldn't be traced back to him. Without proof of his deeds, and with the excuse that it was 'clan affairs', the Hokage couldn't act against him. Considering I was there, I saw the whole event. Hinata and I vowed to make that monster pay, no matter what or how long it took. But…"

Hinata nodded and took over at this point. "I had hoped to gain some kind of proof of his wrongdoings so I could take it to the Hokage and convince him to do something about it. But, there was none. Hokage-sama KNOWS Hiashi is behind it, but he can't act without some definitive proof. So, I decided I would wait until the right moment to strike and eliminate him. But, sadly, I have not found the opening I need just yet. That monster is always on guard and incredibly paranoid. He knows that Kiyomi and I know what he did. He doesn't trust me, or even my sister. The monster is inhuman and deserves death, but I can't find the opening I need."

Ino frowned slightly before looking squarely into Hinata's eyes. "Can't you use your Phase ability to get the drop on him somehow?"

Hinata shook her head and said, "My ability is Phasewalk. I can temporarily shift the planes I walk on and use it to sneak up on my enemies before unleashing a surprise attack…but Hiashi knows how it works and is always prepared to strike me down if need be. So sadly, there is nothing I can do at the moment." Sighing softly, Hinata looked from Ino to Kiyomi. "I think it's time that I move in with you and Naruto-kun. We'll just have to strike when the opportunity presents itself. Hopefully it is soon."

Kiyomi looked from Hinata to Naruto and smiled slightly when she realized he had fallen asleep in Hinata's embrace. "Agreed. If we can't find an opening to butcher that monster, then we'll just have to make one. If that means we have to exterminate the entirety of the Hyuga clan, then so be it. I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over it."

Ino frowned for a time before asking, "Is there anything I can do to help? Naruto-kun has suffered because of that man. He's not…" Sighing sadly, she looked down at her hands and said, "Naruto-kun is no longer whole because of that monster. I want to help somehow."

Haku nodded and said, "Me, as well. I know this man must be a formidable opponent, but I will take him down, for Naruto-sama."

Kiyomi smiled at them both before turning her gaze to her darling Naruto. "Thank you. We may be stuck waiting for quite a while, but we WILL destroy him when we are able. If Minato and Kushina were still alive and they knew what Hiashi had done, they would have slain him by now, I'm sure of it. I may be strong enough to finish him off, considering I am the Kyuubi, but I'd rather not have to transform just to kill him. The insignificant insects of this village already fear us enough. I'd rather not give them anymore reason to chase Naruto-kun and myself out of the village. No, for now we wait until we can assassinate Hiashi. Perhaps there will be an opportunity to do so in the upcoming Chunin Exams. We shall just have to wait and see."

Ino blinked for a moment before it registered. "That's right! The Chunin Exams are being held in Konoha this time, aren't they? Do you think we'll be nominated to participate?"

Before anyone could reply, the front door opened and in walked Kiyomi's clone and Inoichi Yamanaka. "Most likely, your teams will be nominated for the upcoming exams." Inoichi said. "However, due to Sasuke's punishment, Team 7 will NOT be participating in the exams."

Ino smiled at this piece of news and said, "Good. But, um, Daddy? Why are you here? Is something wrong?"

Inoichi gently patted his daughter on the head before he looked at Naruto. "I have been asked to talk with Naruto. He has been through a lot recently and needs to speak with a licensed psychiatrist." Seeing his daughter nod in understanding, he looked at Hinata and said, "I know you're probably quite comfortable, but can I ask that you please wake him up?"

Hinata nodded before she whispered something in Naruto's ear. When he sat up straight with a slight blush on his face, Inoichi chuckled. Deciding it best not to ask what she just said to him, Inoichi sat down on the loveseat across from Naruto. "Naruto, do you want to speak in private? Or are you okay with your friends being here?"

The younger blonde looked around at everyone before turning his gaze back to Inoichi. "Explosions are forever. Friends stay."

Nodding in understanding, Inoichi decided to begin. "Naruto, I know you've been through a lot lately. So, I'll start off simple and gradually work up to the bigger questions. Now, from what I understand, Hokage-sama gave you the mission to assassinate Gato and free the people of Waves. When you were given this task, can you tell me how you felt?"

Naruto frowned slightly and looked nervously down at his hands. "Wasn't happy. No happy explosions. Too nervous. Didn't feel right."

Inoichi nodded and said, "It's okay, Naruto. Now, when you first arrived in the Land of Waves, you witnessed a confrontation between Kakashi Hatake and Zabuza Momochi. Can you describe what you felt and how you dealt with the situation? I already know the details, but I want to hear it straight from you."

Glancing around at everyone, Naruto quietly said, "Kakashi…Kakashi hurt Ino. Angry explosions. Hurt Kakashi. Hurt Zabuza. They die in angry explosion. I did bad thing. I'm sorry. Then Sasuke…and Haku…more angry explosions. No one happy. Feel bad."

Haku frowned sadly and walked over to the couch Naruto was seated on. Wrapping her arms around her new master, she said, "It's okay, Naruto-sama. It's okay."

Inoichi smiled at the interaction. However, he needed to continue. So, looking into Naruto's eyes again, he said, "Thank you, Naruto. Thank you for looking out for my little girl." Seeing the confused look on Naruto's face, the elder Yamanaka chuckled softly before deciding to simply continue. "Now, after that happened, you ended up meeting Tazuna's family. From what I understand, Tsunami's son, a boy named Inari, didn't take too kindly to you. Even after you helped to save his grandfather and the people of the Land of Waves, he still didn't appreciate you. How did this boy make you feel?"

Naruto frowned and said, "Little boy makes me feel…different. Not good. Says I suffer no bad explosions. Haku-chan got mad. Later, little boy praise Sasuke. More bad explosions. Don't like little boy."

Nodding in understanding, Inoichi said, "That's understandable. Now, at this point, Haku guided you and Kiyomi to Gato's lair. If I'm understanding it right, Naraku took over at this point, didn't he?" Seeing Naruto nod, Inoichi continued. "As usual, however, you saw and felt everything Naraku did. I'll ask you about that in a moment. After you freed the women and children, killed Gato's men, and commanded your clones to take everything of value, you took Gato to the village and began to torture him. At this point, Sasuke ended Gato's life before you could. Sasuke was being praised as the Hero of Waves. With all that happened culminating in Sasuke's actions, how did that make you feel? Did you want to hurt Sasuke?"

Naruto nodded once. "People stupid. No good explosions. Sasuke bad. Sasuke didn't…he didn't help people. Too selfish. Too, um…ego-full?"

"Egotistical, sweetheart. The word you're looking for is egotistical." Hinata supplied helpfully.

Naruto smiled at her and nodded his head rapidly. "Egotistical! Yes. Sasuke ego too big. Big head, small heart. Full of anger. Wanted to create big explosions, get Sasuke out of the way. People praise Sasuke. It hurts. I wanted to help people. Happy explosions! People…people don't like explosions. Outcast, for hero. It hurts."

Inoichi frowned sadly at the young man. "I see. Moving on from that, let's talk about Gato. When you killed Gato's men, were you okay? What was going through your mind at the time? It can't have been easy."

The spiky-haired teen shook his head and said, "Many bad explosions. Feel bad. Really bad." At this point, tears began streaming down his cheeks. "Explosions bad. I did many bad things. Murderer. For once, explosions don't feel…they don't feel right. Cry a lot when alone."

As Hinata and Haku hugged Naruto and tried to soothe him, Inoichi jotted down some notes on his notepad. Frowning sadly to himself, he looked into Naruto's eyes. "No, Naruto. Your explosions aren't bad. You helped people. Even if the people didn't appreciate what you did, you were still heroic. Sometimes, people are bad, and you do whatever you have to do to protect people and put things right. And…I want to thank you for looking after my little girl. No matter what, I'll protect you."

Closing his eyes, Inoichi put down his notepad and took in a deep breath before releasing it slowly. Once he opened his eyes, he looked seriously into Naruto's eyes. "I know who hurt you, Naruto. I know you don't like to think about the attack, but we need to discuss the circumstances of what happened to you. Hiashi ordered the attack. He orchestrated the mob. I still don't understand why he did what he did. However, the truth remains that Hiashi hurt you in a VERY bad way. If you could, would you kill him?"

Kiyomi and Hinata narrowed their eyes at Inoichi, but they refrained from saying anything just yet. Instead, all eyes were now on Naruto, waiting to hear what he had to say.

Naruto shivered and found it impossible to look anyone in the eyes. "Revenge not good. But Hiashi…Hiashi very bad man. Hiashi won't hesitate to do bad things. Protective explosions. To protect…would kill Hiashi. I hurt. Hurt very bad. Don't know why. Feels like hurt for no reason. Why?"

Inoichi shook his head and said, "I don't know, Naruto. Hiashi is a very bad man. If we had some concrete proof, you can bet Hokage-sama would erase Hiashi permanently from this world." Sighing softly, he said, "Naruto, I care about you like I would a son. Seeing you hurt…it bothers me a great deal. I swear that if I get any kind of proof that he's the one responsible for what happened to you, I'll deal with him myself."

Kiyomi smiled at Inoichi and said, "Thank you, Inoichi."

"Of course. Now, Naruto, I should have done this earlier, but I'm going to prescribe some antidepressants. They may make you drowsy, but that's normal. I also recommend that you come to see me twice a week for therapy. Kiyomi," looking at the Kyuubi at this point, he said, "I trust you to ensure Naruto takes his medication. I want you to inform me of any unusual changes in Naruto's behavior or if you're concerned about something that might happen. I also want you to personally escort Naruto to his sessions with me. I don't trust the villagers and I certainly don't trust Hiashi not to do anything else."

Kiyomi nodded and said, "Thank you, Inoichi. I'll be sure to do just that. Where do we go to pick up these pills?"

Before Inoichi could reply, Ino spoke up. "I know a good place. I'll go with you to pick up his prescription. Is that okay?"

Inoichi smiled at his daughter and said, "That's fine. Thank you." Looking at Naruto again, he said, "I'll see you again soon, Naruto. I'm looking forward to hearing good things from you."

"Thank you. Enjoy explosions!" Naruto said, smiling brightly at Inoichi.

Inoichi chuckled a bit and walked over to pat Naruto on the head gently. Afterwards, he went to his daughter and whispered to her, "Take care of him, Ino. He's going to need you soon."

Ino looked into her father's eyes and nodded. "Of course, Daddy. Naruto-kun needs his friends now more than ever."

Her father simply smirked knowingly at her before he turned and left the home. Once he was gone, Ino found herself blushing a bit as she looked at Naruto. "Umm, Naruto-kun? When you called me 'your Ino-chan', did that mean what I think it meant?"

Hinata quirked a brow as she looked at her beloved. "Your Ino-chan? Do share with the class, would you, darling?"

Naruto blushed and found the floor very interesting in that moment. "Umm…Ino-chan like big explosion. Beautiful, magnificent…I like. Like Ino-chan like you and Kiyomi-chan. Lots of love."

Hinata smirked as she looked at Ino. "Hear that? Naruto-kun thinks you're special. The ball's in your court, now. Do tell, how do you feel about Naruto-kun?"

Ino blushed as she looked at Naruto. Smiling sweetly at him, she said, "Naruto-kun is very sweet. Umm…" Frowning slightly as she thought over what she should do, Ino soon said 'screw it' and walked over to Naruto. With an ever-deepening blush on her face, she straddled her friend and scooted closer until her breasts were pressing into his chest. Taking a shaky breath, she leaned in and captured his lips with hers. As she did this, she found that she really liked the feeling and deepened the kiss. When they finally parted a few moments later, she licked her lips seductively and said, "Mmm. That felt good."

Naruto's face was so red you could practically see steam pouring forth from his ears. "Very good explosions. Ino-chan…" Wrapping his arms arounds Ino, he nervously began to place kisses along her neck, leading up to her chin and then capturing her lips with his again. Soon enough, Ino could feel a certain part of Naruto's anatomy pressing against her inner thigh. This naturally caused them both to blush deeper.

Deciding to be a bit bold, Ino began to slide back and forth against his hardening erection. The entire time, she and Naruto kept kissing each other, the two of them lost in the feeling of pure bliss they were feeling. When they finally parted, Ino leaned in and nipped Naruto's ear lightly. "From now on, I'm allllll yours, my dear. I'm giving my love to you, and only you."

Hugging Ino close, Naruto said, "Love you, Ino-chan."

Smiling happily at Naruto, Ino kissed him again and said, "Will you be my boyfriend, Naruto-kun? I want you sooo bad."

Naruto smiled and nodded his head rapidly. "Yes!" Almost as if he had just noticed what Ino was doing with his hardening cock, he blushed worse before saying, "Ino-chan? Can't concentrate…feels too good."

Ino smirked at him before asking, "Don't you want me? Because I know I want you."

Before Naruto could reply, Hinata and Kiyomi gently pried the hormonal girl off of their love. "Okay, that's enough of that. We can all fuck each other's brains out later. Right now, you and I need to go and pick up Naruto-kun's medication. Besides that, Hinata and I haven't even slept with him yet. Kami knows we want to, but…"

Hinata sighed and said, "He's too innocent and sweet to take advantage of like that. But…" Looking at her boyfriend, she licked her lips seductively as she stared at his rock-hard cock. "I think he wants you bad. I'm sure he'll treat us real well in the bedroom."

Ino giggled to herself and said, "Oh yes. I can only imagine how good it will feel."

Kiyomi shook her head in disbelief before saying, "Yes, yes. Come along, you two. Naruto-kun could use some rest. Hinata, you need to go and pack your things if you want to move in here. Ino, you're welcome to come here whenever you want to be with Naruto-kun. I want you to think hard about whether you want to be with Naruto-kun in a sexual manner. It's not a decision you can take back once you've gone through with it. But…he really does cherish you. And he admitted it himself; he loves you dearly. So please be absolutely sure that that is what you want. Okay?"

Ino blushed a bit as she looked back at Naruto. "Oh believe me, if I had my way, we'd go for hooours. I've never felt so good before."

Hinata began to giggle pervertedly. "That sounds niiiice."

Kiyomi facepalmed before she looked past them at Naruto. "Naruto-kun, go and get ready for bed. You look exhausted. You two, come along. Let's leave him alone for now."

Naruto watched as the three of them left the house. Once they were gone, he smiled happily to himself and said, "Happy, happy explosions. Sooo good. Want more explosions!" Giggling to himself, he got up and went to go get ready for bed. He was feeling rather tired, after all.

Hinata

When the Hyuga heiress entered her home, she ignored everyone around her and proceeded directly to her room. Along the way, she saw Neji walking towards her, a scowl on his face. Deciding to simply ignore him, she went to walk past him, only for him to reach out and stop her. "Hinata-sama. You've been with that fool again, haven't you? Why lower yourself to the level of a common whore for something that should have never been born?"

Hinata stared apathetically into her cousin's eyes before saying, "Huh. And here I thought you couldn't tell a joke. Then again, you would definitely know a joke or two. After all, you're just a giant joke, yourself. You've never mattered to anyone, not even dear 'Daddy'. After all, he abandoned you when you were what, four years old? It would seem to me that he knew the failure you'd turn out to be and wanted to wash his hands of you. So sad."

Neji snarled and clenched his fists angrily. "You bitch! How dare you mock me?!"

"Mock you? I'm simply stating facts. But you seem to think I'm the one responsible for what happened to your dear 'Daddy'. I bet you want nothing more than to strike me down. I suppose that, if we were to face each other in the upcoming exams, that would give you the chance you've been waiting for. However, you should remember something." Leaning in close, she whispered in his ear, "I'm your better in every. Single. Way. All I have to do is perform one simple act and you would lose our 'fight'. It would be oh so easy to destroy you. And, once you're dead, I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over it. Do try to keep that in mind before you try anything." Reaching up, she patted Neji's cheek lightly before moving to walk past him. However, faster than Neji could react, she rammed her knee up into his stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs. Afterwards, she grabbed him by the face and slammed him into the floor. "Don't push your luck with me, Neji." And with that, she continued on the way to her room, ignoring Neji's pained moaning.

Once she was back in her room, she began to pack all of her belongings, storing a great number of things into some storage scrolls that she had prepared for just this occasion. Sadly, before she could finish packing everything, her father entered her room unannounced and glared at her. "Yes, Father?"

Looking around his daughter's room, he soon leveled a scowl in her direction. "I was informed that you were out with that boy again. Then you hurt your cousin upon returning home. And now I see you packing your things as if you're allowed to leave. Just where do you think you're going?"

Hinata went about packing the rest of her things, regardless of how her father felt. When she felt his hand land on her shoulder, she leveled the fiercest glare on her father that he had ever seen before. "If you want to keep your arm, I suggest you remove your hand, Father. As for Naruto-kun, I fail to see how that is any of your business. And finally, allowed to leave? I make my own decisions, Father. If I want to move out and live elsewhere, that is my prerogative. You cannot stop me. If you dare to try anything more, I will not hesitate to kill you where you stand. You do not scare me and you do not control me. So leave, Hiashi. I won't warn you again."

Glaring into his daughter's eyes, Hiashi went to slap her, only to feel a kunai pierce his hand before he could. When it registered what his daughter had just done, Hiashi screamed from a mixture of pain and raw, unbridled fury. Lashing out with his left fist, he was shocked to see it slapped aside before a deep gash was carved into his outstretched arm. Feeling it fall limp at his side, he watched his daughter in shock and horror. "W-What…?"

Hinata smirked devilishly at him before reaching up and patting him atop his head. "I'll kill you later. Enjoy what time you have left, Hiashi. Goodbye." And with that, she gathered up all her storage scrolls, pocketed them, and left both her room and the compound. The entire walk to Naruto's estate, she had a serene smile on her face. That felt wonderful. I wonder how long it will take him to heal. Not that it matters, I suppose.

Kiyomi

As Kiyomi and Ino waited for Naruto's prescription to be filled, the Kyuubi looked into Ino's eyes and decided she just had to ask a question of her. "Sooo, why did you feel it was necessary to hump our boyfriend like that, hm?"

Ino blushed in embarrassment before looking Kiyomi in the eyes. "Can you honestly blame me? I wanted to show him how much I appreciate him, and how much I care. I like him. He's so sweet and innocent. I just want to protect him and keep him safe from everything that might try to hurt him. But more than that, kissing him felt right. It felt good. And when I felt that pressing against my leg, I just couldn't help myself. I wanted more. I got, umm…I got horny. I just couldn't help myself. Everything just felt so wonderful and I really wanted to go all the way with him. I've never felt like that before."

Kiyomi smirked at her and said, "I can imagine. Hinata and I had never thought to really try anything like that. We just wanted to cherish him and shower him with our love. But…we weren't quite sure if it would be okay to take things that far. It would feel like we were taking advantage of him. But, after seeing that? I don't know, the thought is awfully tempting. You've opened up new doors for us, and I'm curious to see where this leads."

The young blonde smiled to herself and said, "Can you imagine how good it would feel to have that thing inside you? It was so big. I was ready to take it all the way. I've honestly never felt anything like that before."

Kiyomi giggled, but before she could say anything, the pharmacist got their attention and handed them Naruto's prescription. Thanking the woman, Kiyomi paid what was owed before she and Ino left the building. As they walked towards Naruto's home, they began to overhear the villagers talking about something that happened to Hiashi. Frowning slightly, they both wondered what the hell had happened.

As they listened in, they looked at one another seriously. "He pissed off Hinata, most likely." Kiyomi said. "Let's go home. Ino…do you want to come stay with us? You'd be more than welcome to live with us."

Ino smiled at her and said, "That sounds really nice. If I do, though, I want to cuddle with Naruto-kun at night! I bet he's really warm."

Kiyomi giggled and said, "Cuddling with him does feel nice. You do know Hinata is going to insist on sleeping with him too, don't you?"

Ino smirked at Kiyomi and said, "The more the merrier. Ooooh, I wonder what Naruto-kun would think if we slept in kinky lingerie? Just imagine how much fun that would be."

Kiyomi couldn't help herself as she began to giggle pervertedly. "Ohhh, that sounds niiice."

Ino giggled as well and said, "Definitely." And together, as they made their way home, they continued to giggle like a couple of old perverts.

Later – Council Chambers

Hiruzen massaged the bridge of his nose as he tried to come to terms with what had happened so soon after the last council meeting. I really am waaay too old for this shit. Maybe I should look into getting a replacement. This shit's giving me one hell of a headache.

Sighing softly, the elderly Hokage looked around at everyone in attendance. There was one person missing, and he was the topic of this particular meeting. "As you all know, Hiashi was injured earlier this evening. While we don't know the exact circumstances behind the attack, we do know the one responsible."

When the Hokage went silent, Inoichi frowned and said, "Hokage-sama, Hiashi more than likely had it coming, especially if he angered the person I'm thinking of. Besides, we know the kind of person he is. And, I'm sure everyone here knows it already, but it's 'suspected' that Hiashi is the one behind Naruto's attack that shattered his mind."

Hiruzen nodded and said, "Hinata and her new family will be here soon. We'll be able to hear their account of what happened to Hiashi. Once we've determined the facts, we'll have to come to a decision about what to do. The truth of the matter is that someone injured a clan head quite severely. Whether this attack was provoked or not, we need to know for sure. Once we have the truth, we will have to come to a decision, as I already stated."

After a moment, an Anbu entered the room, followed closely by the family of four: Naruto, Kiyomi, Hinata, and Ino. When they reached the center of the room, Naruto looked around nervously and fidgeted quite a bit. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he looked into Kiyomi's eyes and asked, "Explosions?"

"It'll be okay, Naruto-kun. You aren't in any trouble. This is about the man that hurt you. Hiashi Hyuga." Kiyomi assured him.

Naruto nodded in understanding, but he didn't say another word. He was already really nervous about being in front of all these people, and he didn't need to add on to his worries.

Hiruzen looked into Hinata's cold, stony gaze, and felt a shiver shoot down his spine. She doesn't feel remorse or fear. She's a cold woman who isn't afraid to kill anyone that pisses her off. Kushina, if you could see this young woman, I think you'd have loved her. Shaking those thoughts off, he stated, "Hinata Hyuga, you have been brought before us to discuss the attack on Hiashi Hyuga. Please describe to us what caused this attack. What could have warranted such an extreme response?"

Hinata never averted her gaze as she stared into Hiruzen's eyes. Once more, he felt a shiver shoot down his spine. "As you know already, Hokage-sama, I have been trying to find some kind of proof of Hiashi's wrongdoings. I decided long ago that, if the opportunity presented itself to me, I would kill him. There is no familial love between us. I am just a disappointment in his eyes, and he's a rotten scumbag in mine. I do not care for anyone in that clan. I only remained in the hopes that I could find the proof you needed to end him."

Glancing around at the other members of the council, she continued on. "Seeing as he was always on guard and never gave anything away, I decided it was pointless to continue on as I was. So, earlier today, I decided I would move in with Naruto-kun. As I was packing my belongings, Hiashi entered my room without my permission and proceeded to lay his hand on me. He had the nerve to tell me that I wasn't 'allowed' to leave. He also attempted to strike me. I acted as I did to both protect myself and make him suffer. I stabbed a kunai through his hand and then sliced open his arm before I took my things and left. I do not care if he loses his arm because of this. I do not feel any remorse. I do not feel any guilt. If you feel the need to punish me for protecting myself, then so be it. It will not change how I feel."

Hiruzen frowned slightly and asked, "He tried to attack you? Are you absolutely certain of this?"

Hinata simply quirked a brow as she looked at the Hokage in disbelief. "He tried to prevent me from going to Naruto-kun's side." Seeing the look on Hiruzen's face, she sighed and said, "Yes. I am sure. He tried to attack me for standing up to him. I wasn't about to let him hit me like that. He's lucky I didn't do more to him. At least this way, he'll live to see another day. However, he might lose an arm. I do not care either way."

Choza leaned closer to Shikaku and whispered, "Cold."

Shikaku smirked at his friend before turning his gaze onto Hinata. "True. But she's efficient and deadly as well. It would seem the only person she truly cares for is Uzumaki. Intriguing."

Hiruzen returned to massaging the bridge of his nose. "Fucking hell." He muttered under his breath. "Alright, I'll buy it. Even still, you have injured a clan head quite severely. Was the severity of his injuries necessary to protect yourself? Or did you cause him as much damage as you did simply because you could?"

"Was it necessary? The stab wound to his hand, perhaps. The gash I left in his arm? I can't be sure. I enjoyed causing him so much harm. I wouldn't hesitate to do so again. Or maybe worse. So I can't be sure if that wound was 'necessary'. If you feel the need to punish me, then so be it. I will not argue or resist." Hinata admitted.

The Hokage sighed again. "Inoichi, would you be willing to check to see if she is telling the truth?"

Inoichi frowned at the Hokage and shook his head. "I won't do it, Hokage-sama. Beside that, I'm quite sure that she's been completely honest with us thus far. If she wanted to lie to us, she wouldn't admit to doing what she did. If anyone is in the wrong, it's Hiashi. You and I both know Hiashi is the one behind the attack on Naruto back then. You admitted that, if you had proof, you'd have done something about it. Hell, Hinata carried out your orders. She tried to find proof of Hiashi's evil, and she tried. She only stayed in that home to try and help you and Naruto. So how has that changed?"

Hiruzen let his head fall on the table before him and proceeded to hit his head on it a few more times. When he was done, he looked at Inoichi and said, "Nothing has changed. But I never instructed her to assault him. If it turned out that he was the one responsible, I would have dealt with it appropriately."

Hinata frowned at him and asked, "And how would you have dealt with it? He could have just hidden behind the 'clan affairs' bullshit again and you wouldn't have been able to do a thing. At least my way, something gets done."

Groaning frustratedly, Hiruzen lifted his head again and stared into Hinata's eyes. "You're right. Of course, you're right. But…"

Kiyomi interrupted at this point and said, "Look, if you want to punish her for hurting her father in self-defense, then do it. You admitted to us that, if you had your way, you'd kill Hiashi for his crimes. Can you really blame Hinata for doing as she did?"

"I know what I said. However, doing what she did can have very serious consequences. The elders of that clan can demand she be returned to them so she can be punished appropriately in their eyes. All under the guise of 'clan affairs'. As much as I hate it, that is within their rights to do." Hiruzen explained.

Kiyomi scowled at him and said, "The Hokage's word is law. However, if you're so worried about 'clan affairs', then explain to them that Hinata has been taken as a ward of the Uzumaki clan. She has Naruto-kun's protection as the last of his line. However, I do see where you're coming from. If you decree a punishment for her, you wouldn't have to deal with that 'clan affairs' bullshit. If they try anything, you can bet your wrinkly old ass that I'd get involved. I've remained out of it as per your request. But if they try anything, I WILL destroy them. I can and will destroy that clan. So if you want to protect them, then I suggest you explain that Hinata has Naruto-kun's protection as the head of his clan."

Before Hiruzen could reply in any way, Inoichi spoke up. "I will claim Hinata to be under the protection of my clan. If they don't like it, then they can piss off. I won't let them lay a finger on her. If they dare try to brand her with their abomination of a seal, then I hope you're ready, because I'll help Kiyomi-san to kill those monsters. If you ask me, Hiashi got off easy this time. Child abuse is something I absolutely will NOT tolerate."

Hiruzen frowned at him and asked, "Are you sure this is what you want to do? What if they decide it's worth trying to annihilate your clan to get to her?"

Kiyomi smirked evilly and said, "Then they will be exterminated. I suggest you stress that fact to them. You cannot control me or my actions, Hokage. If I decide to annihilate them, there is nothing you can do to stop me."

The Third sighed heavily and said, "Very well. I would prefer to avoid conflict of this nature, but I'll go along with your decision, all of you. Still, Hinata needs to know that she can't just act out in such a manner whenever someone makes her angry."

Hinata quirked a brow and said, "I didn't do this out of anger, Hokage-sama. Hiashi tried to hit me, so I retaliated. I may enjoy causing him harm, but I could have done so much worse. You know I'm right. If I was truly angry, I would have killed him. In fact, if he angered me enough, I would have made him completely unrecognizable. And I would have done it all with a smile on my face. If I had the power when I was younger and I learned of his attack on Naruto-kun, I'd have killed him then and there. I'd like to think that I've shown considerable restraint so as not to act out against him for all these years. Still, if you feel the need to punish me for protecting myself, then do it. As I've stated before, I'll take any punishment you wish to give me. I simply do not care."

Hiruzen looked into Hinata's eyes for a time before shaking his head. "No. You will not be punished. A punishment wouldn't have any true effect in this case. The whole point behind punishing someone is to show them that what they did is not okay. It is to help them learn their lesson. You feel no remorse for your actions. You do not believe yourself to be in the wrong. And I'm inclined to agree with you. Hiashi will make a full recovery according to the doctors operating on him, so that is another reason you are not being punished for your actions. Just try not to make a habit of this kind of behavior."

Hinata just looked at the Hokage blankly. "I reserve the right to punish people how I see fit if they threaten me or, more importantly, my darling Naruto-kun. And, considering the Chunin Exams are coming up soon, do you really want me to 'take it easy' when confronted with people that are trying to inflict bodily harm upon myself or Naruto-kun?"

"Now you're just twisting my words around." Hiruzen said exasperatedly. "I'm going to trust you to act accordingly from now on. I just hope you don't abuse that trust."

The young woman smirked at the Hokage for a moment before turning around and leaving the room with her darling Naruto-kun and Ino. Once they were gone, Kiyomi looked hard into the Hokage's eyes. "Why go through this farce? You knew from the beginning that Hinata was telling the truth. You also knew that she wouldn't care. So why? What point were you trying to prove?"

Hiruzen looked calmly into Kiyomi's eyes and said, "I wanted to test her resolve. If she's going to be with Naruto-kun and protect him, I needed to know that she was strong enough to do so. I needed to see for myself how far she was willing to go. I never intended to sell her out to the elders of that clan. As far as I'm concerned, she did the right thing and I'm proud of her for it. Now it's my turn to act. I'll deal with those rotten piles of feces. As for Hiashi, I don't care if he makes a full recovery or not. I just wish I had been there to see it for myself. I have not forgiven him, nor have I forgotten his actions. One day soon, Hiashi WILL die. I just hope I live to see that day. Kami knows I'd LOVE to be the one that buries him, but I may not get that chance. So, I'm counting on you and Hinata to finish that bastard whenever the opportunity presents itself. I don't care if there are witnesses to the event, nor do I care what happens to anyone that sides with that monster. I want him DEAD."

Kiyomi smirked evilly and said, "It will be done, Hokage. Just don't go making any plans to die before it happens. I want you to see it when I hang that bastard by his entrails."

Hiruzen chuckled to himself and said, "I think I'll gladly live until I see that day. Don't make me wait too long, though. I'm not getting any younger." Chuckling, Kiyomi waved goodbye to him and the others before she left the room.

Once she was gone, Hiruzen looked at Inoichi with an amused expression on his face. "Sooo, how does it feel to know your daughter is going to be in a relationship with Naruto-kun?"

Inoichi chuckled softly and said, "If it's what she wants, then I give her my blessing. I just hope she doesn't plan to give me grandchildren too soon. Then again, she is like her mother in that regard. She knows what she wants and she'll go for it, regardless of what anyone else might think."

Hiruzen chuckled softly and asked, "Didn't Setsuna get pregnant before you were married? Don't be surprised if Ino takes things to that step with him. If you're concerned about it, then I suggest you remind her of the contraceptive technique before it happens. We both know that Hinata won't care enough to use it. She'd be more than happy to carry Naruto's children."

Inoichi sighed and palmed his face. "So true. I'll be sure to remind Ino about that particular technique. I just hope she uses her best judgment."

Hiruzen simply smirked knowingly at Inoichi. After a moment, he looked around at the other members of the council and asked, "Does anyone have anything else they'd like to discuss? If not, I think we all should go home and get some sleep. It's way too late in the day to be dealing with this shit."

The civilian council members quickly shook their heads. After the earlier council meeting, they learned to wisely keep their mouths shut. It was something of a miracle, but nobody was going to question it. So, when Hiruzen turned his gaze on them, the clan heads shook their heads negatively. "I have no more concerns. As far as I'm concerned, Hiashi got what he deserved." Tsume Inuzuka said.

Hiruzen nodded before he stood up and dismissed the members of the council. After they were all gone, he returned to his office and, after sitting down in his chair, he grabbed his pipe, prepped it, and then lit it. Somewhat shakily, he took a puff of his pipe and held it in for a moment before releasing the smoke in a single breath. I'm way too old for all of this. Maybe it's time to recall Tsunade. She's wallowed in self-pity for quite long enough. If she could get over her fear of blood, she'd make for a fine Hokage. If not her, then I'll have to convince Jiraiya to take the job. I just hope the pervert doesn't try to put some kind of dress code into effect for the kunoichi or something. Thinking on it for a short while longer, he let out a groan and muttered quietly to himself, "He'd do worse. Damned pervert."

A/N - And that's the chapter! Hopefully you all enjoyed it. I also hope you're looking forward to whatever comes next.

Now, this has nothing to do with this fic or the chapter or anything. But some moron didn't like how I was doing things in my fic: To Love Naruto. So he plagiarized my fic and bitched about my choices and whatnot. He has been reported by a lot of people for this stunt, but still, it happened and I don't think anything has been done about it yet. *shrugs* I'm not mad or anything. I'm more confused/bewildered by this person's reaction. Who gets that mad over a fic that they do something like that? Oh well.

Anywho, I really don't know what I'll work on next. Could be anything. Still, I hope you're looking forward to it! lol. Take care people. I need a break. lol