A/N - Yes, finally an update for this story! It's a miracle! lol. I know, I know, you want to kill me for taking YEARS to update this story. I'm sorry!
Anyways, just a fair warning to you, but this chapter focuses primarily on Sean Uzumaki. There's barely anything to do with Naruto's group in this chapter. However, there's a reason for this. Please just read on and try to enjoy the chapter. I put a lot of work into this chapter and I think it turned out really well.
I sincerely hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 19 - Downfall of the Hyuga Clan
Hana found herself frowning as she stuck close to Sean. She dearly wished that she had had the foresight to bring along more than just a pouch of kunai strapped to her thigh underneath her dress. If only she had brought along at least one of the Haimaru triplets, she'd be of more use to her beloved, but she hadn't been expecting something like this to ever happen within the village!
Sean, meanwhile, was practically snarling out in frustration. He was so tired of Hiashi's crap and wanted nothing more than to storm the Hyuga compound, hunt Hiashi-teme down, and murder the son-of-a-bitch! Glancing sideways at his date for the evening, the Uzumaki clan head frowned as he realized that she was at a severe disadvantage in a fight like this. I have to protect her. The blue-haired man thought to himself silently as he prepared for the fight ahead.
When one of the Hyugas dashed forward and thrust his palm directly at the Uzumaki's heart, Sean sighed and sliced off his hand before pointing his crossbow at his chest and firing, sending numerous bolts of wind through his chest, each of them tearing through his heart and killing him mercilessly.
As the Branch family member collapsed to the ground, blood leaking from the corners of his mouth, the other Hyuga sprung into action. While half of them went on the attack, the other half remained at a distance, waiting for their moment to strike. Hana drew a couple of kunai and began fighting off any Hyuga that came too close to her.
After a few moments of combat, the 18 year-old Inuzuka veterinarian shouted out, "Don't you understand what will happen if you manage to kill me?! My mom's the clan head of the Inuzuka's damn it! If you kill me, she'll be on the warpath! It will be civil war in the village! Stop this already and stand down! If you do, we can work this out. Please!"
Sean frowned at this and shook his head. "They can't Hana-hime." he started, "Thanks to that curse seal on their heads, they can't disobey Hiashi. They have no choice but to continue on this path of self-destruction. All we can do is fight."
Grimacing at this, Hana nodded slowly in understanding before she resumed the fight, doing everything she could to fend off her opponents. She knew that if this kept up, she'd eventually be either captured or killed. Hana just hoped that either her date would finish them all off soon, or that help would arrive before anything bad...er, worse, could happen.
As the Hyuga's kept coming and falling at his hands, Sean swapped out his crossbow for a handful of shuriken formed from pure wind. Throwing them towards a small group of Hyuga that were attempting to reach Hana, he watched with satisfaction as they were each pierced by one of the shuriken before a tornado shot up where they stood and began to tear them apart.
Glancing around, Sean counted their remaining opponents and frowned. Ten left. This is ridiculous. Just how many did you send after me Hiashi? He questioned mentally.
When he heard a scream from behind him, the Uzumaki head saw that three Hyuga's had captured Hana and were holding her tight while the last one held a kunai against her throat. Growling at them, Sean was about to act in an effort to save her, but the lead Hyuga pressed the kunai just a bit tighter against her throat, cutting into her skin just enough to draw blood.
"Not one step closer Uzumaki-dono. If you want this woman to live, you will stand there and let us kill you as Hiashi-sama ordered. And don't even think about pulling any of your special tricks either, lest my hand suddenly 'slip'. Do you understand me?" the Hyuga questioned.
Glaring hard into the Hyuga's eyes, Sean cancelled his Wind Sword technique and held his arms out to the side. "Fine then. Do it already. I'm waiting. I won't fight back. But you had better let her go, or else I will rise again and end all of you. Is that understood?" he threatened angrily.
The leader of the Hyuga's assigned to kill Sean nodded his head in understanding. "It will be done. Now…" looking to his fellow Hyuga's, the leader nodded once. "Finish him." he commanded.
One of the Hyuga's stepped forward and walked around so that he was in front of Sean Uzumaki. Once there, he looked the man in the eyes with a frown before bowing his head and apologizing to him. "For what it's worth, I am sorry that we have to do this."
As the man thrust his palm forward, aiming for the blue-haired man's heart, his hand suddenly fell to the ground, severed from his body. When blood began to spray from the fresh new wound, the Hyuga began to scream in agony as he clutched his wrist from the shock he was feeling.
Looking angrily into Sean's eyes, the lead Hyuga growled out, "I told you before, no tricks!"
Sean shrugged and smirked at him. "Hey, that wasn't me." he admitted. "It looks like someone decided I deserved to continue living. Lucky me, huh?"
Eyes widening at this, the lead Hyuga was about to shout out his orders, but it was far too late. His head soon went rolling and the kunai dropped from his hand. Shortly afterwards, the two Hyuga's holding Hana dropped to the ground dead, thus freeing the Inuzuka vet and allowing her to rejoin Sean at his side.
Looking to see who had saved them, they couldn't help but smile when they saw a familiar mop of purple hair. "Thank you Yugao-chan." Sean said thankfully. "I really appreciate the help. Who knows how things would have turned out had you not shown up when you did?"
Hana looked at Sean at this point and slugged him in the arm hard. "You were going to let them kill you to protect me!" she shouted as tears streamed down her face. "Do you think I want to live in a world without you in it?!" she exclaimed as she began to beat on his chest with her fists.
Frowning at this, Sean was about to say something, but he soon remembered the other Hyuga's and turned his head to look at them. Gently prying Hana off of him, he handed her to Yugao to look after before he began to walk slowly towards the remaining six Branch members. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you gentlemen to come with me to see Hokage-sama. Please don't try to resist."
Sadly, the six Hyuga's seemed to fear Hiashi more than they feared Sean in this moment, so they all retook their battle stances and prepared to fight the Uzumaki clan head. Sighing at this, Sean summoned forth a large scythe made of wind and glared at them. "I'll try to leave at least one of you alive so Hokage-sama can pry some answers out of you. The rest of you though? You're fucked."
As two Hyuga's shot forward, attempting to close his tenketsu to cut off his chakra flow and render his wind techniques useless, the blue-haired Uzumaki quickly twirled his weapon around in an elegant fashion and cleaved them in two, allowing their bodies to drop to the ground harmlessly. "That's two." Sean said eerily as he looked between the other four Hyuga's.
The remaining four realized that Sean was far too dangerous with that scythe of his, but they needed to get close enough to either cut off his tenketsu or land a killing blow somehow. So, coming up with a plan together, they decided that one of them would be a sacrificial pawn of sorts while the other three would strike together.
When the Hyuga's began to spread out and surround him, Sean sighed as he realized their plan instantly. Well, this is certainly a pain. He thought to himself. Going to have to be careful here.
As the Hyuga that he labeled "Pawn" began to attack him, Sean decided to simply cripple him by slipping behind him and severing his spine with his scythe, preventing him from feeling and/or moving anything below his waist. This would leave him alive and also keep him from running away.
It was at this point that the other three sprung upon him. Acting quickly, Sean struck down one of them with his wind scythe, splitting the man down the middle. Immediately afterwards, he flipped over the second Hyuga and stabbed the blade of his scythe into the man's head. When he landed behind the man however, the final Hyuga reacted quicker than Sean had expected him to and landed a palm strike over where his heart was. It should have killed him instantly, but thankfully Sean had managed to move just enough after landing that he threw off his opponent's aim just slightly, managing to save his life, though his heart was damaged and he was currently experiencing what he was positive was a heart attack or something similar.
Clutching at his chest, Sean glared hard at the final Hyuga and dismissed his scythe before pointing his hand, palm flat, towards him. Without warning, a large ball of razor sharp wind formed before shooting forward, tearing through the man's head and ripping it to shreds, leaving the body a headless stump that fell to the ground shortly afterwards.
Once the final Hyuga was dead, the Uzumaki clan head collapsed to his hands and knees and began to cough up blood before falling onto his side, quickly losing consciousness.
Hana and Yugao rushed over to Sean's unconscious form and immediately began to check him over. Hana, knowing some medical techniques, began to perform a scan to see exactly how bad the damage was. What she found had her scared for his life. "This isn't good. If we don't get him to the hospital immediately, he could die. Yugao, you take that scumbag over there to Hokage-sama and explain the situation to him. I'll take Sean-kun to the hospital. Kami I hope they can save him. I don't want to lose him. Not now and not like this!" she exclaimed before picking Sean up in her arms and using the Body Flicker Technique to move as fast as she could to the hospital.
Yugao, glaring at the paralyzed Hyuga, walked over to him and grabbed him by the hair, yanking his head back so he could look her in the eyes. "I hope you know that if he dies, the rest of your miserable life is going to be hell." she warned before vanishing with him in a Body Flicker.
Hokage's Office
The moment Yugao appeared in his office with what appeared to be a crippled Hyuga, Hiruzen knew something terrible had happened. Looking into the purple-haired woman's eyes, he decided to get straight to the point. "Yugao, what happened?"
Yugao shook her head and frowned at her aged leader. "I'm not entirely sure Hokage-sama. I...I was at the memorial stone when Sean Uzumaki and Hana Inuzuka approached me. Sean-sama spoke to me and...he said some things that really helped me." she started to explain. Closing her eyes, she shook her head again and continued. "Afterwards, when they left to continue with what I assumed to be their date, I stayed at the memorial stone for a moment longer to think on Sean-sama's words. Then...I followed after them. I don't really know why I did, but…"
Hiruzen frowned at this and furrowed his brow, unable to come up with an answer as to why she would have followed the couple, but he shrugged it off. "Continue." he ordered.
"Yes, sir." she complied. "When I caught up to them, Sean-sama and Hana were under attack by a large number of Hyuga Branch members. I would assume that they were under orders from Hiashi-sama, Hokage-sama. You know as well as I do that there is bad blood between him and Sean-sama." she explained.
Nodding his head in understanding, the Hokage was about to speak, but Yugao interrupted him. "What I saw when I arrived had me greatly disturbed. Three of them had Hana held hostage. They were using her to try and force Sean-sama to stand down so they could kill him without allowing him to put up a fight." she explained.
Narrowing his eyes at this, Hiruzen looked hard into Yugao's eyes before turning his attention to the crippled Hyuga on the floor of his office. "I see." Returning his gaze to Yugao, he ordered, "Continue."
"Yes, sir." she complied. "I acted without hesitation and rescued Hana, thus allowing Sean-sama to strike down the rest of the Hyuga's as he saw fit. He crippled this one so that he could be questioned by yourself or Ibiki-san. But…"
"What happened Yugao? Tell me."
Yugao looked away and rubbed at her arm nervously for a moment before she spoke up. "The last Hyuga left alive...got in a lucky shot and hit Sean-sama's heart before Sean-sama killed him. Hana rushed him to the hospital while I dragged this man here to see you, Hokage-sama. I...I don't know if Sean-sama is going to make it…"
Hiruzen's eyes widened, horrified at the implications. Turning to face the Hyuga Branch member, he narrowed his eyes before he spoke. "Yugao...take this man to see Ibiki. Instruct Ibiki to do whatever it takes to get all the information he can about this attack from him. I want proof that Hiashi ordered the attack and I want it now. As for Sean-kun...I'm going to send instructions to Jiraiya-kun and his team to hurry back to Konoha with Tsunade-chan as fast as they can. No breaks, no leisurely stroll, they are to hurry back as fast as they can. I won't tolerate any excuses from them." he instructed.
The brown-eyed woman nodded once before she grabbed the Hyuga Branch member and vanished in a Body Flicker with him to see Ibiki. Once she was gone, Hiruzen began to write a letter to Jiraiya.
After a short time, once the letter was finished, he read through it once to make sure it read the way he wanted it to before he rolled it up and summoned one of his monkeys. "Take this and deliver it to Jiraiya-kun right away. He should still be in Tanzaku Quarters if his last report to me is still accurate. Now go!" he commanded.
The monkey saluted before it vanished in a puff of smoke. Once it was gone, Hiruzen called for one of his ANBU. When she appeared before him, he looked at her and gave his orders. "Go to Sean-kun's home and inform his loved ones about what has happened and instruct them to meet me at the hospital. We'll go to check on his condition together." he instructed.
After the ANBU nodded and vanished, Hiruzen rose from his chair and took a deep breath before vanishing in a Body Flicker. Please be alright…
Uzumaki-Namikaze Estate
Jima and the others living in the Uzumaki household were shocked when, instead of Sean, they found an ANBU at the front gate. Getting a bad feeling, they allowed the ANBU in and immediately questioned her about what was going on.
The ANBU frowned behind her mask and shook her head before she began to speak. "I don't know all the details myself, but a little earlier tonight, Sean-sama was attacked by a large number of Hyuga Branch family members. We believe them to have been under the orders of Hiashi-sama of the Main Branch." she started.
When Anko clenched her fists tight and looked about to start shouting, Jima shushed her and said, "Please continue. What do you know?"
The ANBU thanked Jima and continued speaking. "What we know is that Sean-sama was on a date with Hana of the Inuzuka clan at the time. They took Hana hostage and would have killed Sean-sama then had Yugao not intervened and rescued her." she explained.
Haku spoke up at this point, a frown on her face as she shook her head in disappointment. "Taking a hostage. How despicable."
The ANBU woman nodded in agreement with her. "Agreed. For some of our own to use a member of our own village as a hostage to try and kill one of our clan heads is low. But I digress…" Releasing a sigh, the woman continued from where she left off. "Sean-sama crippled one of the Hyuga's so that he could be taken to Ibiki for questioning. The others he killed, but…"
None of the women living in the Uzumaki household liked where this was going. Jima, being the most level-headed of the group, decided to voice the question on everyone's mind. "But what? What happened?"
Sighing again, the ANBU looked around at everyone carefully to gauge their reactions before she looked directly into Jima's eyes and spoke. "One of the Hyuga's got in a lucky shot and struck Sean-sama's heart. He's been rushed to the hospital, but we don't know if he's going to make it. I've been instructed to take you all to the hospital to meet with Hokage-sama." she explained, a sorrowful tone in her voice.
Everyone's eyes were wide in surprise at what they had just heard. After a moment, tears began to stream down the faces of Sean's fiances as well as the faces of the others living there. Slowly, they each nodded to the ANBU to signify that they were ready to leave. While the ninja of the group vanished in Body Flickers, the ANBU grabbed Hanabi by the shoulder and used the Body Flicker Technique to take her to the hospital as well.
Hospital
Appearing outside the hospital, the group immediately rushed inside and saw the Hokage waiting patiently for them. When he spotted the ANBU amongst them, Hiruzen said, "Thank you Snake. You're dismissed. I'll call you again if I have need of you." he said politely.
They watched as the ANBU vanished before the group returned their attention to the Hokage. Before they could speak to him, he raised his hand and turned away. "Come with me. I've already asked the receptionist about him and learned where he is. We can talk on the way."
Everyone nodded as they began to follow the Sandaime through the hallways of the hospital towards their destination. As they walked, Anko couldn't take it anymore and shouted out, "Come on old man, tell us already! Is he going to make it or not?!"
Hiruzen sighed and shook his head. "I don't know yet Anko. I only just got here moments before you all did. I only know which operating room he's in and that's it." he explained.
Frowning at this, Anko was about to explode in anger from her frustrations, but Jima spoke up in an effort to calm her. "Anko, calm down. I know it's hard, but blowing up at Hokage-sama won't help matters any." Looking into Anko's eyes, she saw that her words weren't having the calming effect she hoped they would have. So, with a sigh, she continued speaking. "I'm just as worried about Seanie as you are. Please don't assume otherwise. But we have to remain calm and hope for the best. If we lose our calm and start blowing up on those that can help us, we're never going to get anywhere. Instead, we should focus our efforts elsewhere."
Haku nodded at this and looked at Anko with a small smile. "Jima-san's right Anko-san." she said respectfully. "Please try to remain calm and think positive thoughts. Believe that Sean-sama will be alright." Turning her attention to the Hokage, Haku asked, "Hokage-sama, what is being done about the Hyuga that Sean-sama captured?"
Hiruzen sighed in relief that they were at least attempting to remain calm in the face of this crisis. When asked about the Hyuga Branch member, he frowned and shook his head. "He's being questioned by Ibiki. I've given the order to do whatever is necessary to extract the necessary information so that we have proof that Hiashi was the one that ordered the attack on Sean-kun. Once we have that, we can act to take down Hiashi and whoever else may have been involved in this plot. This one act constitutes as an act of war between one clan and another and could very well incite a civil war within the village and I will not stand for it." Hiruzen said angrily as they rounded a corner and continued down another hallway.
After taking a moment to think on it, Jima spoke up again with a serious frown on her face. "Actually...once Hana's mother, Tsume, finds out about this attack on her daughter...it could be considered an act of war against two clans of the village. And you know as well as I do that Tsume will take action. You've got your work cut out for you if you want to keep her from going to war with Hiashi over this Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen froze in his steps, going wide-eyed in shock at this sudden revelation. Reaching up, he facepalmed himself at forgetting that little fact. "Snake!" he shouted, causing the same ANBU as before to appear at his side. "Go and bring Tsume to me. I need to speak with her before she learns of this from anyone else. Go!" he commanded.
After the ANBU left, the group continued on their way to the operating room. Once they reached it, they saw Hana sitting outside of it on a chair with her face buried in her hands. It was easy to tell that she was crying. As they approached, she looked up and, upon spotting them, she rose and began to apologize to them. "I am so, so sorry! If I had just…"
Anko walked forward and hugged Hana tight. "It's not your fault Hana-chan. Don't blame yourself for what happened. Please." Leaning back so she could look her friend in the eyes, the Snake Mistress of Konoha gave her a small smile. "I'm glad you're alright Hana-chan. I'm sorry that this had to happen and ruin your date."
Hana giggled a bit before smiling sadly at her friend. "It...it was going so well. Sean-kun was so sweet and romantic...it was a perfect date. I was so happy! And then...those Hyuga's showed up and...and…Kami I wish I had thought to bring the Haimaru triplets with me!" she shouted out as tears began to stream down her face again.
Before anything more could be said, Hiruzen spoke up. "Hana, how is he? Has there been any word yet?"
The Inuzuka vet shook her head sadly as she wiped at her eyes with her fingers. "No. I haven't heard anything yet. They just took him into the operating room and have been working to save his life ever since. I don't know what's going on in there." she explained.
Hanabi, hearing this, frowned and sat down in one of the chairs. Looking down, she spoke up. "This is all my fault, isn't it? If I hadn't run away from home and asked Sean-sama to take me in…"
Everyone looked at Hanabi and frowned at this. They didn't like her blaming herself for what had happened. So Sakura, being the closest one to her at the time, walked over and kneeled down in front of her, taking Hanabi's hands in hers. "Listen to me Hanabi-chan." she said, getting the eleven year-old girl's attention. "None of this is your fault. Sean-sama took you in and protected you of his own accord. He's just that kind of person and he would have done it for absolutely anyone. If anyone is to blame here, it's Hiashi. Hiashi will pay for his crimes and you and Hinata won't ever have to worry about him ever again. Do you understand me?"
Hanabi looked into Sakura's eyes for a moment before looking around at the others, seeing them each nodding their heads in agreement with Sakura's statements. Feeling tears streaming down her face, the young Hyuga girl nodded her head with a smile. "T-thank you. All of you. I just hope Ibiki-san can get what you need from that guy soon. I don't want Fa-...I mean Hiashi-teme to get away with this."
Before anyone could say anything more, Snake came running up with Tsume right beside her. Bowing to the Hokage, Snake soon vanished once again while Tsume hugged her daughter tight. "Oh honey, I'm so glad you're alright! I'm sorry your date got ruined the way it did!" she exclaimed.
Hana sighed and hugged her mom back. After a moment though, she pulled back and looked her mom in the eyes. "I'm more worried about Seanie-kun than me, mom. He's hurt really bad. The Hyuga's were really trying to kill him. They even took me as a hostage to try and force him to give up! Hiashi's a monster mom!"
Tsume snarled at this and shook her head. "Hiashi. That rotten bastard's going to pay. If he wants to pick a fight, then he's got one." she vowed.
Hana shook her head and stared pleadingly into her mother's eyes. "Mom! Is now really the time to be thinking about something like that?! My boyfriend could be dying in there and you're talking about getting revenge on someone?! Don't you care at all about Seanie-kun?"
The Inuzuka matriarch sighed and looked sadly into her daughter's eyes. "Sweetie, of course I care. I'm just...I'm so angry right now that someone dared to attack the two of you that I can't think straight. On the one hand, I just want to hold you tight and cradle you against my breast and tell you that everything will be okay. That your boyfriend will be okay. On the other hand, I want to hunt down Hiashi and tear his head off for what he's done. In a situation like this, where you can either wait or act, it's easier to act on one's anger than to sit and wait for something to happen." Tsume explained.
Hiruzen sighed and nodded his head in understanding. "While that is, indeed, true, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to wait Tsume. Do not act on your anger. I know you want to declare war on Hiashi and the Hyuga's, but I do not want a civil war in my village if I can help it." he said fiercely.
When Tsume turned to glare at the Hokage, he held up his hand to silence her before she could utter a single word. "Hear me out before you chew my head off." he said calmly. "Sean-kun managed to capture one of the Hyuga's alive. Ibiki is currently interrogating said Hyuga and is working to squeeze every last bit of information he can out of him. Once he has the proof we need that Hiashi ordered the attack on Sean-kun, then we can act. Hiashi will not get away with this. I promise you that. Just be patient."
The feral-looking Inuzuka matriarch snarled a bit before nodding her head slowly. Releasing a heavy sigh, she looked back into her daughter's eyes and held her closer. "You'd better be right about that Hokage-sama. If Hiashi isn't punished for his actions tonight, there will be war and the Hyuga's will die for this. You have my word on that."
Hiruzen sighed and nodded his head. "I understand. Believe me, I understand better than you may think." he admitted.
For a while, as they waited for any news on Sean's condition, all was silent. After a while though, a thought struck Sakura and she turned to the Hokage. "Hokage-sama, are you sure you should be up and about like this? Weren't you still on bedrest?"
Chuckling softly, Hiruzen nodded his head slowly. "Technically I still am. But I was feeling a little better today, so I decided to go to work. It feels good to rest my weary old bones like this though. I just wish it was under better circumstances." he admitted.
Nodding her head in understanding, the pinkette turned to stare at the operating room's doors again and responded with, "Well, just so long as you don't push yourself too hard, I'm happy for you. We've all been worried about you Hokage-sama." she said.
"I know. I'm sorry for making all of you worry so much about me." he apologized. "I-" he started, only to pause as the doors of the operating room swung open and one of the medic nin stepped out.
"Ah, Hokage-sama!" Looking around at everyone, the medic nin was a little shocked to see so many people sitting there. After taking a moment to take in the number of people there, he turned back to the Hokage and bowed his head. "Are you here to inquire about Sean-sama?"
Nodding his head, the Sandaime Hokage spoke up. "Yes, I am. Now, how is his condition? Will he live?"
The medic nin frowned and looked back into the operating room before turning back to the Hokage and shaking his head. "We did all we could Hokage-sama, but…" At hearing the word 'but', everyone began to fear the worst. They hated that word right now! "It doesn't look good. The most we can do now is make Sean-sama comfortable until he passes on. We'd need a medic nin of Tsunade-sama's skill level to save his life now. We've managed to stabilize his condition, but it won't last. At most he's got a week to live. I hope, for his sake, that Jiraiya-sama returns with Tsunade-sama within that time frame, or else we'll lose him."
Sean's fiances and Hana began to sob at hearing this news while his housemates could feel tears streaming down their faces. Tsume looked absolutely livid as she held her daughter close. Shooting a glare at the Hokage, she said, "I hope for your sake that you've informed that lecherous student of yours to hurry his ass up. Because if Sean dies thanks to your student taking his sweet time getting back here, there will be hell to pay."
The Sandaime nodded slowly and closed his eyes. "I've already sent a letter informing Jiraiya and his retrieval team of the situation. I instructed them to hurry back as fast as they can. None of their usual breaks for Jiraiya's "habits" or anything else that they might fancy. If they fail to return in time, then I'll make them all pay for it, you have my word on that." he vowed.
Sighing afterwards, Hiruzen looked at the medic nin and nodded his head. "Thank you for informing us of Sean-kun's condition. Please see to it that he is placed in a secure room. I do not trust Hiashi to leave him alone once he learns that Sean-kun is still alive. I'll assign ANBU to watch him around the clock just in case."
The medic nin nodded in understanding before reentering the operating room to speak with the other medic nin about their orders. Meanwhile, outside the operating room, Kin looked up at the Hokage and frowned at him. "Do you really think Hiashi-teme will try to assassinate someone that's already dying?" she questioned.
The Sandaime Hokage sighed and nodded his head sadly. "Yes, I truly do. Hiashi seems to have truly lost his mind and I would not put anything past him at this point. That's why I'm going to request that at least two of you be in the room with him at all times. It would make this old man feel better, knowing that he has not just the ANBU watching after him, but loved ones looking after him as well."
Anko spoke up at this point, looking straight into Hiruzen's eyes. "I volunteer for first watch. I want to be there for Seanie. I need to see him." she said determinedly.
Tayuya raised her hand with an awkward smile on her face. "Heh, I guess I'll watch over him with you. I need to do something. He's family, after all, and I can't just leave him alone. Damned Shithead, making me worry about him." she grumbled out as she folded her arms across her chest.
Before anyone could say anything else, the medic nin wheeled Sean out on a gurney and paused for a moment. "Please follow us. We'll show you to where he'll be staying during his time here." one of the medic nin said before they began wheeling Sean down the hall.
Eventually, they reached a room on the 3rd floor and, after getting the Uzumaki clan head into a bed, the medic nin hooked him up to the proper machines before performing a few medical scans to check on his condition. Once they were sure he was 'okay', they vacated the room and looked at the Hokage and Sean's loved ones. "Alright, you can visit him now. Please try not to disturb him though. We've placed him in a medically induced coma so he won't irritate his condition, but we'd rather not risk it considering the fact that he's still such a mystery." the lead medic nin requested before they walked off to get back to work.
Hiruzen sighed and led the large group of women into the room. Once inside, he walked over to Sean's bedside and looked down at him as he folded his arms behind his back. "Damn." he muttered quietly. "I hate seeing you like this Sean-kun. You're a friend, and one of my strongest ninja. This feels so wrong. The young should never lay dying like this. Something like this is meant for the old and feeble, like me. I swear, if Tsunade doesn't return in time to heal you, she will have much to answer for." he promised.
Anko walked over and took a seat at Sean's bedside, gently taking Sean's hand in hers. As she began to run her thumb over the back of his hand, she could feel tears streaming down her face again. "Seanie-kun…" she started, "I can't stand seeing you like this. You mean so much to me. You're the first guy to see me for me, the only one to see past the fake persona I put up. You're the best person I've ever met and the man I fell in love with. I swear to Kami that if you die, I'll follow you to Heaven and drag you back down here myself. But before that...I'll kill Hiashi, the Hyuga's, AND Tsunade-sama for taking her sweet time getting back here. I just...I want you to be okay…" she pleaded sadly.
Ino walked up to his bedside and rested her hand on his leg. "Please...don't die. I love you so, so much. If you die, then I'll die with you. I refuse to live a life without you in it. So don't you DARE die on me. You hear me Seanie-kun?!" she shouted out before she buried her face in her hands and began to sob.
Jima looked down at her cousin with a deep frown on her face and shook her head. "I...don't know what to say Seanie. You're a wonderful person with a beautiful soul. You don't deserve this. I want to go and make Hiashi-teme pay for this with his life so badly, but…" Looking into Hiruzen's eyes, she saw him shake his head, causing the female Uzumaki to sigh. "Hokage-sama wants us to wait. If you were awake and well...I wonder what you'd do?" she wondered aloud.
Sakura walked up to the foot of the bed and stared at Sean's face with a sad frown. "Naruto-kun's not going to like this one bit. Once he hears the news, he's going to rush back here as fast as he can, whether the others like it or not." she said. "I worry about what he's going to do…"
Hiruzen sighed and nodded his head. "That's true. Let's just hope we can deal with Hiashi before they get back, or else Naruto may go on the warpath."
Everyone that knew Naruto nodded in agreement. Haku frowned though and shook her head. "As strong as Naru-kun is...not even he could take on the entire Hyuga clan and win. I really don't want to see him try to fight their entire clan like that."
Tsume shook her head and looked at Sean's friends, family, and lovers. "He wouldn't be alone. Naruto would have the Inuzuka clan backing him up if that were to happen. But, as Hokage-sama said, let's hope it doesn't come to that. Let's hope Ibiki can get the information we need."
After a while, once everyone had said what they wanted/needed to say to Sean Uzumaki, the door opened and in walked Yugao Uzuki, holding a few sheets of paper. When they turned to look at her, she smiled sadly at them before walking up to Hiruzen. Bowing at the waist to him, the purple-haired woman soon straightened herself and handed him the papers. "Here's everything Ibiki could get out of that Hyuga, Hokage-sama. It's worse than we thought." she said.
Frowning at this, Hiruzen looked over the papers carefully. After he had finished doing so, he shook his head sadly and closed his eyes as he reached up and began to rub at the bridge of his nose in frustration. "To think they would go so far."
Kin decided to ask the question on everyone's mind. "What does it say Hokage-sama?"
Releasing a heavy sigh, the Sandaime looked around at everyone before turning his gaze to Sean. "Hiashi and the elders of his clan came to the conclusion that they needed to remove Sean-kun from the picture. Apparently, they consider him a threat to their clan's ways and want him out of the way. They want to 'reclaim' Hinata and Hanabi and brand them both with their clan's curse seal as punishment for 'daring to defect to another clan', despite the fact that Hinata was banished from the clan by Hiashi and was adopted into the Uzumaki clan afterwards."
Sighing yet again, Hiruzen looked down at the papers in his hands and shook his head. "It didn't matter if the assassins had succeeded or failed, Hiashi and the elders would have denied all involvement in the matter, claiming that they had acted of their own volition. And without proof showing otherwise, there would have been nothing we could have done. They weren't counting on Sean-kun sparing any of them had he been victorious. On the other hand, if the Hyuga's had been the victors, they were meant to kill themselves so that no information could be gleaned from them."
At this point, Hiruzen glanced down at the papers to make sure he had read the information right. After a moment, he looked at Tsume and Hana with a frown. "If Sean-kun was with anyone...they were to be eliminated so as not to leave any witnesses. It didn't matter if they were part of a clan or not." he said, knowing this would only serve to infuriate Tsume further.
Sighing again, Hiruzen looked at Jima and Tayuya and shook his head. "Finally, Hiashi and the elders planned to infiltrate the Uzumaki-Namikaze estate if they were able and steal clan secrets for their own personal use. After all, if Sean were to die, they would be free for the taking, or so they think. So if I was you, Jima, I'd head on home and work on improving the seals to ensure that Hiashi and the elder Hyuga's cannot infiltrate your home." he suggested.
The beautiful blue-haired woman nodded in understanding and, after going to Sean's bedside to give him a kiss on the cheek, she quickly vanished in a Body Flicker to return to the Uzumaki household so she could upgrade the seals.
Meanwhile, Tsume was clenching her fists tightly with her fangs bared. She looked more feral than ever and it was honestly a bit scary to look at. "Those rotten bastards! My Hana-chan was simply collateral damage to them?! And Sean...Kami this is horrible. Hokage-sama, what are you going to do about this?" she questioned angrily.
Hiruzen folded the papers and slipped them away into his pocket before looking Tsume in the eyes. "I'm calling the council together for a meeting. We're going to call him out on his actions in front of everyone. If all goes well, Hiashi will be forced to pay reparations to the Uzumaki clan on top of having to spend time in prison alongside the elders of the Hyuga clan." he explained.
Before Tsume could speak up in protest of this, Anko beat her to it. "With all due respect, Hokage-sama, that's not good enough. They should be executed for their crimes!" she exclaimed angrily. "For what they've done to my Seanie-kun and for everything else they've done or tried to do, I refuse to allow them the chance to do anything else!"
Tsume nodded her head in agreement with Anko and glared into the Hokage's eyes. "If you put it to a vote, Hokage-sama, I'm voting for their execution. That's a promise."
Sighing at this, Hiruzen posed a question to them. "Can there truly be no peaceful resolution here?"
Everyone looked at him angrily at this and said, "No." in unison. "They must pay for what they've done." Ino said furiously.
Releasing another sigh, the Hokage nodded his head in understanding. "I understand. Come Tsume, let us go. It's time to hold that meeting and deal with that monster." he said before taking one last look at the dying Uzumaki. Without a word being said, he shook his head and vanished in a Body Flicker to call the council together.
Tsume looked her daughter in the eyes and offered her a small smile. "Don't worry Hana-chan. Hiashi and the Hyuga's will pay for what they've done to Sean, I promise." she said before kissing her daughter atop her head. "I'll see you later sweetheart." And with that, Tsume vanished as well to join Hiruzen in the council chambers.
While most of the group worried over Sean, Sakura couldn't help but frown as her thoughts drifted to her fiance. Hurry back with Tsunade-sama Naruto-kun. We need you…
Meanwhile in Tanzaku Quarters
The group had been happy to get some rest after such a trying day. When they returned from their battle against Kabuto and their interrogation of Orochimaru, they had immediately returned to their hotel rooms and talked about everything for a while longer before they had decided to get something to eat. Afterwards, they planned to relax for the rest of the day until it was time for bed. They did, after all, plan to leave in the morning rather than set out today.
However, when a monkey appeared in front of Jiraiya with a letter while he and Naruto were preparing for bed, they couldn't help but wonder what the Hokage wanted with them. So, taking the letter and thanking the monkey for bringing it to them, Jiraiya unrolled it and began to read it in silence.
Once the white-haired sage had finished reading, his eyes were wide and his hands were shaking. Turning to Naruto, he immediately ordered, "Go and wake everyone up. Bring them here. We need to have a talk. Something terrible has happened."
Nodding in understanding, Naruto vacated the room to go and gather everyone. When he returned a short while later with the women of their group, they each took a seat on a bed and looked at Jiraiya. "What's going on Pervert?" Tsunade asked irritably. "I was just getting comfortable. This better be important."
The sage of Mt. Myoboku sighed and rubbed the back of his head in exasperation. "Trust me, you're all going to want to hear this." he said. "Sensei sent me this letter saying that we need to return immediately."
When Shizune looked like she was about to speak up, Jiraiya held up his hand to stop her. "Don't interrupt me, any of you. Let me speak." he said seriously. Seeing he now had their full attention, he continued. "While we've been gone, Hanabi Hyuga ran away from home and sought refuge in the Uzumaki household under Sean Uzumaki's protection. Apparently Hiashi had become so unbearable that she no longer felt comfortable there. I don't know the full story exactly, but Sean took her in and declared that she could and would live with him under his protection from that point forward." he explained to the group.
Hearing this caused Hinata's eyes to widen and she threw her hands over her mouth as she let out a gasp. Her dear sister had escaped the Hyuga's to join the Uzumaki family?! What in the world had happened while she had been away on this mission?!
"Needless to say, this action enraged Hiashi and the Hyuga clan elders. They had, after all, lost both of their heiresses by this point to the Uzumaki clan. And rather than accept the blame on themselves for pushing you and your sister away," Jiraiya said, looking into Hinata's eyes, "they blamed Sean for everything. They...planned Sean's assassination."
Eyes widening in horror, they were about to start shouting, but Jiraiya narrowed his eyes at them and threw his hand up, shouting out, "Don't speak! Let me finish before you say anything. Time is of the essence here and I need to finish explaining everything so everyone understands what's going on." he said sternly.
Seeing he now had everyone's attention once more, the Toad Sage continued on. "While Sean was on a date with Hana Inuzuka," seeing their looks, Jiraiya chuckled a bit and nodded his head, "Yes, you heard me right. Anyways, while on their date, a large number of Branch Hyuga attacked Sean and Hana on Hiashi's orders. Sean managed to kill the majority of them and crippled one, leaving him alive so that he could be interrogated by Ibiki for proof that Hiashi was behind the attack. However, before Sean could kill the last of the Hyuga assassins...his enemy got in a lucky shot. His enemy struck Sean's heart and it's currently unknown if Sean is going to survive. Sensei said in his letter to me that he wants us to return with Tsunade as fast as possible so that she can hopefully save his life. We are not to take any breaks other than the necessary breaks to eat, drink, and sleep."
Naruto looked like he didn't know how to feel. Tears were streaming down his face, but his face kept contorting between rage and sorrow before finally shifting to a strange mix between the two. "He's...they're...they're going to pay for this. If Sean-sensei dies...or if Hiashi-teme and the other Hyuga's get away with this...I'll make sure they pay for this in my own way! I don't care what it takes!" he shouted angrily. "When do we leave?" he demanded to know.
Jiraiya frowned at this and shook his head. "We'll leave first thing in the morning. Be warned that I'll be pushing you all hard to ensure we make good time. Sean likely doesn't have much time left, so we need to get back to Konoha as soon as humanly possible." he explained.
Hinata and Fu could feel tears streaming down their faces as they thought about their dear friend laying dying in a hospital bed. However, they realized that Naruto probably had it much worse. Turning to him, they both hugged their fiance tight and just cried into his chest as they tried to just be there for each other.
Tsunade frowned and looked into Jiraiya's eyes. "Did sensei say anything about what is being done to punish Hiashi and his accomplices in this attack?"
Looking back down at the letter in his hands, Jiraiya sighed and shook his head. "No. There's nothing in here talking about the punishment for those bastards. I assume we'll find out what's happened when we return to the village." he explained. "For now, why don't you all return to your rooms and we'll try to get some sleep? We need to be fully rested and ready to go first thing in the morning. We're going to get as far as we can as fast as we can tomorrow. If we push ourselves as hard as we're able, we should be able to make Konoha in two days at the least."
Nodding in understanding, Tsunade and Shizune rose from the bed they were sitting on and walked over to Hinata and Fu. Helping them up, the four of them soon left the room to return to their own rooms so they could get some sleep.
Left alone together in their room, Jiraiya looked at Naruto with a sad frown on his face. "Look Naruto, Sean's a strong guy. He'll hold on for as long as he's able to. Just have faith that he'll live until we get back. You know as well as I do that Tsunade will be able to save him. I promise she can and she will. As for Hiashi and the Hyuga elders, I'm sure sensei will deal with them in an appropriate manner. If he doesn't...we'll think of something, I promise. I'll even make sure to help you with your revenge against them if it comes down to it." Jiraiya said with a smile.
Naruto looked into his godfather's eyes and nodded slowly. "Thanks Pervy Sage. We should probably get some sleep now. Or at least try to." he said as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "Good night." he muttered as he laid down and pulled his blanket over him, closing his eyes and hoping he could doze off soon.
Sighing sadly, Jiraiya watched his godson for a moment before he climbed into his own bed and covered up as well. Looking at Naruto's back for a moment longer, he turned the bedside light off and rolled over to go to sleep. I hope everything will be alright Naruto. For your sake…
Meanwhile - Konoha Council Chambers
As the council members slowly began to file into the room, some of them yawning tiredly, Hiruzen couldn't help but narrow his eyes as he shot occasional glances out of the corner of his eyes towards Hiashi Hyuga. The Hyuga head looked perfectly calm and acted like everything was right in the world. In fact, if he wasn't seeing things, it appeared that Hiashi was wearing a small smirk on his face, almost as if he was pleased with himself about something.
Tsume, on the other hand, was having a really hard time keeping herself from glaring towards Hiashi. She was trying incredibly hard to remain calm, but she really wanted to go over and rip his head off.
Once everyone had filed in and taken their seats, Hiruzen Sarutobi called the meeting to order. "Firstly, I'd like to apologize for calling you all here so late in the day. I know a number of you had already turned in for the night." he said.
Before he could continue, one of the civilians spoke up. "Hokage-sama, if I may ask a question?" she asked politely, so as not to incur his wrath. Receiving the go ahead, the same civilian asked her question. "Where is Sean-sama? Shouldn't he be here as well?"
The Sandaime sighed and nodded his head slowly. "Under normal circumstances, yes, he would be. However, this meeting pertains to him. You see, earlier tonight, Sean Uzumaki was attacked while on a date with Hana Inuzuka by some of our very own ninja." he explained.
This statement caused an uproar in the council chambers. The civilians were in shock while the majority of the clan heads were furious that some of their own ninja would dare to attack a fellow ninja, let alone a clan head like that! Hiruzen soon shut them all up and was about to speak when Danzo stepped forward and opened his mouth. "I assume you have already found out who attacked them? If so, I do believe we need to make an example of those responsible for the attack. Perhaps a public execution?" he suggested.
Sighing, Hiruzen looked at his old rival and shook his head. "Sean killed most of his attackers. They were Hyuga Branch members sent to assassinate him by one Hiashi Hyuga and the Hyuga clan elders. We know this now because Sean managed to capture one of the Hyuga's alive, thus allowing Ibiki to question him, using any means necessary to get the proof we needed to show that Hiashi was involved." he said angrily.
When it looked as if the council was about to erupt again, Hiruzen shouted out, "Be silent, all of you!" Looking around at everyone, the aged Hokage closed his eyes and shook his head sadly. "Sadly, one of the Hyuga's managed to land a devastating blow to Sean's heart. He is in critical condition with, at most, a week to live." he explained, much to everyone's shock.
When Hiashi smirked at this, the Hokage glared at him and began to speak again. "I wouldn't be smirking if I was you, Hiashi. You see, that captured Hyuga revealed everything about your plans. You were willing to start a civil war in the village just to get your revenge against Sean. You instructed the assassins to kill anyone he was with at the time, regardless if they were a member of a clan or not. They attempted to kill Hana Inuzuka, the daughter of Tsume, clan head of the Inuzuka clan. Such an act would have practically equaled a declaration of war between your clans!" he exclaimed angrily.
Before Hiashi could utter a word, Hiruzen continued. "You and your elders planned to retrieve both Hinata and Hanabi and place your clan's abomination of a curse seal on them, despite the fact that I forbade you from doing so in a previous council meeting! Merely planning to do such a thing can be considered treason against the village and against your Hokage!"
"Finally, you planned to steal the Uzumaki's clan secrets and anything else of value as soon as Sean was dead. After all, once the Uzumaki clan head was out of the way, they'd be free for the taking. That's how you and your clan's elders saw things anyways. That's yet another crime Hiashi!" Hiruzen shouted at him furiously.
Before Hiashi could retort in any way, Shibi adjusted his glasses and began to speak. "Hokage-sama, you said Sean-san has only a week to live, correct? Well, what of Tsunade-sama? If she returns in that time limit, could she save his life?"
The Hokage nodded his head and smiled at this. "Yes, she could. I've already sent a letter to Jiraiya's retrieval team to hurry back as fast as they can. Hopefully they'll be back within a few days. If they don't return in time...then there will be absolute hell to pay." he vowed.
Nodding in understanding, Shibi leaned back in his chair and looked over to Hiashi to see what he would say in response to everything he had just been accused of. In fact, they were all rather curious to see how he'd react.
Slamming his fists down on the table, the Hyuga clan head pointed dramatically at Hiruzen and began to shout. "You don't have any solid proof that I was involved in any of that! All you have is the words of a wretched slave! I deny any involvement with that attack."
The Sandaime looked at Inoichi at this point with a smirk. "On the contrary Hiashi, Ibiki brought in Inoichi-san and had him perform a mind dive to confirm the information that had been given. What he saw was exactly as the man described. You and the elders were seen giving orders to the Hyuga assassins you sent after Sean."
Before Hiashi could say anything, the Hokage continued speaking as he looked around at everyone. "I have called you all here to determine what to do about Hiashi and the Hyuga clan elders. I'm open to suggestions."
Tsume snarled at this and looked right into Hiashi's eyes. "I call for their execution. It's what they deserve for everything they've done. I won't tolerate them attacking my daughter and her boyfriend on their date. And if Sean dies because of this…well, it's the least these monsters deserve."
Before anyone else could say anything, Danzo found himself smirking as he came up with an idea. Stepping forward, he spoke up. "I second the vote for execution. However, I have an idea to add onto that. As restitution for what he's personally done to Sean, Hiashi should, oh so kindly, donate his Byakugan to Sean. After all, once Hiashi is dead, he won't have any further need of his Byakugan, now will he?" Danzo questioned with a cruel smirk on his face.
Hiashi growled at this and leapt from his chair, rushing straight for Danzo. "You bastard! I will never give that monster my eyes! I'd rather kill you first!" he exclaimed angrily as he thrust his palm forward, attempting to strike the elderly man's heart.
Before Hiashi could strike Danzo, he froze in place. With his Byakugan activated, Hiashi could see that Shikaku had snagged him with his shadow and was watching him with a bored expression on his face. Snarling, the Hyuga clan head demanded, "Let me go Nara."
"Troublesome." Shikaku muttered. "I'm not letting you go Hiashi. You've proven yourself to be an unstable individual that cannot be trusted to restrain yourself any longer." Looking at the Hokage, Shikaku sighed and shrugged his shoulders, causing Hiashi to do the same. "I hate to say it, but I vote for execution as well Hokage-sama. Their actions are unforgivable, and Hiashi has already proven that he's a danger to not just others, but himself as well. And, I hate to say it, but I happen to like Danzo's idea of giving Hiashi's eyes to Sean as reparation for the Hyuga clan's actions against the Uzumaki clan."
The Elders looked between each other, and after discussing it, Homura stepped forward and began to speak for the both of them. "Unfortunately, we must disagree. Execution is not the answer here. We agree that the Hyuga's must pay reparation for what has been done, and Danzo's idea has merit here, as does a sum of money from the Hyuga clan's coffers, but execution? No. Without Hiashi and the clan elders, who would be left to lead the clan? The Hyuga clan is a prominent clan within Konoha and if the leaders were to be executed, they would suffer a major blow that they might never recover from. Like it or not, we need them."
After conversing with one another, the civilian council, led by a rather pudgy woman by the name of Olita Cowell, came to a decision. The pink-eyed woman spoke up for the group. "I'm afraid we have to agree with Homura-sama, Hokage-sama. We need Hiashi-sama and the Hyuga clan to remain in power. Just have them pay money from their coffers to the Uzumaki clan and be done with it." he said uncaringly.
Hiruzen glared at the civilians and shook his head in disbelief. It was obvious that they didn't give a shit about Sean one way or another. Releasing a heavy sigh, he turned to look at the clan heads, as they were the last ones that hadn't yet voted.
Shibi adjusted the glasses on his face again and looked between Hiashi and the Hokage. "Personally, I believe that the best course of action would be imprisonment. However, removing Hiashi's eyes and transplanting them into Sean sounds like a good means of reparation from Hiashi to Sean."
Inoichi frowned as he looked at Hiashi. "Sean took in my daughter and has been watching after her while she gets to know Naruto-kun better. For what Hiashi and his clan's elders have done to one of our own, especially to him, I call for their execution." he said angrily.
Choza looked around at everyone before finally settling his eyes on the Hokage and sighing. "I...hate to say it, but I agree with Danzo's idea. Hiashi should give up his eyes and…" Sighing again, Choza closed his eyes and shook his head. "He and his clan elders should be executed."
Hiruzen nodded in understanding before closing his eyes and thinking over everything he had just heard. Before he could speak, however, the doors to the council chamber opened and in walked Jima Uzumaki. "As an Uzumaki, perhaps I can vote as well? I do believe I should have a say in this." she requested.
When Koharu looked about to protest, the Hokage held up his hand to silence her. Looking into Jima's eyes, the Sandaime nodded his head. "Of course Jima. What would you like to see done with Hiashi and his clan's elders?"
Smirking, Jima looked to Hiashi and folded her arms across her chest. "Personally? I'd recommend slapping that curse seal he and the elders love using so much on him and the elders, but they'd never go for it, so that's out of the question. However, I have another idea. I have a twist on the idea Danzo came up with, if you're willing to hear me out?" she asked.
Nodding, Hiruzen smiled at Jima and motioned for her to continue. "Because we can't use their seal on them, I've got one that the Uzumaki have created that can be used in situations like this. I request that you allow me to be the one to execute Hiashi and the Hyuga clan elders using this seal. And, as reparation for what they've done, Hiashi should give up his Byakugan to Sean-kun. We'd also accept some money from the Hyuga clan coffers, but that's entirely optional and I'll leave that decision up to you Hokage-sama."
The Sandaime Hokage nodded and closed his eyes, resting his chin atop his hands as he began to think over everything he had just heard. "Hmm…" he hummed. After a while, he opened one of his eyes and looked at Hiashi. "I've come to a decision." he said simply. "Hiashi, you and your clan elders are to be executed publicly in two days' time. Jima," he said, looking into Jima's eyes, "I'm naming you as their executioner. You are permitted to use that seal of yours to execute them."
Looking back at Hiashi, Hiruzen continued. "Finally, as reparation for your actions, your Byakugan are to be transplanted into Sean Uzumaki and exactly 30% of your clan's coffers is to be paid to the Uzumaki clan."
Hiashi snarled at this and struggled harder against Shikaku's hold against him. "I'll kill you, you senile bastard! I refuse to give that monster my eyes! I've done nothing wrong! I hope that bastard dies! I hope you all suffer for this! You-"
Before Hiashi could continue his rant, Jima appeared behind him and slapped a seal tag onto the back of his head to knock him out. Once he collapsed to the ground unconscious, she removed the tag and pocketed it before looking at the Hokage. "Hokage-sama...I do believe you've made the right choice. He's clearly lost his mind."
The Hokage nodded and released a heavy sigh. "Apparently so." Shaking his head in exasperation, Hiruzen looked around at everyone and waved them off. "This meeting is over. You are all dismissed. Hiashi and the Hyuga clan elders will be held in prison until it's time for their execution. Thank you all for your time." he said before he called for his ANBU. Once they appeared, Hiruzen began to bark out his orders. "Take Hiashi to a cell and make sure to seal off his chakra. I don't want him escaping. Afterwards, I want you to go and arrest the Hyuga clan elders and throw them in cells as well. Get going!"
After they disappeared with Hiashi, Hiruzen turned to see that mostly everyone had vacated the room by now. The only ones remaining were Jima and Tsume. So, leaving the room himself, he returned to his office with the two of them following him there. He was a little shocked though when he saw Danzo inside waiting for him. "Danzo? What are you doing here?" Hiruzen questioned.
Danzo waited for the Hokage to take his seat and for Jima and Tsume to enter the room before turning to his old rival and offering him a small smile. "I'm honestly a little surprised Hiruzen. I didn't expect you to accept my idea so readily. Normally you'd argue against something I proposed quite vehemently. What made you agree to my idea this time?"
The Sandaime sighed and shook his head. "Is that all you wanted?" Seeing Danzo smirking at him caused Hiruzen to sigh. "Honestly? I didn't want to have to execute them, but I need to make an example of them so that something like this won't happen again. I will not have a civil war taking place in the village I have sworn to protect because of some fool that cannot control himself. Besides, your idea had merit. It was the best idea presented at the time. Is it really so odd that I'd choose your idea over that of the civilians or Homura and Koharu's?"
Danzo chuckled and nodded his head in the affirmative. "Honestly? Yes, it is. I'm not used to you having such a backbone. Some of the decisions you've made since retaking your position have been questionable at best, if you'll pardon me for saying so."
Hiruzen sighed and glared into Danzo's one, visible eye. "You would say that, wouldn't you Danzo? I'll admit that I've been a bit of a pushover sometimes, but I've been trying to do better for some time now, as I'm sure you've noticed. Now, is there something else you wanted or is that it?"
Danzo smiled at his old rival before moving for the door. Pausing at it, he glanced over his shoulder and decided to offer some advice. "You might want to transplant those eyes into Sean before he wakes up. Just a helpful tip." he suggested before leaving Hiruzen's office.
Jima frowned at this before eventually nodding in agreement. Turning to the Hokage, she said, "I may not trust that man, but I have to agree with him. It would be best to transplant Hiashi's Byakugan into Sean while he's unconscious. If he was awake, I'm unsure as to whether or not he'd accept them."
Hiruzen sighed, but nodded somewhat reluctantly. "I understand. I hate doing something like that without his permission, but if you truly believe he should have them, as his fellow Uzumaki and acting clan head in his stead, you have the right to make such a decision for him in this case. Now, is there something the two of you needed?"
Tsume looked into Hiruzen's eyes for a moment before bowing her head. "I just wanted to thank you, Hokage-sama. For the decision you made, I mean. I'm sure his loved ones will appreciate it." she said sincerely.
Jima shrugged and smiled at the Hokage. "I didn't really want anything. I just wanted to make sure you were okay after that tough decision you had to make." she said. "So, are you alright Hokage-sama? I know I couldn't have made a choice like that if I was in your shoes."
The Hokage chuckled a bit before offering Jima a smile. "I'll be alright. Thank you Jima. And sadly, making decisions like that is part of what being a leader is all about. I may not like it, but…" With a shrug of his shoulders, Hiruzen closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "I just hope this doesn't come back to bite me in the ass later."
Tsume frowned at this. "We'll just have to have faith, Hokaga-sama. If things get bad, we'll deal with whatever happens as it comes along. We've always stayed strong through it all and we'll continue to do so. Just have faith."
Jima smirked and folded her arms across her chest. "I agree with Tsume. Stay strong Hokage-sama. Everything will be alright in the end, I'm sure of it." she said.
Smiling in response, Hiruzen thanked the two of them. "Go on now. Return to your loved ones." he said, watching as they nodded and left to go pay a visit to Sean and Hana. Once they were gone, he reached up and began to rub at his temples in frustration. Damn it Hiashi. Why did you have to go so far? I shouldn't have had to do this!
The Next Morning - Tanzaku Quarters
The Tsunade Retrieval team were currently on the outskirts of Tanzaku Quarters, preparing to set off for Konohagakure. At the moment, they were going over their belongings to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything. "Alright, does everyone have everything?" Jiraiya questioned.
Looking around at everyone for the answer, Naruto eventually looked up to Jiraiya and nodded. "We're good. Let's get going already! We can't let Sean-sensei die!" he exclaimed.
Nodding in agreement, Jiraiya prepared to take off. "Agreed Naruto. Alright everyone, I'm going to be setting a brisk pace. Try to keep up." he said before he took off.
Naruto immediately shot off after him, wishing he could just run full blast to Konoha, but he realized easily that Hinata and the others didn't have the same kind of stamina he did. Just hang on Sean-sensei. We're coming! He thought, hoping dearly that his cousin would survive long enough for them to arrive and save his life.
A/N - And that's the end of the chapter. I really hope you all enjoyed it. I know it was mostly centered around Sean, and for those of you that don't like that, I'm sorry. But that's just how this chapter was meant to be. The next chapter will have more Naruto in it, I promise.
Anyways, as you can see, the Hyuga's are in deep shit. Hiruzen and the council have made the decision to give Sean Hiashi's Byakugan as well, which should be pretty interesting. That was NOT originally planned, but this chapter just kind of turned out that way. Sooo...yeaaaaah.
For those of you that don't like what happened to Sean in this chapter, I apologize for that. It was planned for him to be injured by the Hyuga though, sooo...yeah. *shrugs* I dunno. lol.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Looking forward to seeing your reviews!