Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1.
AN: Chapter title: Meeting: Heiress and Caesar
It was easier than he originally thought to meet with the Hyuga heiress. Much easier. He expected guards, perhaps some of the Hyuga's trained dogs using their Kekkei Genkai to observe him as he approached, as he walked away with the girl.
He found no such thing awaiting him.
Only Hinata stood at the gates to the estate the Hyuga thought themselves safe within. He caught sight of his Praetorians merely watching the Genin, their eyes swiftly shifting to their Caesar. He waylaid any attempts to render the salute of his Legion with a raised hand. He wordlessly dismissed them from their post with another gesture.
The seal remained uncooperative so they would live by the rooftops as Shinobi were prone to do.
Very quickly only he and Hinata were left in sight of the other.
He once more saw the girl's face slowly flush a wonderful crimson as he offered her his arm.
Yes, it seemed it was exactly as he had thought when he met her during the First Stage.
"It is good to see you Hinata. I have long awaited a chance to speak with you on many things." He began to walk. She followed. "But such a conversation is better saved for later." He smiled. "I never had the chance to speak with you after the Chunin Exams and I must do so now."
"You have to know I didn't pass the Second Stage Naruto-kun…" Pale eyes turned away from the smiling blond. "I wasn't strong enough to beat that boy from the Hidden Sand…"
"While it is true you did not claim victory, you did not give that boy the bitter taste of defeat when you left him broken on the arena floor." His words seemed akin to physical blows to the pale eyed Genin, he could almost feel her spirit break as he spoke. "But you still impressed me when I learned of your battle. You have shown me how incredible you truly are."
He turned her to face him. She didn't resist even as her crimson flush returned in full.
"I respect such determination to achieve victory. It makes me admire you even more."
'Naruto-kun…Y-You admire me?' Naruto guided and Hinata followed him without complaint, her mind set spinning by his words.
They continued onward in silence.
She hardly seemed to notice that they had come to a stop eventually, that Naruto had guided her to a seat and released her arm. He sat down across from her, merely observed the girl and her scarlet face.
"As much as your blush delights my eyes Hinata, I fear we must speak on what I came to you about." He leaned forward in his seat, rested his chin on his hands as he interlocked his fingers. "I grow tired of the Hyuga and wish for your help to deal with them."
"W-What?" She stared at him in something approaching shock and he grinned.
"I wish to knock down the Hyuga as I said but I require two things to make such a thing a reality." He pulled one hand away from where they rested below his chin, lifted up two of his fingers. "One is mere time, given little more than a few years I can shatter them. But to do so in such a short amount of time I require a second thing, information on how a clan such as the Hyuga functions within the village. It is information I am certain you possess and will gladly give me."
"W-Why would you think that?" She did not refute his claim. His smile widened as he dropped his hand down to the table.
"It is simple Hinata. You desire change for your clan but lack the strength to do so. I can see it in your eyes, see how you look to a bright future away from the dark days of the present. See a time of unity away from the divides of yesterday, divides brought forth by the cruel traditions that stifles your clan now." He knew he was correct. His Centurion had not wasted his time when he spoke with her, sought to learn what he could of her desires, of her dreams, while the invasion played out before them.
He had been a wealth of knowledge for his Caesar mere hours afterwards.
"I-I do want to change things…" Her eyes did not meet his, were focused on the table she had found herself before. "I want to change things for everyone but…"
"Your father." Her eyes snapped up to his own. He continued. "He will not let one as gentle as you claim power over the clan. He desires your sister, one he sees as stronger and the more ideal Hyuga Clan Head, to take your place."
His Legate had also provided ample information on the dynamics of a clan such as the Hyuga when pressed by his Caesar. He had guessed Hinata would be passed over for the position of Head in favor of her younger sister, a slight that would follow Hinata the rest of her life if her father was content to follow through with it. His Centurion's report had only further confirmed such a thing.
"F-Father wants the c-clan to…"
"To be trapped by ancient tradition my dear, bogged down by the teachings of those rendered weak and stubborn by age. These so-called elders of you clan are naught but cowardly old man who hide behind this perception of wisdom, of knowledge from age. The only thing they possess is stubbornness and a weak-willed man unable to stand against them." Naruto pressed onward. He could see the doubt, the shame, that Hinata harbored as clear as day. "Your father desires for your clan to stagnate, for it to be rendered nothing but a poor shadow of its once grand strength. But what else should I expect from a man who killed his own twin brother?"
True shock came to her eyes.
"How do you know about that Naruto?" Concern, worry, even fear seemed to take hold of her. She rose from her seat. "F-Father told me doesn't want anyone to know about how uncle died. H-He doesn't want anyone but those directly involved to know about what happened."
"I know many things Hinata." Naruto remained seated, leaned back in his chair even and calm blue eyes met Hinata's own, took note of the near growing panic. "Ah, I see you are still concerned. So be it. I will avail your fears with a secret far greater. An S-Rank secret few have the authority to speak of, to share with any, under penalty of a swift death!" He planted a hand on his armored chest. "Twelve years ago, on October 10th, the beast known as the Nine Tailed Demon Fox attacked the Hidden Leaf Village only to, as many will say, be slain by the legendary might of the Fourth Hokage! Such a thing is a lie! The Fourth Hokage could never bring forth the demise of a beast of such strength! He, faced with the certain destruction of the village he governed over of the beast was to remain free, saw fit to seal the beast instead to defeat it! He sealed it within a newborn baby brought into the world mere hours before! He chose me! I am the only one alive who can truthfully claim to be the Jinchuriki of the Kyubi since my birth!"
The Hyuga did not know how to react to such a proclamation, did not know how to react to the smiling face of Naruto as he announced his status as a Jinchuriki. The attack of the Kyubi twelve years ago was a horrifyingly real piece of history to so many in the Hyuga Clan, she had been raised on seemingly endless stories of the beast's power, of the beast's cruel intent that night, of the valiant Shinobi who had fallen and left the village weakened even over a decade past the attack. She had been raised on stories of how the blond in front of her was nothing but trouble, that it was best to stay far away from him, that he was nothing but a plague on the village she called home.
She had been raised to believe Naruto was nothing but a monster.
He, seemingly with a great deal of pride at such a thing, had a true monster sealed within him.
"Y-You have that monster inside you?" Hinata did not know what else to say, could only think to ask such a question.
"I have spoken with the Hokage in depth today on my status as a Jinchuriki. He informed me it is the nature of the Uzumaki Clan, with our powerful life force and stronger wills, to contain the beast known as the Kyubi! My mother contained the beast until it took her life, her predecessor was the wife of the legendary First Hokage who sealed the beast within herself after the titanic battle between the First and Madara Uchiha!" He rose from his seat next. His crimson eyes stared into the pale eyes before him. "It is the burden of the Uzumaki Clan, however scattered it has become, to jail the beast and use its strength for…" He found that he could not finish.
He blinked in that moment.
He made to open his mouth in the next.
He closed it just as soon as he did so.
He truly could not finish.
In an instant he was back before the Hokage, he found he once more looked into such old and tired eyes.
"I should have told you this years ago but I feared you would not ready for such a burden, that you would let the beast overwhelm you as other Jinchuriki have unfortunately been known to let happen in their shock, in their rage, in their grief at their fate. I should have trusted you, known you were strong enough to know the truth long ago. It was foolish of me to believe that withholding such a heavy truth would benefit you my boy."
"It has been tradition since the founding of this village for an Uzumaki to contain the fearsome power of the Kyubi because of the strong life force of your clan. The close ties your Clan holds with Fuinjutsu, seemingly able to strengthen any seal unconsciously, was another factor."
"The Fourth Hokage, on that dark day twelve years ago, made the choice to seal the beast within an infant born a mere handful of hours before. The Fourth made the decision to seal the beast within you, Naruto. Just like your mother Kushina did before you, just like Hashirama-sama's wife Mito did before her, you were chosen as the Jinchuriki so that the balance of this world, that prevents us from plunging into a Fourth Shinobi World War far too soon, could be maintained. So that the village would be able to, if ever necessary, ask you to make use of the power of the strongest of the nine creatures known as the Tailed Beasts."
The words of Hiruzen Sarutobi echoed in his mind.
The strength of the Kyubi was for the village to use.
The strength of the Kyubi was to, if all else failed, ensure the future of the Hidden Leaf through the carnage wrought by it.
The strength of the Kyubi was to be used as the Hokage, as those who were deemed close enough to offer him counsel, as the Clans, as the weak man that was the Daimyo wished.
The strength of the Kyubi was to be used for the greater good of the village.
The strength of the Kyubi was to be passed on when he became too old, when even the legendary life force of the Uzumaki Clan would fail to aid him in containing the monstrous beast.
The strength of the Kyubi was to be torn from him and passed on to another one day for the safety of the village.
The strength of the Kyubi was to be wasted on the whims of others.
The strength of the Kyubi was to be denied to him.
In all of a moment he remembered the rage he felt at such an idea.
He smiled.
"My apologies Hinata, that is rather unimportant." He took his seat once more, gestured for her to do the same and she did so. "But fear not on your safety with the knowledge you now possess, it is well within my right to speak this secret to any I deem fit. I find few to trust with such knowledge so I rarely disclose it." In the blink of an eye, his blue eyes returned and stared into her own. "I of course trust you Hinata, I trust you with a great many things."
It was once again wonderful to him to see her face flush.
"I-I don't know what to say…to any of this really." Hinata fought the urge to look away from his brilliant blue eyes. "I-I'm honored you t-trust me so much Naruto. I p-promise to k-keep this to myself." She could barely manage to speak as she met his eyes, as she took in his smile.
"That is wonderful to hear Hinata." Naruto leaned back in his seat. "I believe it is time we move on through. I, as I have already told you, desire to purge the Hyuga Clan of their current nature and I need your help to do make this part of my dream a reality." He rose a blond eyebrow. "So, can I trust you will help me?"
"I-I don't know." She looked down to where her hands were clasped together on the table in front of her. "I want to help you but…my father is…" She did not know what to say, how to properly express what she felt. She decided on a different approach. "W-Why do you want to change the Hyuga Clan Naruto?"
"Ah, that is a question I am more than willing to answer Hinata." Naruto chuckled. "As you no doubt saw, I faced your cousin Neji during one of my matches in the Chunin Exams. I am rather curious about the outcome still but I will never have a proper result with your father in the way. He stifles my foe, he attempts to stomp down his potential, and it seems your sister is no better. Both are outside of my reach to change as they are now, lay outside my ability to influence despite my position as Caesar of my magnificent Uzumaki Empire, of my glorious Orange Legion. I could crush them like the enemy but I am a Shinobi of Konoha and shall not do such a thing. I seek to change them instead. I will see them flourish in the future so I may fight my foe when he is at his greatest, when his potential has been nurtured properly."
"You just want to fight Neji again?" Her eyes were wide in shock, her voice carried her confusion. He laughed.
"No my dear Hinata, it is not quite as simple as a mere fight. If it was such, I would merely wait for him to recover and demand he face me once more. This is about much more than mere physical strength. Did you not see our clash for what it truly was? I seek an answer to the question I posed to him above all else! I wish to know if fate is stronger than a Caesar!"
Hinata found she could nod. She remembered Naruto's challenge to Neji before her father had activated the Caged Bird Seal, before he had made Neji collapse in utter agony as the seal tore at his mind.
She remembered how her clan had looked at her since her failure to advance in the Chunin Exams.
She remembered how part of her clan had looked at Neji when he had dared to show such strength in the Third Round.
She remembered how part of her clan had been terrorized by another for no other reason than their order of birth.
She remembered how her uncle had been killed solely because he was seen as less valuable. All because he had been born after his twin brother.
"I want to see that too." Her whisper reached Naruto's ears. His blue eyes burned with delight at her words.
"Excellent. We can discuss finer details of your contributions on a later date." Naruto returned his focus to the present instead of his plans for the future. "For now, I wish to speak with you on your performance in the Chunin Exams."
Her embarrassment, her despair at failing at such a pivotal event to her Shinobi career, returned rather swiftly.
"I-I lost." Naruto could not help but shake his head at her words.
"Utter nonsense." He rose from his seat, offered her his arm as he bid her to rise. "I will tell you such a thing while I return you to the Hyuga Estate."
"I-I don't see what else you can say about what happened Naruto." She took his offered arm and he took her hand in his, offered a gentle squeeze as his blue eyes turned to her.
"You did not surrender the victory to him my dear Hinata. You refused to allow even a poisoned blade to stop you when any others would have done the same, when those you call teammates no doubt expected you to surrender you did not, when the Jonin who instructed you expected you to surrender you did not. You strove for victory even when it seemed naught but a distant dream." He drew closer to her, found a certain delight in how her flush not only returned but burned darker and darker the shorter the distance between them became. "You did not let words defeat, you did not let that miserable boy defeat you because, in the end, you strove for victory no matter the cost."
Her hand had slipped from his arm as her pale eyes stared into brilliant blue. There was shock in her eyes in addition to something much more interesting, much more pleasing for he who named himself Caesar to see. There was a hunger in her eyes, a thirst for this acknowledgement he gave her now.
"You were stopped not because your will wavered but because others thought less of you, thought you weak." As much as her flush delighted him, this was much better. There was a storm in her pale eyes when he looked into them, a brewing storm that needed only to be nurtured by the wind. "Those you called your teammates doubted you, the Jonin doubted you, so they stopped you. They thought you could not overcome the challenge before you, that you could not rise above and defeat the boy. They thought you weak."
"I-I…K-Kurenai-sensei wouldn't have stopped the fight if she thought I could win." Her doubts were too clear, her eyes were clearer. She could not truly believe what she was saying, not when opposition to such a view came from him. "S-She wanted me to pass and so did Kiba and Shino!"
"It pains me to see how far they have twisted you my dear Hinata." He reached up, gently brushed away one of the strands of hair that framed her face. He gently took hold of her chin and refused to let her turn away as he spoke. "They do not wish for you to be strong, they desire you to be weak, to be dependent upon them. They wish to treat you like they would a fragile doll my dear Hinata, keep you forever locked away, merely observe you with their disgusting eyes, watch as you relish the cage they fashion for you." He pushed on, kept her in place as his blue eyes burned to crimson. "They shall disguise it as concern, as worry, as that vile thing they speak of as teamwork, will speak of your status as reason enough for you to never venture far from them, will speak of you as if you are nothing, as if you are weaker than the dog the boy who claims to be your friend carries with him. Kurenai Yuhi no doubt has not offered you training, has not offered you the chance to grow your strength, because she is "concerned" for you. What a pitiful excuse."
His eyes burned as Hinata's struggles died long before they would have ever begun in earnest.
"She is jealous of you my dear Hinata, desires nothing but to claim her strength as greater than your own, claim not even the Hyuga's Byakugan can challenge her Genjutsu prowess. She is naught but a parasitic creature, latching unto others, twisting them until they do all they can to please her. Why else would see be so close to Asuma Sarutobi? She desires nothing but the name of the Sarutobi to bolster her own just as she desires nothing but to drag the prestigious name of the Hyuga through the mud through you."
"I wish to help you Hinata but you must not allow them to poison the well of your strength any further. You must not allow any of those who desire you to be weak to suppress you and your vast potential any longer. You must be willing to toss them aside, to destroy them if you must, because they seek to stifle you." He released her, let his hand draw away ever so slightly, and she followed, seemed desperate to maintain his touch.
He smiled.
"Allow me to make you strong Hinata. Allow me to bring forth the strength I know you possess, allow me to let you shine as bright as the sun."
He offered his hand to her as a crimson vortex engulfed him, as he was consumed in the power of a Caesar and let the world know of such a thing.
"I-I want to be strong Naruto. I want to be strong enough to beat Shino, to beat Kiba, and to beat Ku-Yuhi. I want to show them that they were wrong about me! I want to show them all how strong I can be with you!" There was no hesitation as she took the offered hand, felt a surge of power engulf her. She nearly fell if not for Naruto's steadying hold of her waist.
"Then I promise you a future of strength and triumph Hinata Hyuga." Naruto did not release her as power flowed from his hand to hers, as she felt it take hold on her arm. "I promise you that no one shall ever doubt your strength, be it those who dare to call themselves your teammates to the Hyuga themselves. None shall ever view you as weak ever again. I shall make sure of it."
"Thank you…"
"Think nothing of it." He took hold of her face with his hand while he released her own. He gently raised her head to take in her blush, his smile became something else at the sight of it. "You are mine now, are you not Hinata?"
He did not need a response.
He saw all he needed in her pale lavender eyes.
His smile grew and his red eyes shined with delight.
AN: So...who's excited to see Hinata this chapter?
What about Naruto working his magic?