Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Hinata blinked at the lights of the council chambers, still rubbing sleep from her eyes. While the Branch guard, she thought his name was Ko, had been gentle in removing her from her room and ushering her down the hallway, she couldn't ignore the feeling of dread telling her something must be wrong. The Elder Council had never demanded her presence before, let alone in the middle of the night.

The assembled men dwarfed the diminutive child, their cold eyes offering no hint of comfort, not that any was expected. The stoic council members were always intimidating, but Hinata had learned very early on that her Father, especially, was nothing like Oji-san. Despite everyone saying the two men were twins she had never seen any resemblance between them. To her they were night and day, cold and warm, cruel and kind. She scanned the gathered group for a glimpse of her Oji-san, someone who could calm her mounting anxiety. She nervously poked her fingertips together as she turned to face her father. The storm in his eyes was making Hinata wish she was anywhere but here.

Hiashi's fingers twitched as he looked down at the girl who was nearly shaking before him. So worthless, eliminating her altogether would have been preferable. But the Elders had refused to allow him to dispose of her, arguing that the opinion of key figures amongst the higher political circles would reflect poorly upon the Hyuga if it were to get around that the heiress had been deposed by her own family. Hiashi had settled for the next best option, one that would still allow him to erase her from his legacy. Her mother's "sacrifice" could be played off as the altruistic act of peace that the Hokage seemed to expect from the Clan Head himself.

Hiashi observed the girl whom Hitomi had called his daughter. The disgust that had been buried deep within him but never fully denied rose up into a specter of pure loathing. I shall never acknowledge this pitiful thing as my child again.

"As of today you are no longer to be a member of the Main House." Hiashi minced no words and did not waste his time on a lengthy preamble. He was tired, and this creature's further existence was of marginal importance to him at best. "Your mother has been sent to Kumo as recompense for the murder of the shinobi ambassador."

Hinata's face was blank. Her mind was blank. Her stomach seemed to have fallen to her feet. Kaa-san is...gone? Words continued to come out of that man's mouth but all she could hear was her heartbeat escalating in her ears. When is she coming back? Where's Kumo? I didn't get to say goodbye...

"Do you understand what we are saying, child?" Hinata dazedly turned to the Elder she knew to be her grandfather. "Your mother is not returning. You will be sent to the Branch side of the compound. You are no longer the heiress of the Hyuga."

"Not returning..." Hinata's small whisper echoed the only part the statement she had heard. The rest was forgotten before it was ever processed as a wave of grief smashed into her heart. She clutched her chest, breaths coming in short gasps.

It was all Hiashi could do to keep from rolling his eyes at the pathetic display. Without warning he raised his hands to form the fateful sequence of seals and cried out the jutsu's name as one would proclaim the final judgment of a criminal. Hinata's high pitched screams grated on his ears. He pumped more chakra into the seal, wanting to end the irritating screeching.

Hinata never knew such a pain could even exist. One minute her heart was breaking and the next she knew her head surely was. Her last coherent thought was of her mother pressing a kiss to her forehead just hours ago as she tucked her into bed. Now Hinata's fingernails clawed at the same spot, desperately seeking to tear away the burning flesh before she was consumed, mind, body, and soul. The agony spread down her neck and sent pain shooting deep into her brain. She couldn't feel her hands, her heart was pounding, each breath was a struggle, sweat beaded across her brow, blood dripped from her nose, and then suddenly...merciful darkness.

Neji's brow furrowed as he watched Ko carry his cousin into the last bedroom of his home and lay her on the small futon. The former wet nurse Hiro-san, who served as a healer of sorts for the Branch side of the family, was already waiting with a bowl of cool water and clean linen. She had arrived when Hizashi was brought back from the council chambers and was in the middle of compounding a tea that would help to relieve the suffering of those whose seal had been activated, when Neji had interrupted her saying a guard was approaching with a child in his arms. Hiro-san's normally bubbly personality had been dampened throughout the entire visit, and with his announcement of the visitors, Neji had seen her visibly tense. She had pursed her lips into a thin line before turning to gather the bowl and fresh towels. He saw her pat the pocket of her apron and thought he heard the crinkle of paper before she proceeded to refill the bowl with water. The thought crossed his mind, she knows something.

When Hinata-sama had been revealed to be the limp body in Ko's arms, Neji mirrored Hiro-san's reaction. For the heiress to be incapacitated, in addition to his father, and with Hitomi-sama nowhere to be seen, it was all a blatant red flag. Something was definitely not right. Watching as Hiro-san wrung out the cloth and wiped the sweaty bangs on Hinata's brow, Neji was unable to contain a gasp at what he saw. H-How? Why have they done this to her of all people?!

The angry red welt of a freshly seared caged bird seal stood out against the pallor of her skin, an ugly mar on Hinata's cherubic features. Unabashed horror filled Neji's mind and he struggled to understand what could have possibly prompted the Clan Head to brand his only child.

A heavy hand rested on his shoulder and Neji turned to face the sad expression that covered Ko's features. "Hitomi-sama is gone. Hinata-san is no longer the heiress, she no longer has a mother, no longer has a place anywhere amongst the Main House. From this day forward, we are all she has, Neji." The guard looked the boy squarely in the eye, addressing him with all the levity of a comrade in arms. "She will need to be strong if she is to survive." Neji was not naive. He understood the words that were not spoken, and nodded solemnly. It was not simply her life that was immediately at risk, but her sanity and her soul. "I will be here for her," he promised, straightening his shoulders.

When Ko had retreated into the night once more, Neji approached the futon where his cousin lay, still as death. Her breathing was shallow and even, her lips were pale. He reached to remove the damp cloth and rinse it again in the cool water. A small whimper accompanied the return of the linen to her newly scarred forehead. "Don't worry Hinata-...san," Neji stumbled on the new honorific. "I will help you to become strong."

She dreamt that she was swept off her feet while happily wading in a sheltered tide pool. Waves had suddenly risen up against her and she was ripped away from shore. Her mother stood on the beach unmoving, seeming to ignore her cries for help and pleas for rescue. Instead the woman had watched her struggle with sad eyes as she faded into the distance. The pull of the tide was other worldly, no matter how hard she struggled, Hinata could not fight the brutal waves, and her screams were drowned in their crashing. She felt herself being lifted higher and higher in the roiling water. She crested the top of a massive tsunami and went plummeting over the edge, bashing head into the bottom of the ocean. As a heavy darkness closed in, all she could see were steely silver eyes full of hatred...

Hinata gasped and startled upright but abruptly collapsed back onto the futon clutching her head. It was just a dream, but the pain was excruciatingly real. Slowly sitting up she began to recall the events of last night, and desolation crushed her anew. How can this be happening? Tears ran unchecked down her face, hands fell limply into her lap, shoulders bowed as if yielding to the weight of an unbearable burden. I just wish I could die.

Hiro-san slipped in at that moment and was able to force a bit of tea past Hinata's listless lips before gently pushing her back down onto the futon and tucking her under the blankets. Hinata didn't fight the thick cloud of oblivion that settled heavily over her body and mind.

What must have been hours later, judging by the position of the sun through the cracks in the window shade, Hinata awoke again and blankly took in her surroundings. She saw a few of her own possessions nearby but recognized the space as the spare room in Oji-san's house. Her wandering gaze landed on a letter, neatly placed atop a small pile of folded kimonos by her head. The graceful strokes of the kanji were unmistakable. Kaa-san!

She nearly dropped it twice before managing to carefully open the precious letter. Tears swam in her eyes as she read her mother's final message.

My Precious Daughter,

Time is short, I wish I was better with words.

I love you with everything that I am. There is nothing that can remove my love from you. My love is stronger than the fiercest hate. And it is hate that has separated us in this life.

I know you have a good heart, and will grow into a powerful woman. And there is something that I must tell you, because it is upon truth that you can build your dreams and shape your future.

Hiashi is not your father. No man so cruel could ever create such a wonderful child as you. I refuse to leave you with the false belief that you owe him anything for your existence. Your father is the man who has treated you as such since the day of your birth, Hizashi.

I wish I could say that I am ashamed of my sins, but I cannot. Neither should you ever, for one moment, feel anything but proud of where you come from, because you were born out of a love that surpassed fate. And this brings me to what I want to impress upon you more than anything, my daughter: never let Them control your destiny.

You are more than Main or Branch, more than Hyuga, more than just a female for breeding. You are Hinata! Beautiful, loving, faithful, intelligent, and unbreakable. Do not let anyone decide your future, choose your own path. Choose life. Choose love. Choose happiness.

I go now to what may seem to be a judgement handed to me by those who think they control my body and mind. But know this, they will have nothing from me that I won't willingly give. If what I suspect comes to fruition, my future will be happily met knowing that my removal will set you free from the same prison that has been my life up to this point. You will be released from the duties of heiress and all the machinations the council will have in store for you. Do not mourn the loss of that gilded cage.

Believe in yourself as I believe in you. I will be with you always, my beloved daughter.

~Kaa-san

Hinata read the letter a second time, and a third. Her fourth time through she felt like she had absorbed all that her mother had written, even if some of it was a bit above her understanding. Tenderly pressing the page to her heart, she wished she could embrace her Kaa-san the way she held her words. Was she really the strong woman her mother thought her to be? Could she ever live up to such high praise? Slowly standing, Hinata crossed the room and contemplated her reflection in the small mirror hanging on the wall.

Her eyes were red and dry, it felt as if she had emptied all the tears from her body. Her face was the exact miniature of her mother's, dainty featured and alabaster hued. Hinata's hair was the same intriguing midnight blue tone which was unique to her mother and herself. It was her most striking feature by far. It grew absurdly long and thick down her back, a symbol of her pampered rank as heiress. The glossy strands were meticulously cared for, and were always allowed to hang loose, a testimony to the fact that she never had to tie it back and perform laborious chores like the maids of the Branch House did. It was a status symbol. A ball and chain.

Lavender darkened the pale hue of her eyes as determination set in and she boldly strode over to small bag that contained her embroidery. Pulling our a pair of scissors and brandishing them at her reflection, she whispered the conviction of her heart, "I shall be shackled no more." Silver eyes and silver scissors flashed as her hands went to work.

The door slid open and the cup of tea Hizashi carried dropped to the bedroom floor with a crash. Brown liquid soaked the ropes of hair that spread around Hinata's bare feet. She slowly turned to him and stood still, studying the shock on his face. She looked at him as she never had before, with a clarity born of truth. Hinata's hands reached out and she had hardly taken a step before strong arms embraced her in a bone crushing hug that said everything Hizashi couldn't put into words.

Before coming to check on the poor girl, he had discovered the good-bye letter that Hitomi had somehow smuggled into his nightstand before she was sacrificed like some simple shogi piece in Hiashi's political game. He had stuffed the paper into his shirt, her loss too fresh to bear the pain that her words would bring. With the afternoon approaching he had known it was time to wake Hinata. So with a heavy heart and a full cup of tea, he had braced himself try and offer whatever pitiful comfort he could to his grieving niece, who's world had been destroyed in the space of a night.

Now as he held her in his arms he struggled to think of a way to make her understand that he would move heaven and earth to see her happy again. That he would lay down his life if it meant keeping her safe. "You don't have to live in fear any more child," Hizashi murmured to a sniffling Hinata. "I will protect you. You can stay here with Neji and I, you will never have to worry for anything."

Pulling back so he could see her beautiful lavender eyes, the ones just like her mother's, Hizashi sighed at the deep sadness he saw within them. "I know I am a poor substitute for the person you really wish to see, and this is not the life you saw for yourself, but hopefully it will be enough."

Hizashi cursed how inadequate he sounded, feeling that he was falling far short of healing Hinata's broken heart. He ruefully wished he could somehow find the perfect words explain to her just how much she truly meant to him. He had to be strong for her, she needed a new foundation, and he would lay it brick by brick himself. He had to hold himself together so he could hold her up. But as the immeasurably precious child hugged his neck and sobbed quietly into his shoulder, she uttered the words that shattered the last of his defenses.

"It's enough, Otou-san, because I see you."

A week later a message was delivered to the Hokage from Kumo. The Raikage was fuming because the "Hyuga woman" had died suddenly, shortly after reaching the city, but before he could have her properly examined. The nature of her death was highly suspected to be a suicide by poisoning. He demanded to reopen negotiations for another exchange.

The Hokage snorted in derision. Like hell he would.

Hiruzen saw how Hitomi's timing was ingenious, and the admiration he already felt for the woman's bravery increased exponentially. She had ensured that the terms of the agreement were technically fulfilled; an unsealed Hyuga had been delivered to Kumo. Yet she still managed to protect the genetic legacy of the Byakugan, and by default her own person, from the breeding program he was sure The Raikage would have prepared. Any further attempts to scheme the Byakugan out of Konoha could easily be presented as a break of the previously signed negotiations, and thus justify involving the Daimyos to levy sanctions upon the Hidden Cloud.

When Hiruzen had first approached the Daimyo of the Land of Fire to seek support in refusing the threats of Kumo, he had been denied. The Daimyo believed this to be a Shinobi issue, to be solved by Shinobi. It would only benefit himself to interfere if a breach of contract could be proven, therefore allowing him to open a path of financial exploitation of the Land of Lightning via political and legal channels. Additionally, the fact that the Kumo ninja that had been killed was also an ambassador of the Land of Lightning, meant that his death could not simply be swept under the rug. It practically required an apology. "Besides," the Daimyo had lazily concluded, "It is just one Hyuga. Surely not worth such a fuss?"

On his way out of the Daimyo's expansive mansion grounds, Hiruzen had accidentally sent one of those goddamned topiaries up in flames while "lighting his pipe".

Just one Hyuga, the old man had fumed internally. Just one life. Just one more child without a parent. Just one more innocent person lost. Hiruzen had been furious at Hiashi's decision to offer up his wife like a lamb for the slaughter, but ultimately the old man's hands were tied as he was prohibited from interfering in the clan's inner workings.

Hiruzen sighed and turned to look out the window of his office which revealed a panoramic view of his beloved home. Casting his gaze across the rooftops of Konoha, he clenched his teeth when his eyes came to rest on the cluster of dwellings that made up the Hyuga compound. That clan was a growing source of worry for the old Shinobi. The chasm of inequality between its two branches was widening and hatred was brewing within its walls. The catastrophe of the Uchiha Massacre had resulted in the near genocide of an entire family, as well as the loss of one of the most promising Shinobi ever to grace The Hidden Leaf. It felt as though their blood had barely soaked into the earth, and Hiruzen would be damned if he'd allow such a tragedy to repeat itself!

He wasn't sure if he could ever forgive Danzo for his meddling in the terrible affair. The already strained relations between the two lifelong rivals had progressed into a thinly veiled animosity ever since. There were times when the "Shinobi of the Shadows", as he liked to call himself, was more of an enemy of the Will of Fire than the silent protector he fancied himself to be. Such duality could not be permitted. Danzo was supposed to be the Roots that grounded the village, with Hiruzen as Hokage, being the Tree that supported the Leaves. And Sarutobi Hiruzen had sworn to protect the future of those Leaves with his dying breath if need be. He fervently believed, with every fiber of his being, that it was within the children of the village that the Will of Fire would burn brightest.

Turning back to his desk, half buried in the ever present shifting piles of papers, Hiruzen glared at the official seal on the Kumo scroll. Another life? Over my dead body, he thought. Placing his pipe into the corner of his mouth, the Hokage reached for a brush and dipped it carefully into an inkwell. Puffing heavily on the sweet tobacco, he summoned all of his years of political eloquence to formally tell the the Raikage, to go fuck himself.