Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

CHAPTER 21

Satoshi descended the stairs, scanning the crowd as he slowly shuffled towards his seat in the mass of spectators. His keen eye spotted multiple ANBU interspersed throughout the throngs of people. They must suspect something, he mused just as one ANBU nearly collided with him on their ascent up the staircase of the stands. The shinobi grasped his arm, as though to help steady the older Hyuga, and as their heads tilted together he heard a nearly imperceptible whisper.

"We still have an accord?" The man's voice was smooth and high, Satoshi's brain clicked with recognition, Kabuto-san, he must have gotten a new disguise.

"Hai," the older man murmured, gripping the ANBU's shoulder in the pretense of needing to stabilize his stance, "the Hyuga will be much too preoccupied to participate in any retaliation. Your 'distraction' is still expected?" A reassuring squeeze of the arm was his only answer and the ANBU slipped away with enough grace to almost make the run-in questionable. Satisfaction flowed through Satoshi's mind as he allowed his eyes to settle upon the straight back of his Clan Head, who was already deep in discussion with some dignitary from the Land of Fire that had been seated near him. Almost. Not much longer now, Ane.

Behind him he heard the rushed stomping of Tadao-san, sprinting down the stairs to catch up from where he had been distracted by his gaping at the massive amount of spectators. "Satoshi-sama, are you alright? I'm so sorry, I should have been closer—"

"I'm fine, Tadao-san, just stay close, and don't forget your purpose," Satoshi's words were curt, he really disdained this poor excuse for a Hyuga. Clansmen like him were the reason why breeding outside of the clan should be banned. Just because his mother had been foolish enough to leave herself vulnerable to the machinations of outsiders should not mean that her unwanted spawn should be given positions of pity within the clan. While the father rarely questioned the whims of his daughter, her choice of sire challenged his sensibility greatly.

As the council elder settled himself into his seat, he once more observed the mass of humanity gathered together. The Hyuga were placed together in a group, along with their invited guests and guards. Satoshi was not worried about this, the animosity towards the easily angered Clan Head had made it simple to ensure that most of the guards present would be those that would most likely jump at the chance to see him suffer. The only catch would be Hizashi. Satoshi tilted his head down, pretending to look at the arena floor while observing the Branch Head surreptitiously out of the corner of his eye. The man stood on alert, but shamefully shifting from one foot to the next as his gaze floated to the doorway where the genin that would be competing today would emerge. Must be worried about his son.

The 'Brothers of the Inheritance', as many older Hyuga had come to call them as they grew, were formidable fighters, and while Hiashi had not seen true combat for many years, Hizashi regularly trained and sparred with the Hyuga Branch shinobi. Today was by no means a guaranteed victory, but with any luck, Fate would have mercy on his ambitions.


A hand landed solidly on his shoulder and his fingers were instantly buzzing in chakra as he turned to address the owner of the firm grip.

"Easy son! You have been nearly dancing in place and your eyes are more interested in those closed doors than the events around us. Can you not see the signs?" His father's gravelly voice carried a lighthearted tone to disguise the meaning behind his words.

Hizashi's nostrils flare and he smothers a huff of annoyance. "I am not ashamed to admit it, Otousama, I know not how you bore the strain of watching your children fight each other for all these years. But I assure you that despite the weight on my chest I have not forgotten my duties."

Hiroto grunts in a way that could almost be mistaken for a chuckle, "You have nothing to fear, they will be the pride of the Clan no matter the outcome, I am sure." His gray eyes slid over to where Satoshi was settling into his place with Tadao blatantly glancing at Hiashi while restlessly adjusting his weapon pouch. "Has anything changed?" he asked, shifting his cane from one hand to the other as he pretended to totter unsteadily to his place.

"No, all my intel points to a continuation of the plan." Hizashi stooped a bit as he uttered the words in a low tone, making it appear that he was seeing his father to a safely seated position.

"Hn," Hiroto's gaze settled on Hiashi, his mouth flattened with displeasure as he observed the way his other son told a dramatically embellished version of the role he played in the fostering of the genin who were about to compete. Arrogant, he should be proud of the accomplishments of the Hyuga as a whole, and not portraying them as his own success.

They always said 'pride goeth before the fall'. And if Hiroto went down with them, then so be it.


"Breathe, Hime," Naruto's husky voice was low as he bent over her hands, patiently looping the bandages around her palms.

"I am breathing," she ground out through clenched teeth, so focused on her outwardly calm facade she hardly even moved her lips. The slight tremble of her fingers beneath his touch, however, gave her true nervousness away.

"You're practically hyperventilating," he corrected, "just breathe." Her eyes settled on his face, the way his lips puckered in slight concentration as he navigated the white fabric around the tricky knuckle of her thumb, expertly applying the perfect amount of tension, just like he always did. Her nostrils flared with her tightly controlled exhalation as she willed her heart to slow down, and Naruto hummed in satisfaction.

"How do you do that?" She whispered as she watched him easily work. "How do you not get nervous?"

He snorted, and tied off the last strip of cloth, but continued to hold her hands tightly in his own, raising his gaze to meet hers. "I am nervous, but I quit caring about what other people thought a long time ago. All that matters to me," chakra flowed through his touch and she instantly responded with her own, "is doing my best, and staying true to myself and my precious people."

The jitteriness in her spirit eased as he coaxed his chakra to wrap around her hands like a metaphorical hug of encouragement shared between just the two of them. His grin split his face and crinkled his eyes shut, "Losing a fight today is not the end of my dreams. I never give up..."

"...it's my nindo." she finished, closing her eyes and nodding in resolution. Her chakra gave one last pulse up his arm and her hand slipped free, her body moving to begin the series of increasingly extreme stretches that enhanced her natural flexibility. The familiarity of the routine only served to steady her even more. "Thank you Naruto-kun," she said as he helped pull her arm around to deepen the twist of her torso.

"No worries Hime!" He jerked his chin in the direction of her cousin, who was trying not to roll his eyes as Lee pleaded with him for a pre-match spar to help them loosen up. "Besides, it's just Neji, yeah? Pretend it's only us out on the training ground and forget about those stuffy Hyuga."

Now it was Hinata's turn to snort, but there was a gleam to her silver eyes. "Easier said than done. You're not the only one trying to live up to their father's legacy and make him proud."

Her words had the intended effect as Naruto's blue eyes danced and a silly smile curved the whisker marks on his pinkening cheeks. After learning about his parents he had nearly assaulted her that afternoon while she was practicing alone with the dummies at their secluded training grounds. Between his laughter and sniffling and tears and trembling hands and rambling words she hadn't understood what the heck he had been talking about until he thrust the photograph into her face and instant recognition and realization had dawned. All efforts at exercise had been forgotten and the two had spent an emotional evening eating ramen on top of The Yondaime's carved head, ruminating on each of their lost parents, and what life would have been like if death were not so greedy. It had been one of the prettiest sunsets Hinata had ever seen, and Naruto had gone to bed that night not knowing what was the highest point of his day; learning of his parents, beating his dad's record in Toad-back-riding, or the absolute perfection of his Hime's company.

The appearance of Genma, senbon bouncing between his lips as he eyed the anxious chunin hopefuls, had a thick silence settling over the small group as he called them to line up for introductions.

The tension was shattered as a loud voice hollered from the middle of the line, "Oi! Where's the Teme?!"


Hiruzen settled into his place of honor high over the arena, and serenely turned to address the man already seated to his left.

"Kazekage-dono, welcome. I trust your delayed arrival was not due to any lack of hospitality on our part?"

"No, no, Hokage-dono," the barest flick of a glance from the mostly covered face of his esteemed guest was the borderline dismissive response from the leader of the Village Hidden in the Sand as he leaned forward to view the doors that opened as Genma walked out onto the dirt arena. Hiruzen frowned mildly at the slightly rude lack of response. He must be quite eager to see his children, he thought as the Kazekage practically ignored him.

The Professor continued to study his companion as Genma went through the preamble and reviewed the rules of the fights. Rasa's body language was difficult to interpret with his person cloaked in the lengths of robes much like himself. And his facial expressions were nearly impossible to read, being obscured by the white veil covering everything but his eyes. He wondered at the new addition to his kage attire, having never known the man to be reticent of revealing his face before.

"From the Land of Wind, native to Sunagakure: Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara." Polite applause rippled through the mostly local crowd, Hiruzen again tried to engage the father.

"It is an honor to watch one's own child compete, is it not?" the Hokage prompted. "To be the pride of their country as well as their father is a great motivation for a genin." Rasa seemed to suddenly remember himself and forcibly relaxed into his own chair, his voice taking on a husky quality.

"Indeed, Hokage-dono. They are well aware of the expectations of their home and father. Loyalty can be such a fickle thing, one must take care that it is properly engrained. Wouldn't you agree?" The genin from the Sound were announced but the two never broke eye contact, Hiruzen swore he heard a hint of a challenge hidden underneath the coy tone.

"One cannot compel honest dedication any more than man can force a tree to grow. But with proper nourishment a tree will offer its shade and protection to its caretaker," Hiruzen answered curtly. His polite facade was quickly slipping today. Perhaps it was the heat, perhaps it was the tension, perhaps Rasa was just an arrogant asshole. Based on what Naruto told me about his children, it's probably the latter.

The Kazekage did not respond, merely refocused his attention back on the arena as Hyuga Neji was announced and the cheers picked up for the local competitor. Hiruzen saw a smirk in the gleam of his companion's eyes, and sighed internally at the prospect of being forced to entertain this sour banter when he would rather focus on the fights, and watching for any signs of Orochimaru. A small twinge of warning rang in the back of his head as he contemplated the irony of the Sand Leader's opinion in relation to the predicament he now faced regarding his own lost student. There was no way the two could be in league with one another, was there? They are our allies, what could Orochimaru offer that would outweigh a peace agreement with one of the five major Hidden Villages?

"Hyuga Hinata!" The name prompted Hiruzen to abruptly swing his gaze back over to the nearby section of the crowd where the respected Hyuga Clan had been placed, and could not hold back a wry grin at the expression on Hiashi's face. The sight of his estranged daughter proudly trotting out to take her place beside the venerated prodigy and son of his twin, seemed to accomplish the rare event of completely shocking the leader of one of the most conniving families in the Hidden Leaf. Hiashi barely caught himself gaping in time to shut his mouth before the dignitary to his right leaned in to ask a question. The young woman on his left was nearly gawking from behind her elaborate hi-o-gi.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" The sound of the crowd's cheers dying away was more profound than the riotous applause. Rumbling murmurs spread through the stands as the infamous boy with a sunny head of blond hair and bright red scarf strode confidently to take his place. Hiruzen's heart seized at the mockingly bright fake smile that spread across the whiskered cheeks as Naruto held his chin high and boldly panned his sharp blue gaze across the masses. His expression was congenial, but to those close enough to see his eyes, there was no mistaking the formidable determination that seemed to eagerly invite the challenge of proving that he was more than the cursed boy turned national weapon. When the teenager locked onto his Jiji, Hiruzen allowed his features to openly display his pride and faith in the unpredictable pariah for all to see, going so far as to give him an encouraging nod of approval. The gesture was a brazen show of favor that some would call unbecoming from someone who should remain unbiased. But Hiruzen cared not, for the shared twinkle in Naruto's eyes was confirmation to the old man that he had not failed in his mission to right the wrongs of fate and the hurtful intentions of the people.

Suddenly Naruto's shoulders stiffened, and his eyes snapped to the Kazekage, widening in what appeared to be disbelief as the smile fell from his face. The expression passed in an instant as he quickly stepped back from his introduction, and the carefree mask fell back into place. The Hokage would have missed it if he blinked, but now glanced once more at Rasa, who was ignoring the genin and once more focused on the doors.

"Uchiha Sasuke!" Chaos erupted as the throngs of spectators madly cheered for the hometown hero, the tragic protagonist, the most eligible bachelor: The Last Uchiha.

Seconds ticked by and the deafening adulation did not wane as they begged for the appearance of their favorite shinobi, every eye in the whole stadium was zeroed in on the double doors, but the much anticipated figure did not appear.

"Kami damn that Kakashi," Hiruzen grumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "he wasn't supposed to teach them his bad habits." Sighing deeply he saw that Genma was looking to him with the obvious question written on his face, do we dare eliminate the Uchiha as a 'no show'? He would rather not, but rules were rules...

A full minute ticked by. Bracing himself to stand, the Hokage prepared to make what was bound to be a devastating declaration for the citizens of Konoha, when the Kazekage's hand snapped out to wrap cool fingers around his wrist and pause him.

"Come now, Hokage-dono," Rasa's beady black eyes drilled into Hiruzen's surprised face, the breach in protocol had the ANBU tensing behind him. "Surely we can wait for the Uchiha to arrive? He is a highly anticipated ninja, even for myself, who has traveled so far to satisfy my curiosity about the talent of the Sharingan survivor." The Hokage pulled his arm away from the undignified grasp, but waved his guard down and settled back into his seat, suspicions truly aroused at this point.

"So be it," and with a gesture down to Genma, the jonin merely bounced his senbon in response before addressing the crowd.

"Rock Lee!" With attention diverted back to the arena, no one noticed the small frog the size of a thumbnail land upon Hiruzen's shoulder and whisper in his ear.

"A message from Namikaze-san," croaked the amphibian, and a shudder went down The Professor's spine unbidden, the memories associated with the legendary name still blending into the identity of its recent adopter. "He has sensed the true chakra of the man beside you, Orochimaru is masquerading as the Kazekage. I will be passing this on to Jiraiya-sama as well."

Years of training were all that kept the stoic mask upon the former Sensei's face as the summons popped away, leaving the traitor of his heart; the chief burden of his heaviest guilt; and the orchestrator of multiple atrocities who sat beside him completely unaware that he had been revealed. Reaching for his pipe with shaking hands, it took Hiruzen two tries to get the thing lit and smoking. The man beside him snickered, "Need some assistance, Hokage-dono? Time seems to truly spare no one."

He took a long pull on his pipe, steadying himself before he answered. "Time is a relentless master, yes, but his faithfulness is unparalleled. Such a virtue is difficult to find when one looks upon the world these days."

"Hn," the imposter hummed gamely at the provoking analogy. "And when you look upon those before us now, these genin, the clans, the ignorant peasants, what is it that you see, Sarutobi-sama?"

Smoke seeped from Hiruzen's nostrils as he slowly exhaled and tilted his head to expose a gimlet eye from underneath his hat. "I see the past, I see the present, and I see the future. I see the Will of Fire that still burns brightly." I see you, Traitor.


Her white eyes pan over the crowd and she activated her bloodline to look for his face in the sea of people. There he is, his own Byakugan beaming his familiar chakra across the arena, and she knows he is watching them carefully. While most are talking to their neighbors, pointing around the stadium at the many foreign visitors, or devouring the food from the stalls outside, her father is looking right at her. She smiled, and noticed his eyes crinkle in his own expression of pleasure and no small amount of pride. The small wisp of insecurity that had been fighting for a hold in her brain snuffs out. She is here. She made it. She is worthy.

Her gaze sweeps across the rest of the Hyuga in attendance. Her grandfather Hiroto-sama has the expected mask of calm, but in her opinion his eyes are dancing with anticipation. Hiashi is flanked by his newest paramour and a dignitary she thought to be a lord of some sort based on his rich haori. A few other nobles of high social rank are seated alongside the group, and Hiashi is blatantly disregarding Neji and herself in favor of schmoozing with the elite members of his entourage. The sight erects the painfully unwanted childhood memories of being continually ignored by him despite her attempts at gaining his favor. Hinata has put years of effort, oceans of sweat, tears, and blood into overcoming the soul deep wounds of a child rejected by the one it sees as a father. And while the love and bonds she now surrounded herself with have shriveled that feeling of inherent imperfection and weakness down to a mere husk, the stubborn weed of self doubt was hard to completely eradicate.

But she is not that timid girl anymore, she is a proud kunoichi who basks in the sun instead of hiding in the shadows. If he still refused to entertain the idea that she had potential, that even she could amount to something, then she will force him to see her. Today she will not be ignored. Her determination doubled and she dug her feet into the dirt, turning to face her opponent, who stood still as stone with his head bowed and eyes closed, deep in his own mental preparations.

"Hajime!"

It is a glorious battle.

They are two sides of the same coin, siblings made of yin and yang. Their styles are similar, the virtuosity of their bloodlines was indisputable. Both combatant's methods are solid and undeniably Hyuga, but unique as well. He is rock and she is water. His blows are mighty, his bursts of chakra more powerful. But she is fluidity itself, and her accuracy is unmatched. The fruit of her labors over the last month of training are revealed in an ingenious version of the kaiten that displayed the dramatic range of her flexibility, allowing her to maintain a set stance and steady gaze while deflecting his attacks, instead of losing sight of Neji by performing the blind spin of the traditional kaiten. She conserves more chakra this way, using her precision to deflect each calculated blow, and out maneuver his strikes at the last second, while landing extra hits on his tenketsu before he can retreat. But Neji is not a genius by name alone, and quickly adapted to her new style by pushing the advantage of his strength, closing multiple chakra points whenever he does manage to touch her, and soon both Hyuga are struggling in a battle of stamina and pain endurance.

Neji launched at her again, dodging her flying shuriken with some difficulty due to all the closed tenketsu in his legs. The small variation of his trajectory allowed her an opportunity to land a deciding blow, and her Byakugan locked onto the obscure chakra point nestled in his chest. If she missed to the left, she could strike his aorta, bursting it on impact. If she missed to the right, she could sever his trachea, and he would never draw another breath. If she missed high, she could shatter his thoracic vertebrae and he would never walk again. If she hit her mark with the perfect amount of chakra, she would instantly stop his heart.

She breathes, her eyes see everything, her muscles obey her every command, her fingertips glow, her focus is unshakable.

She did not miss.

Neji's eyes bulged and his mouth gaped, he slowly slumped to his knees, and with a deep cough that sprayed blood across the dirt, he collapsed at Hinata's feet. She stood over him, frozen in the stance of her completed move, not even looking at his fallen body.

She waited.

"Winner: Hyuga Hinata!"

Instantly she flung his body over onto his back and chakra once again blazed across her hand as she slammed her palm into his unmoving chest with enough force to jerk all his limbs up off the ground. Her temples throbbed as she stared at the missing pulse in his neck, hand firmly settled against his torso.

He breathed.

Gasps rippled through the masses, building into raucous cheers as Hinata helped Neji into a sitting position while whispering apologies for her brutal move. He coughed again, blinking away the lightheadedness as blood returned to his brain, dazedly looking into her eyes as he realized what she had just accomplished. She killed him, and then forced his heart to beat again.

"Don't be sorry," he rasped, standing up slowly and accepting the shoulder of a medic who had trotted out to assess him. "Not even I can hit that tenketsu with enough accuracy to only affect the heart, let alone on a moving target." A faint hint of a smirk quirked his pale lips as she blushed from his praise and admonished the medic to ensure that there was no major vessel damage around the point of impact in his chest. Before he turned away he murmurs for her ears alone, "Well done, Imouto."

When the crowd sees him walking off the arena floor under mostly his own power, the bleachers shake with the volume of their applause. Hinata faced her Hokage, and bowed in respect, acknowledging his own beaming smile and graciously accepting the accolades of the audience. Straightening up she immediately looked at her father, who's expression of awe and pride made her feel as though she could fly on the heights of his open adoration.

Then she sees Hiashi, and how his surprised expression slid into one of smugness as the dignitary leaned over to express his praise of the "talented young kunoichi". Hinata can read their lips, her bloodline still active, and her elation turned to abhorrence as she observed Hiashi's response.

"That one is mine," he smugly smiled. "The boy is only my brother's son." Despite knowing full well that he was not her sire, the man shamelessly manipulated the truth to his favor, claiming her victory as if it were his own, robbing her of her hard work by attributing her talent to be solely the result of his superior genetic endowment. All while simultaneously disrespecting his own brother and nephew, purely to fuel his insatiable ego.

Fury roared through her soul, burning away the barriers she had spent a lifetime building around her darkest truth, and with disgust, she could clearly see that even after all this time, there was still a small part of her that craved that man's approval. That wanted to see his eyes look upon her with respect, even if not as a daughter, at least as a Hyuga. No more, she seethed within her mind, no more seeking someone else's approval. I am my own worth, I am more than a good performance, I am more than my fate. The deeply hidden emotional cage that still bound the spirit of a broken child, snapped. I will make you see me.

Stooping to her knees Hinata dragged her fingers through the puddle of Neji's blood. The entirety of the buzzing masses gawked as she stood and raised her bloody fist straight towards the Head of the Hyuga Clan, and her voice echoed unchallenged throughout the stands.

"My name is Hyuga Hinata, kunoichi of Konohagakure, daughter of Hyuga Hizashi, sister to Hyuga Neji, and I swear upon the blood of my brother, of my family, of every Branch member who has ever been branded and caged, that I will break the cycle of hatred within the clan!" Reaching up with her other hand she ripped the sweaty bandages off of her head, exposing the garish seal upon her face for all to see.

Placing the palm of her bloody hand over her heaving chest, she did not stop there, she did not waver. "I swear on the memory of my mother, I will free the Hyuga and unite the clan. For we are stronger together. That is my promise." Her gaze locked onto her father, who was staring at her unflinchingly with tears running down his beaming face. "And I never break a promise."

Her arms fall to her sides, exposing the crimson handprint over her heart, and the discarded bandages flutter to her feet. Hiashi is breathing so hard that his exhalations are hissing through his teeth, Hinata can see the rage that lit up the crazy in his eyes, but his hands are tied. If he lashed out here, he will not only validate her humiliating depiction of the Main House as evil slave masters, but he would be interfering with an International event, which was a punishable crime. He knows she has him cornered, for now.

In a sudden whoosh of leaves, two men stand on each side of her, and the stunned crowd bursts out into open shouts, the tension of the air charging their applause into a nearly unholy cacophony.

"Eh, sorry we are late. There was a rat that crossed our path and decided to pick a fight, but unfortunately it escaped," droned the gray-haired shinobi to Hinata's left. He noticed her bloody hand and the pulsing veins at her temples. "Hmm, seems we missed the first match, Sasuke."

"Hn," the genin to her right hummed, his sharp eyes fixating on the furious expression upon the face of the Hyuga Clan Head. A snicker bubbled out of his throat and he tilted his head in the direction of his teammate.

"The fools seem surprised that you have won," he smoothly stated, adjusting the chokuto that was strapped to his back. "The Hyuga are rather blind after all."

Hinata merely smirked at the friendly taunt, as she spun around to walk back towards the double doors, pleased that he had assumed her to be victorious. "Indeed. Good luck, Uchiha, not that you need it. But be aware, Naruto-kun sensed The Snake in the Kazekage's cloaks."

His frown was small as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, reveling in the feel of the weight upon his back as he again adjusted the newest weapon in his arsenal. Kakashi whined as he followed his female student off the arena. "Damn, I should have put money down on that fight. I knew you would win, I could have had Gai doing laps around the village from now until the end of eternity…"

Hinata allowed a slightly hysterical giggle to escape her, as the ridiculous words of her sensei opened the floodgates of her mind and freed her tension in a string of silliness. By the time she had crossed the threshold into the waiting area, and been engulfed in Naruto-kun's embrace, her heart was desperate for the soul steadying infusion of his reassurance, his praise, his joy, and his unfailing faith. She had changed the Hyuga forever today, and he knew it as well as she. Despite the screams of the masses, all she could hear were his words, whispered in her ear, "Hime, you are the bravest person I ever met, have I ever told you that?"