Chapter seven

He bid the person who knocked, enter.

He'd listened to the news they brought but didn't outwardly react.

He'd thanked and then dismissed them.

Now alone, he'd allowed his stoic expression to soften. Just a bit.

The news had been unexpected to say the least. In his mind the fight was inevitable but the outcome he'd predicted had her losing.

It had been years since he's last assessed her skills. Maybe that was an error on his part. Perhaps there was more to his daughter than he'd first thought. He remembered their training sessions. The frustration it brought him.

"Hinata, your kick is still weak." Hiashi admonished.

"Yes father, I will work harder." Little Hinata said.

"Hinata, that level of skill simply will not do." Hiashi frustratingly declared.

"Yes father." Hinata said bowing.

Had someone done what he'd been unable to do or had he been too hasty back then. Or.

Had he missed something…when he…turned to look at his other daughter? It would seem he'd missed something indeed…yet surely this shouldn't have happened.

'When had she?' He thought.

'Gotten strong enough to be a match for Neji?' A little voice asked of him. 'Could it be after someone actually paid attention to her? Recognized she was not Neji and therefore, shouldn't have been expected to compare. She had always been extremely small as a child, even her sister was bigger in body when they were younger. Yet I imagine as she got older and more confident in herself, the talent you were so impatient to see started to show.'

'Who had?'

'What trained her?

Why the sudden interest'

'Could it be someone who saw her worth and allowed her to see it for herself?'

'Again, I imagined that her sensei, teammates, and friends through training and encouragement allowed her to recognize her own worth and talent. Sometimes it's all that's needed for some to thrive.'

'Where was I?' Hiashi thought once more. His inner voice wasted no time responding.

'When all this was happening you mean?' His inner voice continued.

'Perhaps that's a question only you could answer.'

Questions, questions and nothing but questions. With speculative answers.

Yet he couldn't quite ask of anyone because it had been him who had closed his ears, his eyes and dare say his heart. Locked her out of the clan when all she wanted was a family.

She'd become all but a ghost to him, flittering around just within his peripheral view for years.

Sure he had known of her time at the academy. Unimpressive as it might have been in his eyes. But there had been…the whispers from both sides.

The hushed tones of an outside tutor, careless rumours of long training hours with another clan member, of learning difficult techniques or of using a weapon…yet all continually existed without him paying the least bit of attention. He did not care to be informed or did he?

They were strangers while under the same roof. Stilted meals, awkward conversations and harsh admonitions were their norms. She was like the stepchild no one wanted but couldn't be erased.

But, he didn't do shame, didn't do self-loathing or any self-analogy. They were not within his vocabulary.

Rather Hiashi Hyuga was a man a few emotions. He was considered very stern and forthright by all who encountered him. He exuded pride and thought to add humility to it but not affection.

He remembered that day, it all came to him as though it was just yesterday.

He believed she was more than worthy of the heiress title but thought she lacked the motivation to grab it for herself. Then his father had come along, demanded that he pay closer attention to Hanabi who had demonstrated a talent for the Jukken.

He was left with no choice but to listen, to put the clan ahead of his own desires or that of his child. So.

He'd demanded excellence from her. She failed to deliver.

He'd weighed her in the balance and found her wanting.

So, he disowned her. As though she were a piece of property or possession.

Called her a failure. Not worthy of his time, his talent or his thoughts.

Then he drove the nails in her coffin. "We consider her as superfluous." He said to Kurenai. In other words Hinata was nothing to him.

He'd shattered their relationship all at once when he callously uttered those words. Then when he insinuated he didn't care if she died.

She had heard.

Whether he meant her to or not.

He'd never sought to say otherwise. Never sought to make her understand his position. He had however…

Just moved unto his little ninja genius.

But he had thought. Maybe it was for the best.

Thought that it would push her to work harder, get stronger. Instead the opposite became evident.

To him, she'd only gotten weaker, less confident and more useless.

He never understood the effects of his words, his attitude or his lack thereof. His careless words were like daggers to the heart, stabbing, twisting and ripping.

The effects of which caused the suppression of whatever talent she had. She became even more timid, she stuttered and seemed even afraid of her own shadow. The sound of his voice made her jump.

That was unbecoming of any Hyuga much less a future clan head.

He had made the right choice. Hadn't he?

Now he was listening to…

The clan as it buzzed with the news of the timid little mouse or was it the cat of the main house who defeated the lion from the branch family. Some were secretly delighted, others clearly upset while there were those that wondered if perhaps it had been a fluke.

He though, would reserve judgment for now.

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At some point during his wait, Naruto wondered if the clock had stopped moving. Time was dragging on so slowly, it reminded him of one of Iruka's history lessons. The waiting room was empty except for him, the rest of team eight and Kurenai. No one was there for Neji, not even his team. Then again, Lee was heavily wounded and Tenten and Guy probably was with him. Lee was already out of the operating rooms and was transferred into another wing.

Hinata's condition though bad was no longer live threatening. Her internal injuries caused by the invasion of foreign chakra extended into her lung far more than it had seemed at first.

Her heart had stopped twice. Twice!

The medics managed to stabilize her, if only barely, but were unsure if she would wake any time soon. Currently, the medics were correcting her ribs and healing her lung. Apparently, the personnel at the hospital wasn't quite as proficient as they had been years ago, when Tsunade had pushed the medical education. Of course that stopped when she left.

The door swung open and Naruto was on his feet faster than Kurenai managed to look up. He didn't manage to hide his disappointment when not a doctor but Muso entered. The Forge Master had covered for his apprentice when Hinata was brought into the hospital. The second task was now over, all matches had been concluded. Hinata would have to fight Sakura. If she recovered, but Muso was going to withhold that specific thought from his troubled charge.

"How is she?" Muso asked into the room.

Naruto sank back down into his chair. "Stable. For... for now...," he said, his last words muffled by his hands.

The old man grit his teeth. "And they can't...?"

"No," Naruto responded flatly. "Not at this time but they're doing their best."

Finding the situation already depressing enough, Muso remained silent and sat down at Naruto's side. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "She will be fine," he told him, "She's a fighter. Believe in her." But Naruto didn't look convinced. He tightened his hold on the shoulder and Naruto looked up at him.

"Naruto. Believe in Hinata," Muso said firmly.

The tiniest hint of a smile appeared in Naruto's face. "Aye, I think I will."

"We all do," Kurenai said with a tiny smile, both Kiba and Shino nodded at him.

That night they returned home without seeing Hinata. Naruto stayed up to pen a message to Jiraiya via the toads, informing of Hinata's predicament. He expressed his frustration at the lack of adequately skilled medics capable of fully healing her, while wishing that the Tsunade person was around. The days following, he rearranged his schedule to allow him to visit her at the stipulated times. It was during this time that he finally met her family.

Her complexion was a pasty hue in comparison to the sheet pulled up to her chin, where the respiratory mask began. Countless tubes appeared from under the blanket and snaked their way to the many IV bags that surrounded her bed. Kurenai was asleep in a chair to Hinata's left, dark bags under her eyes. But what caught Naruto's attention was the silver bracelet on Hinata's nightstand.

Naruto had crafted many things since started to live with Muso and to this day, after nearly two years, he had crafted only one thing that wasn't intended to be used in a fight. This bracelet, it was completely cosmetic. The silver bracelet had two animals engraved into it, that of a cat morphing into a lion, because she would never be forever timid, never be afraid to stand up to anyone anymore. It was the sentiment that had prompted Naruto to gift her the bracelet for her birthday. That had been about four months ago, he had given it to her blushing and bubbling but with the promise that she would ace the exam and throttle them all. That she would show her father that she was stronger, fiercer and that she would no longer allow his painful words and indifferent attitude be a hindrance to her.

Had his gift driven Hinata to get herself into this trauma induced coma? Was all of this pain his fault? After all, Hinata had told him that she wasn't sure if she should enter the exams at all. And what did he do? He bloody encouraged her! And here she lay, broken and beaten, because he had pushed her into this. It was his fault! His fault! He should have drowned that day! Should never have talked to her! He was worthless! Scum! Monster! DEMON! DIE!

"Naruto?"

He jerked, blinking rapidly against the tears that stung at his eyes. He removed his hand from the deformed metal railing of the bed and winced at the stinging in his palm and forearm. When did that happen? Naruto took a cautious step back, unaware of the scorch marks his feet had left on the ground. He looked at the now awake Kurenai.

He smiled weakly at her. "They finally let me in," he said and took the chair next to her.

Her tired eyes briefly lingered on the bent metal and the burnt floor but she said nothing about it. "I see." she said instead and sunk back into the chair. Had she imagined it or was there a red aura around Naruto when she had opened her eyes?

She didn't have time to ponder about it. A small commotion was heard from outside of the door. A hurried voice, probably the annoying doctor of the ward, was addressing someone but got no audible response that Kurenai or Naruto could hear. Suddenly the door to the room opened and two robed men with long brown hair and a young girl with equally brown hair entered the room. They didn't need to introduce themselves, the Byakugan did that just fine.

They surveyed the room with mild disinterest but when their eyes fell upon Hinata's still form, their expressions became even more flippant. Kurenai got out of her chair and stood allowing them to get no closer to her charge.

"Are you here as father or clan head, Lord Hiashi?" she asked in a cold tone. "Surely she deserves the former."

The man didn't answer, it was the other beside him, his father that spoke. "Perhaps he's come as a little of both, after all she has done the clan proud by her performance." he retorted with a sobering tone, face remaining impassive. Naruto gave a low growl and stood closer to Hinata's side.

Kurenai clenched her fists. Any sign of fatigue was gone from her. She looked absolutely livid.

"You have some nerves," Naruto growled, "coming here to see her as if you truly care what happens to her. You threw her away the moment she didn't live up to your expectations!" He took a step forward. "You ought to be a shamed calling yourself a father, what kind of father are you?"

Hiashi didn't look impressed. Instead he stared past the angry ninja and civilian boy and at his daughter's still form. After a few seconds, his head inched ever so slightly in the direction of his father.

"Please leave us." He ordered, the man hesitated for a moment but obey the order, leaving the girl behind.

As soon as the other Hyuga vanished, Hiashi deflated and a deep frown of worry appeared in his formerly stoic face. "How bad is it?" he asked, barely above a whisper.

Kurenai didn't seem surprised by the change in demeanor. "Very." was her curt response before she fell back into her chair.

"Anything we can do?" Hiashi asked, a bit louder this time.

"Nothing I'm aware of," Kurenai sighed and buried her face in her hands.

Naruto frowned. 'Why the sudden change in demeanor? Didn't he disown her, doesn't he know he caused her so much grief?' Hiashi's eyes met Naruto's and he seemed to read the unspoken questions in his stare.

"It was never my intention for any of this to happen to my daughter. Rather, I had hoped by relieving her of the heiress position that she would find the drive she'd been missing. I could not simply be the father she needed when the clan was looking to me for guidance, I had a tough decision to make and I did. I chose to do what was best for the clan" Hiashi shook his head and looked at the young girl besides him. "Now I can only hope that Hanabi can do what Hinata couldn't."

Naruto looked at the man and shook his head. "There was nothing stopping you from doing what was best for both clan and family. Your daughter needed her father to assure her that not only was she safe from the bad man who tried to kidnap her but that he wouldn't allow anyone else to take her from him." Hiashi scoffed at his naivety but Naruto forged on. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not disagreeing with you training her but the way you went about it. Instead of suddenly thrusting your three year old daughter into rigorous training, that felt like she was being punished for getting kidnapped, you could have at least explained it was to help her defend herself. As if that wasn't bad enough you then pitted her against her baby sister without any thought of how that might affect her."

"Is this what family is? If so then maybe I'm the lucky one here, because I thought it was people that were supposed to love and protect you no matter what. Or am I missing something?"

"Will sister be okay?" Hanabi asked, her voice wavering slightly but effectively breaking the tense atmosphere in the room. Naruto could see that she strained her face to remain impassive. Gritting his teeth Naruto took a calming breath and moved to Hinata's nightstand. He took the bracelet and crouched besides Hanabi. She peered curiously at the silver he held out to her.

"See these carvings? I believe they accurately represent your sister, so have some faith in her." Naruto said, "Can you do that for your sister?"

Hanabi ran her fingers over the images on the bracelet and nodded, looking towards her sister's prone figure with renewed assurance.

Kurenai raised a questioning eyebrow at Naruto, as did Hiashi.

"I've written to Jiraiya regarding her condition," Naruto explained, "together with another ninja he has agreed to look for Tsunade." Kurenai nearly flew out of her chair as she heard the name. "Old man Muso assured me that she is more than capable of healing Hinata and I know that Jiraiya will do his best in get her to help out."

Hiashi released a shuddering breath and his face became impassive again. "I beg of you, please keep me informed if and when Tsunade gets here. I will be forever in your debt," he said and bowed low to Naruto. After a second or so, so did Hanabi.

Naruto looked at Hinata, steel in his eyes. "Of course I will."

Hiashi took the opportunity to also visit his nephew and have a long overdue conversation. He just hoped he would get through to him and that his brother would forgive him for waiting so long.

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Out the window…

Through the forest…

Over the fence…

Across the village…

Up the stairs to the Hokage's office.

He needed answers that only the man could provide. Tried as he might, there was no getting to see the Hokage at the tower in the forest. Something was a foot, more than just the curse seal given to Sasuke and it made the man inaccessible.

But damn it, he had questions and nothing short of a logical explanation would satisfy his mind. A mind that was working overtime, trying to analyse what he'd seen of Naruto's skills, especially as reports from the academy painted the boy as incompetent, unwilling to learn, disruptive and an outright failure at everything. Then why?

'Why was boy not only skilled but also knowledgeable? They aren't the same thing, a skill is something you learn to do, even if you don't understand the logics behind it. The other shows you learned something but understand it to the point you can apply it to a relevant situation. If this is the case… then…'

'What the hell is he doing working in a blacksmith's shop?' These and other thoughts occupied his mind as he raised his hand to knock on the door to the Hokage's office.

"Come in Kakashi," the Hokage ordered, "can't say I wasn't expecting your visit, you're late as usual."

"You know me to well Lord Hokage." He replied, hands going to the back of his head in an all too familiar gesture.

"Well it's late and I'm an old man after all so please let's not dance around why you're here. Ask your questions." His tone indicated his frustration.

"Why is Naruto being allowed to pursuit a life outside of the ninja profession?"

"Ah, always the one who looked underneath the underneath, ah Kakashi? Minato always warned me that you were sharp and that the more time your mind analysed things the less likely it was to deceive you." He was indeed a weary old man in both mind and body but not so old that even the sharp mind of Kakashi would see through him and his deeds.

Hiruzen lit his pipe, took a long pull and eased himself back in his chair. He was buying time before he answered because unlike Jiriaya, Kakashi is never as trusting as many think. To this day he remains convinced the boy never forgave him or the village for the treatment of his father even though he carried out his duty without question or failure. Yet while he formulated his response internally, he could feel the eyes of the man standing before him, penetrate his very core. Searching for something, anything that would indicate truth not lie was about to be spoken.

After what felt like hours Hiruzen spoke. "It was not my intention for him to go that route but I believe the boy has the right to choose for himself."

"Choose for himself, is that really the answer you want to give me Lord Hokage?" Kakashi's tone stated clearly he wasn't buying anything being sold. "Because Naruto has never chosen anything for himself so please do not insult my intelligence."

Their eyes locked in silent dispute over the matter at hand but sooner rather than later something would give, someone would falter. Hiruzen inhaled and exhaled, then got up, walked to the window and looked out at the faces on the Hokages' mountain. Then he responded.

"Truth is I've tried my best to steer the boy into taking up the legacy left by his father, something I believed the man would have wanted. Yet at the same time I've tried to give him as normal a childhood as possible. It's why I never intervened in his time at the academy, it was to allow him to figure things out on his own but now I can see that it was an error on my part."

"I've come to realize he's not his father, doesn't think or act like him for that matter." He looked over his shoulder at Kakashi as if to ask if he agreed with his assessment.

"It should never have been a question of whether he was like his father. A child has two parents and they can take after one while young and the like the other once the mature." Kakashi said offering his opinion. "The two only seemed different because of the situation under which they grew, lived and studied. While both being orphans is similar, his father was never treated with such blatant disregard for his existence or hated for reasons unknown to him."

"Your observations may very well be true," Hiruzen rebutted, "but a ninja endures and learns to rise above whatever is thrown his way and Naruto did neither. His reckless attitude proved his undoing at the academy and instead of seeking an alternate avenue of being a shinobi, he settled for a job. The most we can hope is that Jiraiya has gotten him to take his training serious this time around."

"So it is true then, Jiraiya is really his master." With that Kakashi left knowing that the Hokage had said all he was going to. Hopefully, he can get a better understanding of Naruto's skills from the man. But that would have to wait, he has a student to train for the finals. Yet it wouldn't hurt to make one more stop before starting that task.

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'I lost to her?!'

Anger, disgrace, unforgivable. Those were his thoughts and feelings as he pondered the match that should have gone his way.

'How was that even possible? He wondered to himself.'

'She's nothing but a weak spoiled brat of the main house. Yet she beat me.'

He was back at the compound in his room resting in bed. He'd pondered the events of the exams for days now, still unable to figure out how she'd defeated him. The prodigy of the Hyuga. "We could always have a rematch to see if it was a fluke." He told himself.

While that might solve one thing, it does nothing for the uneasy feel in him brought about by her words at the end of the fight. "She loves me, still, even after all the pain and suffering I caused her?" He sat up in the bed as his chest suddenly felt tight. Disbelief over took him for a moment but then he dismissed it. He knew she wouldn't lie about that. "How do I face her, knowing that I'm not ready to let go of my hate for the main house or even her. So I even want to try?"

Then there was the conversation with his uncle about the circumstances surrounding his father's death. Even though he'd received the letter in his father's handwriting, it was still hard to believe that the main house hadn't forced him to take the place of his brother.

Yet judging by Lord Hiashi's actions of bowing to him and begging for his forgiveness, it was hard not to believe his sincerity. But somehow he just couldn't find it in himself to forgive them, at least not yet, not after all these years of suffering and believing them guilty of the accused crime. Why now of all times, why not when he first started showing signs of hating them, especially being hostile towards Lady Hinata? Why wait till when they'd fought and injured one another to reveal this information?

"It wasn't a secret how I felt, yet Lord Hiashi never said a word, now he produces a letter, apologizes on his knees and just expects all to be forgiven." He reasoned. "Now what, do we all live happily ever after? I think not"

While he recuperated, Hinata was never far from his mind. He dreaded her return to the compound and having to see her daily. He was not ready.

Close to the end of the week, Hinata's condition did improve enough for her to be released but nothing else. The medics assured them of a complete recovery but said it would take time, however, time was not on her side. If she could not train she would have to forfeit her place in the finals.

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Kakashi made his way to the forge master's shop, it would be his final stop before taking Sasuke to the secluded area he'd picked for their month of training. He just needed to see Naruto again and this time thank him for his help in ridding his student of the dreaded curse seal.

"Hey brat! You have a visitor." Muso yelled from the front of the shop.

"What! Who is it?" Naruto hollered back.

"Come and see for yourself. What do I look like, your damn secretary?"

"No, you're too old and ugly for that, you'd probably scare them away."

Kakashi couldn't help smile at the banter between the two, it seemed that Naruto had found someone to truly care for him. So loss was he in thought that he failed to realize the boy was watching him.

Entering fully into the room Naruto greeted the man whose presence during the chunin exams was a source of annoyance.

"Ah, Hatake-san, what can I do for you this time?"

Looking at what could be his sensei's doppelganger but only at first glance and if he didn't know Naruto's other parent.

"I just stop by to properly thank you for your help with my student. After much thought I realized that I never actually said thanks and I didn't want you to think I was ungrateful in the least."

"Are you sure that's why you came?"

"Yes of course it is. Why do you ask?"

"I thought perhaps it was because you're the Fourth's student and maybe you felt bad about what he did to me."

"You know about that?"

"Yes, Pervy-Sage, I mean Jiraiya sensei told me. "

"Oh, well it's for the best that he did so."

"If you're worried about me hating your sensei then don't. I probably wouldn't even if the man were alive, I'd be pissed at him for sure but it wouldn't make sense to hate him if it doesn't change my situation."

"I see," Kakashi responded, floored by the matured reasoning of the boy whose life has been so heavily affected by the actions of his sensei. Even if he's the man's unknown child. "I'm glad to hear that I guess but I think your life would have been different if he'd lived."

"If you say so. Any ways your welcome but I have work."

"Yeah, sorry for keeping you." He said and turned to leave. Just before exiting he called out to Naruto's retreating form. "Perhaps after the exams you could show me some of those weapons you like to make and maybe if I'm impressed I'll make you fix my chakra blade." He said by way of peace offering.

"That would be acceptable as long as you're not annoying." Naruto responded to his offer.

"I'll try my best." With that said he left for his training trip.