Second Chances
By: FlameXFullmetal
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
A/N: I'm back! I noticed that there were a lot of errors in the last chapter and took some time to correct them before writing this chapter. Some fair warning, if you receive a notice that there has been some updates and there is no new chapter it means I finally got around to going back and fixing all of the mistakes in previous chapters. Anyway, you all know the drill by now!
Lara5170: Honestly, I never even thought of planning out what happened to the bijuu in the future that they came from. I didn't even realize that I hadn't done anything to clarify what Naruto was still capable of doing in regards to the bijuu's chakra that is still in them. As for now, I will try to close that hole up in the coming chapters. As for the six path's power, yes they did get that and they still have it. They can't use it however, as their body can't withstand that much power going through their tenketsu. The Akatsuki will be reacting to Itachi and Kisame's defection but the results of that won't be seen for a few more chapters. As for Kisame, he is an Uzu nin like Haku and Zabuza meaning he is on loan to the hidden leaf. As for him not being mentioned, he was not really crucial to the arc that I had going at the time so I never thought to mention him. That will be changed.
In the case of Danzo being killed, Naruto uniting and befriending the bijuu again, making more allies, Itachi being healed and receiving his transplant, Naruto changing the seals on the Hyuga and Naruto getting more powerful, the answer to all of the above is yes. In the case of what will happen to the ROOT agents and any of the other Hyuga getting the Tenseigan I haven't decided yet. Sai will be appearing in the next two or three chapters depending on how far I get into the next arc with each chapter. Will Hanabi be branded now that Hinata has proven to be the stronger of the two? No. I hope that answers all of your questions.
"hello" people (bijuu in human form) speaking
'hello' people (bijuu in human form) thinking/coded hand signals
"HELLO" bijuu (full demon form)/summoning/deity yelling
"hello" bijuu (full demon form)/summoning/deity talking
'hello' bijuu (full demon form)/summoning/deity thinking
hello jutsu
*************Free Birds**********
The trip back to the village for the team was fast and filled with discussions about what could be done to improve on the various aspects of their roles in the mission should they ever be placed in a similar situation with different terrain. For the first time, with the exception of the ROOT member, team seven finally had a mission without an unexpected complication. They had already made a mental note to inform Itachi that there were still ROOT agents in the field that were unaware of Danzo's death and still operating on his orders. Furthermore, they were discussing ways to alter Haku's training regime to ensure that she had time to learn the new hyoton jutsu she had picked up. Any non-hyoton jutsu that didn't belong to any other clan, was going to be donated to the village as Haku was certain that it would benefit it more than her.
The team was less than a day away from the village when they decided that they would rest and make the rest of the trip in the morning. At Naruto's insistence, the group got rooms at a hotel before they each headed out to run various errands. Sighing, Naruto stretched and then smirked as he noticed the festive atmosphere. It seemed as though the village was in the middle of some kind of festival and he knew how he wanted to spend the evening that they would be there.
"Hey Hinata? Do you wanna have our next date here?" He asked as soon as she had showered and changed.
"Yes!" She exclaimed knowing that Naruto had never really had a chance to enjoy a festival. Smiling the two teens headed out of the hotel and immediately tried to suppress their laughter as they noticed Zabuza half encased in ice as Haku's eye twitched and Sasuke sitting on the ground glaring.
"Finally managed to get the courage to ask her out?" Naruto chirped causing a growl to erupt from the other time traveller and the irate swordsman.
"Zabuza there was no need to try and kill him for that. You know he wouldn't hurt Haku." Hinata lightly scolded smiling and stifling more laughter as the twitch to his eye became more pronounced.
"Yes there was! Haku's to young to be dating!" He growled. Unfortunately, that was the straw that broke the camel's back as the two teens dissolved into hysterical laughter. Haku on the other hand just sighed.
"Zabuza-sama..."
"Haku what have I told you about that?"
"Sorry, tou-san...However, you know that I can take care of myself and I am two years older than Sasuke."
"Your point?"
"If it makes you feel better, Hinata and I can go with them on a double date and act as chaperones." Naruto said finally getting his laughter under control. "You can test Sasuke to see if he is worthy of any more dates when we get back in the village."
"Tch. Fine." Zabuza relented knowing that he had no intention of going easy on the boy. If he survived he may allow him to date Haku. He knew he was strong, there was no question about that, but Haku was his daughter damn it! As Haku unfroze Zabuza, Naruto turned to look at the Uchiha on the ground and snickered.
"Your losing your touch Sasuke." Sasuke's eyes twitched in irritation as he slowly got up from the ground glaring at the blond.
"Well excuse me for not expecting a sword to try and take my head off while asking a girl out."
"Oh Sasuke, courting rule number one: Always ask the father first in order to avoid losing your head." Sasuke felt his eyes widen slightly at the statement and he gave Naruto an incredulous look.
"There are rules for this?!" Everyone of the leaf nins burst into laughter at the boy's reaction. Leaning over to his friend Naruto patted Sasuke on the back sympathetically.
"Don't worry I'll teach you when we get back. Although, you had the same reaction that I did when I asked Ino for advice the first time around."
"Glad to know it isn't just me that doesn't know this." He grumbled under his breath.
"Let's go! Onward to the festival!" Naruto cheered making Hinata and Haku giggle at his antics. Huffing in irritation, Zabuza turned and looked at Kakashi who was sitting one the roof looking amused.
"Wanna find a bar?"
"Sure. At the very least we can celebrate our cute little genin's improvements. They grow up so fast." Kakashi said wiping away an imaginary tear.
"Now what are you going on about?"
"Shino and Fu left a few minutes before Sasuke asked Haku out on their own date. All six of our genin are appreciating the company of the fairer sex today." Zabuza just rolled his eyes as they walked off.
With Naruto...
"So Hinata, what do you wanna do first?" Naruto asked in amusement as he watched Sasuke attempt and fail to hide a light blush.
"Nope. You lead the way this time. You or Haku as I doubt either of you have had a chance to enjoy a festival before." Hinata declared firmly making the two blush.
"Games and food?" Haku suggested looking at Naruto who nodded. Minds made up the group of four made their way through the crowd and began to explore all the festival had to offer them.
The group made their way through the festival stopping whenever something caught their eye or whenever they came across a new food that they hadn't tried before. Not even an hour in and Naruto was glad that he had brought some sealing scrolls with him. Every now and then the group would stop and play a game for the prize before either giving it away to a child in the crowd or sealing it away for the kids in the village. It was during the time that the boys were watching Haku and Hinata win some prize fish for some kids that weren't having any luck that they spotted the two insect users on their own date. Smiling as their eyes met and nodding to one another they turned back to their dates as they handed the fish over to the kids who thanked them enthusiastically.
"What do you say we find some more food?" Naruto asked making the other three nod in agreement. Walking around taking in the various sights and sounds around them the group of four began to wander around the festival in search of the food stalls stopping every now and again for the food. The four ninja relaxed as they allowed themselves to temporarily forget that there was a major war looming ahead of them.
Several hours, multiple food stalls and many happy children later the four returned to the hotel the girls grinning widely and the boys having found a brief reprieve from the memories that had been haunting them. Bidding the girls a quick goodnight, they retreated into their room and sighed. Glancing at one another they just nodded to one another before changing and heading to bed. They didn't need to speak to know that they needed that. All of the shinobi slept restfully that night, the nightmares plaguing Naruto and Sasuke's dreams absent for once. The next morning the whole group was up and ready to go just after sunrise. Nodding to one another the two teams shot off into the trees and towards their home in Konoha.
"So there are some ROOT nin that we missed. I'll look into that and make sure to get them out of the field. Were you able to recover any of the armor for study and analysis?" Itachi asked calmly.
"Yes. The armor is in this scroll combined with the blueprints for various other devices that they were working on. Shino was quite efficient when gathering them. This scroll contains scrolls that aren't clan based or hyoton jutsu. We figured since the war most likely caused her family scrolls to be destroyed this would be a good starting point for Haku to rebuild the clan's library." Naruto explained making Itachi nod as he accepted the two storage scrolls. He would have to look through the scrolls and make sure that they were properly ranked and added to the shinobi library.
"Good work. Now go home and get some rest you've earned it. Kakashi, Zabuza stay. I want your opinions on how they did."
"Yes Hokage-sama."
On the other side of the village...
"Very good Ino. Keep this up and you will have the reserves to begin working on the mokuton jutsu in their original form instead of the weaker versions we have created." Hashirama praised the blonde who was panting and smiling brightly. They had been working to increase her reserves more than she already had as they noticed that jutsu were just to demanding in regards to her reserves at the moment. Stubbornly, Ino insisted on working harder and longer to correct that flaw and Hashirama could only boast that she was well on her way to being were she needed to be for some of the jutsu that she would use more commonly at this stage in her life.
"Hashirama-sensei? Will I ever be able to use the mokuton like you can? I know that my reserves will be smaller since I'm not a boy and boys always seem to have larger reserves, but..." she trailed off wondering how to finish her thoughts out loud.
"You're worried about disappointing me by not being able to use the mokuton like I can right?"
"..Yeah."
"Then don't worry about it. The fact that there is someone who can use it makes me proud. Besides, the goal of mentoring a student or even apprentice is to teach them all you can about what you know and make sure that they understand the risks and benefits that come with it. What you do with what I teach you is entirely up to you. In all honesty, I don't want you to catch up to my level of proficiency with the mokuton Ino." Hashirama said and watched as confusion and a little sadness flashed through her eyes.
"I want you to surpass my skill. That is what all teachers want. Their students to surpass them and become their own person. I'm not going to lie to you. Due to the fact that you have the mokuton you will be often compared to my prowess and skill with it. You will be in my shadow for a long time. However, as long as you stay true to yourself you will be able to step out of that shadow and become your own legend. Do you understand?"
"So...you want me to learn everything that you can teach me...but you want me to make it mine instead of just copying what you have already done?"
"Exactly. The reason that the Hyuga clan stagnated is because they were so focused on learning what their ancestors did that they never bothered to add their own personal touch to it. Thus every Hyuga could do the exact same thing and they became predictable. If you take what I teach you and make it yours, no one will know how to prepare for you since they will be expecting my style and not yours. See?" Nodding eagerly Ino smiled as she began to brainstorm various ways to add her personal touch to the jutsu all the while beaming at happiness from the faith that he had in her.
"Now then I believe that you have team training in an hour so you should head home, eat and meditate to get your chakra back."
"Yes sensei." Ino chirped before dashing off. Smiling at the retreating girl Hashirama called out seemingly to no one.
"I had nearly forgotten how enjoyable teaching was to an attentive student. Did you, Tobi?"
"The joys of teaching competent students can not even compare to the frustration of teaching the three failures I once called my students. How did they ever turn out so bad?" Tobirama asked stepping out from the treeline behind his brother.
"Human nature combined with an unwillingness to try to change let alone accept change when it was necessary. All change is necessary as without it humankind becomes stagnate and begins to lose their ability to think for themselves as well as use their imagination."
"A world of drones obeying the orders of the queen, ne?"
"Yes."
"Itachi would like our input on something. He says he has discussed it with his advisors however, he would feel more comfortable with our opinion based on our experience."
"Shall we then?" Hashirama asked as they quickly vanished without a trace. Reappearing across the village in front of the kage tower and quickly making their way to Itachi's office.
"You wanted us?" Hashirama chirped at Itachi who was staring out the window at the village.
"Yes. Thanks to the intel that we have gathered from Kimimaro and Sasuke about Orochimaru, his bases and the people working under him we know where most of the problems lie. We also know that Orochimaru has assassinated the daimyo of Rice Country. The question is what do we do with the information that we have? Do we just eliminate the problems that will try to continue his work or just level all of his bases to prevent any chances of Oto returning? Kimimaro says that Oto is less of a village and more of a network of bases with barely trained thugs, weak nuke-nin and some clan shinobi that defected to his side."
"I see why you needed the advice. That is a very difficult decision to make and either has the potential to lead to unnecessary loss." Hashirama mused turning the ideas over in his head. Personally he would opt for just going after the major threats but that did leave the problem of no law remaining in the village making it an extremely dangerous place for the civilians.
"Considering the options and the after effects for both as much as I don't care for needless murder, taking out all the bases and personnel in them to prevent creating a place that not even the civilians can live in peace." Tobirama replied after mulling over the options.
"Agreed. I don't necessarily like the options but it does seem like the only way." Hashirama frowned. Nodding in resignation Itachi turned towards the window once more.
"That's what the shinobi council and the advisors said."
"Speaking of that who did you appoint?" Tobirama asked curiously.
"Hiashi and Tsunade. Since they will almost always be in the village I don't have to worry about them missing a meeting unless Tsunade has a surgery or something. I wanted to appoint Shikaku but he wasn't willing to take it."
"Not bad. They are almost polar opposites in their thinking and I can see them managing to work together to help temper each other's brashness." Itachi nodded and then fell silent before turning to Hashirama and asking a question that had been bothering him.
"Why is there a massive window right behind the Hokage's desk?"
"Eh?" Hashirama squeaked as Tobirama furrowed his eyebrows trying to figure out the reason behind the question.
"Why is there a perfect opportunity to assassinate the Hokage built into the office? Considering you can see the mountain from here, all you would need is someone just as accurate as Hinata and lethal with long range weapons to launch a senbon with an exploding tag on it just under the window and detonate it. That would result in an explosion that, in the event that the explosion didn't kill the Hokage, the flying glass would. So why is there a window behind my desk?" Absolute silence filled the air as the two kage processed the explanation and looked at one another before Tobirama face palmed.
"How did I not think of that when we were building this place?"
"No one was anywhere near as good as Hinata and we didn't think that someone would be brazen enough to attack us inside of the village while we were both here with Madara? Ignoring the fact that we were mortal and could die at anytime." Hashirama supplied making the younger Senju groan.
"We had a lot of dumb moments back then didn't we?"
"Apparently."
"I'm going to have that fixed." Itachi mused to himself before quickly signing an order out to the ANBU who rushed off to fulfill their mission.
"Please tell me you didn't just send them to find someone to help with the remodeling."
"Why would I do that?"
"Nii-sama once sent the ANBU to get him candy and to say hi to Mito..." Tobirama supplied in embarrassment.
"Oh." Itachi replied before staring at Hashirama for a few seconds.
"You wanted to see us Hokage-sama?" Came a voice from the door.
"I did come in." He replied as teams nine and ten entered the room. "I have a mission for you. As you know, Orochimaru was the leader of Otogakure and when he died the village was left leaderless. It has been decided that even though the worst threats from there have already been dealt with we can not allow the village to reorganize under someone who would continue Orochimaru's work. The eight of you are a part of the strike force being made to destroy all of Orochimaru's bases, irregardless of whether or not they are being used."
"You don't want anyone else moving in and finding Orochimaru's research or any of his experiments." Asuma replied, making Itachi nod.
"That's part of the reason. The other part is that it is just to much of a gamble to allow Orochimaru's forces to reorganize just as much there is no reason to allow the country to be taken over by lawlessness when we eliminate the biggest threats that still remain within his forces. Most of the Oto nins were low level nuke nin, bandits given the bare minimum of training and deserters from the many clans that live in Rice country. Without any hierarchy to keep them in line the bandits and nuke nin are liable to turn Rice country into hell on earth. There is no need to force the civilians to live in those conditions if it can be helped."
"Your mission however, is locate several people and research samples that Orochimaru had, as identified by Naruto that need to be taken into custody or recovered to properly protect." Leaning forward Itachi held out a rough sketch to the team. "This is your first target for recovery. Her name is Isaribi and she is one of Orochimaru's experiments. According to Naruto the man that performed the experiments is named Amachi. He has experimented on himself and that is apart of the reason I'm requesting this team. When he is transformed into what he refers to as a Kaima, he is extremely agile and able to breathe underwater. He has also created a summon he refers to as the Umibozu which can only be destroyed by an immensely powerful fire jutsu."
"Amachi is to be eliminated as he is quite possibly the most unstable of Orochimaru's men as he wishes for revenge against him for cancelling his project before it's completion. However, Amachi is not to be killed until you have all of his research notes and all the information you can pry out of him about the experiments that he has done to her and the improvements he has made to the project since. Isaribi may not come willingly as she is under the impression that if she obeys Amachi's orders he will reverse the experiments that he has done to her allowing her to return to a normal life. Amachi confessed when he was arrested the first time that he is unaware of anyway to reverse to what was done. Which leads us to the second portion of your mission. "
"Once you have all the information write it done as thoroughly as you can on a scroll that will be picked up along with Isaribi and Amachi's research notes by Anko Mitarashi who will then deliver the girl to Tsunade to try and aid her. Any questions so far?"
"Nope. The mission specs are pretty clear so far. It also explains why you want a heavy assault team to work with a capture and interrogation team. I had thought that the two teams getting the same mission was a bit odd since their strengths were so different. Now it makes sense." Gai mused making Itachi nod. Pulling another sketch out as well as a file he handed them over to the teams.
"Afterwards, you are to locate this boy. His name is Suigetsu Hozuki, perhaps the last of the Hozuki clan from Kirigakure. He was once Sasuke's ally and my brother has vouched for his skill as well as his loyalty. His goal is to reform the seven swordsmen. With two of them in Konoha he shouldn't give to much of a fight on coming here. That file contains all the information on him that we are aware of concerning the Hozuki clan and it's bloodline in the event that it does come down to a fight. Unfortunately, Sasuke only knew the base he found him at so if he isn't there it will be a chore to locate him as you will have to pry the information out of Orochimaru's subordinates about his whereabouts." Handing another file to the team Itachi sighed tiredly.
"That contains the information and knowledge of all the bases that are within your skill levels to handle that Sasuke had. They stretch between the area where Suigetsu should be and Hi no Kuni's borders. You are to destroy them either on your way to Suigetsu or the way back. However, there is something that you need to keep in mind if you intend to hit them on the way back. Sasuke informed me that Suigetsu needed frequent breaks in order to rehydrate himself as he dehydrates extremely fast. So bear in mind that he will be traveling with you."
"On a final note this file is to be given to all the teams working on this task force. This contains the information of Orochimaru's strongest remaining subordinate. Her name is Guren and she carries the shoton. In Naruto's first life, the discovered that there were several weaknesses to the style. That file has more details on her however, as a word of advice she can crystalize the moisture in the air and anything that she touches. Doton, suiton and mokuton are all useless against her however, using sound to disrupt the molecules seems to be surprisingly effective. Furthermore, raiton and katon can not be crystalized. The first time around Hinata discovered that in the event you get captured, coating your body in a thin layer of chakra will prevent you from being crystalized."
"We are currently unaware of what elements make up the shoton however as raiton is effective on it we theorize that doton may be one of them. This is the reason that every team will have no less than two raiton or katon aligned shinobi with them. This team alone has four. Again though, do not engage her unless you have no other choice. She is fanatically loyal to Orochimaru and was strong enough to fight the Sanbi and not only hold him off but temporarily defeat him indicating that she is at the very least borderline kage level." He finished as he handed the teams their mission scroll as well as one other.
"Understood Hokage-sama. If I may ask though, what is the second scroll?"
"An invention from Fu actually, with the assistance of Mito-sama, that allows messages to be transmitted across any corresponding scroll with the matching seals. All teams will be given one of these and that is how you will keep my updated about the mission as well as call for back-up if necessary. There is a time delay of five minutes to them thanks to Mito cutting down the original two hour delay so bear in mind that there will a small wait for a reply. Our Uzumaki are currently working on eliminating the delay or cutting it down to a few seconds at best and now that Naruto is here we may be able to improve on it. However, these will have to do for now. The las thing that you need to know is that in order for the messages to be transmitted they need to be written in chakra conducting ink which Mito has generously supplied from the Uzumaki storage. The ink is not suitable for anything higher than exploding tags and is used to teach the Uzumaki children how to make proper sealing ink so the clan has a surplus in storage."
"We'll leave as soon as the team has finished reviewing the files Hokage-sama." Asuma said as he and the teams bowed before receiving permission to leave. Sitting back Itachi glanced at the two kages who were nodding in approval. Before they could say anything the door opened once more and the room was filled with jonin and ANBU. Smirking he readied himself for the explanation he would need to give them for their task. He also felt a small amount of guilt knowing that there was a chance some of them might not be coming back. Filing that away he sat up straight and began the debriefing.
With Gai and Asuma's team...
"Everyone have everything ready? Finished with the files? Good. Shikamaru what would be your preferred plan of action?" Asuma asked.
"Eliminate any bases we can that are between here and Sea country in order to prevent making an unnecessary back trip. Deal with Amachi and retrieve Isaribi, then hit every base we can that won't take us to far off course from Suigetsu's location. Hit the remainder on the way back. If Suigetsu is as good as Sasuke claims he would be of great help to the endeavors. In addition, this prevents the mission from taking longer than it needs to." Asuma nodded and turned to the rest of the group.
"Do you have anything to add?"
"Honestly, if Itachi did not order us to go to Isaribi first, I would suggest going to her last as Suigetsu's bloodline would a great asset to fighting underwater, but I also know that he would technically be required to help of his own free will as he would not be officially apart of Konoha yet." Neji frowned as he mulled over the options. Gai and Asuma raised an eyebrow as the contemplated Neji's proposal.
"True however, we have no idea of knowing whether or not Suigetsu will be moved and finding him if he isn't at that base would eat a lot of time." Ino pointed out.
"I know that. It just seems like having someone who can become the very water itself against, for all intents and purposes, man made mer-people would be a benefit." Neji said shrugging.
"Perhaps we'll get lucky and he will be at one of the first bases that we come across before reaching Sea country and we can send him back to the village with Anko and Isaribi as they would be traveling slower since Isaribi isn't a ninja. It would be safer for Suigetsu that way so he doesn't get dehydrated." Choji pointed out making the team nod and with nothing else to add they left from the gate.
The trip to the first base was made in silence and to their relief. They gathered all of the documents that were able to find before allowing TenTen to fill the base with exploding tags that she detonated as they were leaving the area. With the explosion ringing out behind them they continued on to the next base. This base was once again empty and another short demolition made quick work of it. Heading to the last hideout before entering Sea country, the teams finally met some resistance that was quickly dispatched.
"I have to admit, if I didn't know there was a hidden lab in those areas I never would have seen them." TenTen muttered as they entered the village in Sea country that Isaribi lived in.
"I know, but did he have to leave the corpses there to rot?" Ino said scrunching her nose up in disgust. The team silently echoed the sentiment and quickly claimed rooms at the only inn in the village.
"Rest up. We start looking for Amachi's lab at first light tomorrow morning." Gai instructed and the newly minted chunin nodded silently and quickly prepared for bed.
Back in the village...
"Are you ready for this Hiashi?" Itachi asked as the man took a deep breath, his daughters standing next to him with a concerned expression at their father's nervousness.
"Even if I'm not, it is time to end this non-sense. I just wish that Neji was here for this." The older man confessed.
"Sorry about that but his skills were desperately needed for the mission." Itachi apologized.
"I understand. Let's get this over with." He said straightening out and leading the three into a large meeting room full of Hyuga looking at the clan head in confusion.
"I'm sure that you are all wondering why I have called the entire clan into this meeting and why the Hokage himself is present. He is here as the topic of this meeting concerns village safety as such this meeting is not just a Hyuga affair." He declared before anyone could question it. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the elders, including his father frown and try to mask the look of dislike for the Uchiha that had been made Hokage.
"It came to my attention some months back that our ancestors violated a contract that was made with not just another clan but an entire village back in the clan wars era. I have spent this time verifying the claims and can say without a doubt that this accusation is one hundred percent true. Centuries ago the Hyuga clan approached the Uzumaki clan asking for their aid in developing a seal that would protect the byakugan from being compromised. The Uzumaki agreed and after several weeks presented the clan head at the time with the completed seal. I know that many of you, especially in the branch house, believe this to be the kago no tori no juin that currently rests on your foreheads."
"However, the kago no tori no juin was not the seal that we received from the Uzumaki clan. Upon the initial request for the seal, the Uzumaki required the Hyuga clan to sign a binding contract forbidding the alteration of the seal under any circumstance. Upon completion of the seal they reiterated the stipulation, of which our ancestors agreed to. Unfortunately, within a week of possessing the seal the clan's seal masters were already using the notes that the clan provided for the application to alter the muryo no tori hogo shiru into what the clan uses today. The original seal was designed to be placed on the back of the neck and the original contract made between the clans specified that it would be applied to the entire clan not just select members."
"This violation of the contract is not only a slight to the clan's honor and image but has also placed the village in jeopardy as the kago no tori no juin directly threatened the safety of shinobi under the Hokage's control. As such the topic of its application and use falls under his jurisdiction. Prior to the fall of Uzu the were preparing to make demands for the seal's discontinued use and reparations from the clan for the violation of the contract. Since the matter was brought to my attention and I verified the facts with documents that were hidden in the Hyuga archives, I have contemplated on what the right action was in order to allow the clan to reach its full potential. In my deliberations, I came to the conclusion that the byakugan does in fact need to be protected." A large number of eyes narrowed at this declaration as Hiashi paused to take recollect his thoughts. He also saw smirks of victory on the elder's faces. Steeling himself for the outburst to follow he glanced back at the faces looking back at him.
"However, it will not be protected by tearing families apart and segregating the clan any longer. As of today the application and usage of the kago no tori no juin is hereby forbidden. Over the course of the next few days the seal will be removed by Mito-sama. In the mean time, those that are unsealed will present themselves to Uzumaki Naruto in order to have the muryo no tori hogo shiru applied as it should have been. Upon removal of the kago no tori no juin Mito-sama will immediately place the new seal on the back of your necks where it will be invisible from all prying eyes. No one not even my family will be exempt from this seal." As expected the room burst into a cacophony of voices all shouting the different things and Hiashi could plainly see the sheer rage on the main branch's faces and hope on the faces of the branch house. After a few more minutes of waiting for the noise to die down Hinata twitched before glaring and flooding the room with a mix of her chakra and small dose of killing intent that made the room as silent as a tomb in seconds.
"That is enough! The clan has been segregated for far to long. We are no family as we are. We aren't even a truly respected clan as those that know of the practice of branding the second borns and anyone born from them look upon our clan with disgust. Yes, they are respectful to our faces however that is mere platitude for us becoming the strongest clan in the hidden leaf since the Uchiha incident. The daimyo has even begun to question the practice as he has yet to see a point to it. The kago no tori no juin was never meant to exist let alone be used on our family." She snapped making some wince. Turning she glared at the elders who felt a momentary flicker of fear.
"You continued to insist that the seal was necessary to protect our bloodline. Yet, the ones that do the most missions outside of the village aren't sealed. We aren't protected. So how is the seal helping? You rarely allow the branch line to excel in any field in any way that showcase that their skills are just as good as ours. No, the kago no tori no juin is unneeded and just a way for power hungry fools who feel the need to be in control of everything to flaunt imaginary power that doesn't exist to bolster their own egos. Furthermore, I don't see the problem. You say we need the seal to protect the bloodline. The new seal protects all of us not just some, thus it does the job better."
"I have seen the seal and the description of the seal as it was originally designed by the Uzumaki clan. Not only does it seal the byakugan upon death, it prevents the byakugan from being stolen and used by another by matching the byakugan's genetics to the original wielder. So if by some stroke of bad luck one of our eyes are stolen, it will be useless to the thief. However, upon it's return it will function as normal so long as it is placed in the original wielder. This does have an unintended side effect of prevent ocular transplants between clan members however, as that has only been done for the head family I don't think it will hinder us in the least."
"Additionally, if the shinobi is raped or genetic material is stolen it will be impossible for a child to be born from the incident that bears the byakugan. However, that part of the seal was tweaked with the Uzumaki clan's consent. It now prevents any child from being born with stolen genetics or through rape. Meaning that the Kumo incident nine years ago will no longer occur as there is no benefit from it. So as I said the original seal does almost everything that the old one does, just better. The one thing that was excluded from the old seal was the ability to harm the bearer. No longer will a seal by the automatic response for the most minor of offenses." She declared making the room wide eyed at the implications. The elders just continued to grow angrier and angrier as the heiress spoke and could no longer bite their tongues.
"You would undo centuries of tradition for some misplaced feelings of sympathy?! There is no wonder that Hanabi is the better choice for heiress!"
"I would not be undoing centuries of tradition, yet. I would be undoing centuries of slavery among our family." The elders gritted their teeth as Hinata smirked at them. "Besides it's not like you can do anything to stop this as you have no authority over the decisions made by the Hokage. Even if you were brazen enough to attack us here and now, you know that you can't beat me let alone Itachi."
"How dare you!" Her grandfather snarled as Hinata continued to smile at the man.
"Easily. This was my goal from the moment I learned what the kago no tori no juin was and what it could do to someone. This is one of my goals for being a shinobi and that is why you think I am a poor choice for clan heiress. You were, and still are, afraid. Afraid of what I would do if I grew strong enough physically and mentally to challenge your self appointed authority over the clan. That I would immediately discontinue the use of your precious slave seal. The whole clan was aware of my goals. I never made it a secret but you were too busy looking at my failures that you refused to look at me, my motivations and my accomplishments until you had no other choice at the chunin exams."
"At that time you had no choice but to acknowledge that I had far surpassed everyone in the clan. That I was no longer a failure. That the very thing that you claimed made me weak was actually my greatest strength. You had no choice because everyone in the village could see my accomplishments as well. Denying them would make you look like fools. Casting doubt on the mental stability of the clan. That wasn't the only thing you were forced to see either. You were forced to see just how much the clan had stagnated under your so called "traditions that made the clan stronger." You had no choice but to admit that we could be far stronger if we discarded the ridiculous notion that all we need is our byakugan and the juken that we developed. Or that the juken had any flaws. Your view of the world collapsed underneath you and nothing you did could put it back together."
"Especially when you noticed that Neji-nii had followed in my footsteps and had spurned clan traditions as well and, like me, became so much stronger for it. You are fools to believe that our "traditions" have made the clan stronger. It has only diminished the clan's strength, tarnished our honor and image, and caused us to become easily predictable and thus countered placing our comrades in danger. Do you know what that makes a Hyuga on any team? When you are predictable and easily countered you become a liability. The best shinobi is one that can change their fighting style and range at will and keep the enemy guessing at what we can do." She lectured. She could see in her peripheral vision that the clan was listening intently.
"Just as I have done. I have changed the juken to be more flexible to those that do not have doton based chakra. I looked into the byakugan to see if there was anyway to advance it. I found a way. Our ancestors sealed the information away. Do you know why they did that? It was because they couldn't open the scrolls that explained how to achieve the tenseigan. It was sealed with the sole intention of ensuring that it was never misused by those that would be corrupted by it's power. Since they couldn't open it and gain the power themselves, they feared the day that someone who spurned their ideology could. Knowing that with the information contained in the scrolls they would rapidly and easily far surpass them. They would lose the power they gave themselves over another living being."
"It is fear that has driven this clan to make it what it is and fear that will destroy it if nothing is done about it. Don't get me wrong fear is inherently not a bad thing, but when it is allowed to control us, it becomes an ugly monster that is difficult to rein in. I am merely confronting that fear and putting it back in its place. I am doing what our ancestors were to afraid to do. I am making this a clan to be looked at with true respect for us as a collective. It won't happen today, tomorrow, next week or even next year but one day the stigma of us enslaving our own will fade. When that day comes the clan will have finally and truly earned its honor back. That is the day that will mark the Hyuga finally and truly becoming a family with no tension, suspicion, anger or hatred over past deeds clouding their minds. The day we become a true family." She finished as the clan stared at her in awe. They had never thought of the old "traditions" having that kind of effect nor the reason why the "traditions" were so religiously followed. Now they did.
"Fear is also the driving force behind the elders rejecting every chance of replacing the seal with something better. You are afraid that without the kago no tori no juin to control the branch line when they are freed that a civil war will erupt between the houses for the years of abuse, humiliation and cruelty that you have inflicted upon them. Despite the fact that they would technically be justified in fighting for their freedom from the clan, I will not let this clan split any further apart then it already is. We will be a family even if I have to die to accomplish that goal. I will die knowing that I have taken the first steps towards that goal." The silence was almost unbearably loud as the clan and Itachi looked towards the tokubetsu jonin with respect. Then one of the eldest branch members spoke.
"Forgive my reservations about the honesty in your words Lady Hinata, however, how can we be sure that the main branch will receive the seal as well? It would clearly not be the first time they have betrayed their word." Some murmuring in the crowd erupted as Hinata smiled in understanding.
"We will receive the seal and to prove our dedication to truly changing the clan it has already been decided that Hanabi, father and myself will receive the seal first in front of the whole clan. Furthermore, anyone who refuses to submit to the new seal from the main branch will be incapacitated and the seal will be applied anyway."
"You can't do that!" One of the elders cried in protest. It was then that Itachi spoke.
"Actually she can. You see the loss of the byakugan is considered a security risk for the village. Just as much as the use of the current seal weakens the shinobi drastically. So I have a vested interest in keeping it safe. Due to that, I have given Hinata permission to incapacitate anyone who resist in order for the seal to be applied. While I would prefer not to go that route, continued aggressive resistance to the changes taking place in the clan, any attempt at assassination to prevent the new seal from being placed and/or any attempt at retaliation for the new seal on anyone that supported it will be seen as you attempting to start a conflict within the walls of the village that will spiral out of control. No different than the coup de tat that my clan attempted and will be treated quickly and decisively."
"What do you mean by that?!"
"I mean that your chakra network itself will be sealed and crippled in the event that you manage to somehow remove the seal so that you will never wield chakra again. Your knowledge of clan and village secrets will be sealed. The seriousness of the offense will depend on whether or not you are branded with a seal clearly declaring you a traitor that will inform me if you ever step foot inside Konoha or her territory or you will be executed as a traitor. So I would choose your actions carefully and wisely. I am not one to force issues like this nor to force seals on someone, however, I also refuse to sit back and watch as you destroy your clan and the village with irrational fear and arrogance." He practically barked. The loudest protestors immediately bit their tongues for fear of angering the Hokage and watched in silence as Naruto entered the room carrying a sealing brush and a large pot of ink.
"For this seal to be place I will need free access to the back of your neck as well as the upper part of your back. If you are not comfortable with me placing the seals on you as I am a man, you are more than free to request that Mito does the seal. Any problems with this Hinata, Hanabi?" He questioned informing the clan of the requirements for the placing of the seal.
"I thought it went on the back of the neck.." Hanabi stated in confusion. Naruto merely chuckled and petted her head.
"It does. However, the time needed to draw that many micro seals would take almost twelve hours per person and you wouldn't be permitted to move at all. Additionally, any amount of perspiration would ruin the seal and we would have to start over. So by having a larger surface area to draw the needed elements for the actual seal it significantly cuts down the time. With my speed when it comes to drawing seals, one this complicated would only take approximately five minutes per person. Mito can apply the seal with a single touch so she can do it in a few seconds. I just haven't reached that level yet." Naruto explained making two clones so he could get them all done at once. Nodding in understanding Hanabi's eyes lit up and she darted off coming back a few minutes later with a tank top on.
"The straps can easily be moved if necessary and I don't have to take my shirt off!" She cried triumphantly making Hinata giggle.
" I see you let Ino help you get some casual civilian wear for your infiltration practice."
"Yup. I didn't know what to buy and when I saw her in the store I asked for help."
"That's good Hanabi." Hinata said cutting off their grandfather. "A good shinobi and a strong person knows when to ask for help."
The process of applying the new seal was just as quick as Naruto predicted it would be and a bit of a shock to find out that Hinata had worn a bathing suit underneath her clothes for that reason. Once the final stroke was made the three Naruto's carefully reviewed their work and once satisfied with the results put their brushes down and then looked towards the Hyuga.
"The seal is activated in two parts. The primary muryo no tori hogo shiru is activated first and then the secondary seal designed to make the seal invisible to the naked eye is activated. This gives the impression that you don't have seals enabling a better public opinion overall, all the while preventing enemy shinobi from attempting to tamper with the seal. Furthermore, with no visible seal there will be nothing to remind you of the past transgressions to try and further assist in the healing process." He said as they activated the seals.
"As you can see application is fast and activation is painless." He stated as the clones dispelled and he stepped backwards. Hinata turned to show the back of her neck to show nothing was there. "A small burst of your chakra towards the seal will deactivate the invisibility aspect allowing it to be seen in order to ensure that no damage has come to it. This is in the even that you are struck or nicked with a chakra enhanced attack right on the seal or the seal has been grazed by an enemy's jutsu."
Hinata smiled as she raised her chakra the seal becoming visible for everyone in the room to see. Instead of the usual pattern they had come to associate with their bloodline protection seal, the muryo no tori hogo shiru boasted the same color and shape as the tenseigan. Another quick burst of chakra later and the seal once more faded from sight. Hiashi and Hanabi followed suit to prove that they had in fact received the real seal. The branch members finally allowed the happy smiles they had been suppressing since the news had announced to show and the hope to fill their eyes. The main branch however, was staring in shock that they had actually carried through with their declaration of allowing themselves to be sealed in front of the family. It was then that the reality sunk in and many came to terms that the clan was in fact changing, whether they wanted it to or not. However, Hinata could see that some had an alarming amount of hate in their eyes and discreetly pointed them out to Itachi and Naruto who silently agreed to keep their eyes on them. Despite the mixed feelings in the clan one thing had become abundantly clear:
The Hyuga had finally unlocked the doors to their cages and flown free.
***************T.B.C**************
A/N: I must sincerely apologize for how late this update is. For some reason I had an extreme amount of difficulty writing the first half of this chapter and it more than likely shows in the writing. Despite that I still managed it. I hope that you like it. I admit that the communication scroll idea was something other authors had done and it did in fact have a very good premise behind it. Which is why I borrowed it. If any of them write and ask me to remove it I will. However, when creators are inspired by something they tend to add similar if not identical elements to their own work. I also believe that it only makes sense for the new seal to be the exact opposite of the old one in terms of name which is where it came from. In any event, until next time! Ja ne!
kago no tori no juin – Caged bird cursed seal
Muryo no tori hogo shiru – free bird protection seal