A/N: New chapter like I promised! Yay! I won't keep you long. Read, Review, and be merry. All characters either belong to Kishimoto-san, me, or are borrowed on permission from TheFireRose77.

Chapter 12: Treason

Music and chatter filled the air as Kakashi walked down the narrow streets along the canals. The great festival was underway and everywhere he looked he saw masks hiding the faces of each passerby. The silver haired vampire was no stranger to masks but they weren't helping him in his search.

The Ryouma family would be here during the festival he knew. They would never pass up the chance to be here in this water logged city during its biggest event. All he had to do was find them.

Red, gold, green, blue, turquoise, black, and every other color in between covered the faces of those in the streets. Beautiful, painted, and mysterious faces. They flooded every nook and corner of every street and each one of them was different. They came in all shapes and sizes from half masks to full masks; and each one of them took him no closer to what he was seeking than the last. Each beautiful face was a reminder of the dark and terrible reality that awaited him and his world if he did not find this family. As overwhelming as the pressure was he knew he couldn't stop and so he continued to search through the crowds for anything that could bring him to the family. Anything at all.

Then he saw it walking towards him: A head of spun silver hair behind a black lace covered white mask with four green crystal tear drops falling down the cheeks. Two purple eyes met his mismatched ones and Kakashi felt relief for the first time in decades.

"Misora." He stated softly but she walked by him, the black and green skirts of her festival costume rustling as her black gloved hand pressed a piece of paper into his seamlessly before she disappeared into the night as quickly as she came, "Still in mourning…"

Knowing the need for secrecy Kakashi walked on as if nothing had really happened as he looked down and read the paper she gave him. All it had on it was an address that he memorized before tossing the paper into a brazier burning brightly with flames more vibrant than the masks around it. Not even stopping to watch it burn Kakashi walked on down the street. He had found what he was looking for at last among the sea of satin, silk, lace, and glitter...a small glimmer of hope.

Hyuga Hiashi was a rational man, this could never be doubted. He was at times described as stiff, rigid, cold, and his eyes had a tendency to unnerve people. They however had never met the man standing before him.

Masahiro Taizo, the former second vampiric king with light grey eyes like hardened steel. Solid, cold, and razor sharp they bored past the man's reddish brown bangs into Hiashi questioning his every move. The Hyuga couldn't even begin to dream of what those eyes had seen during this man's life. This vampire had ruled alongside the clan's second queen, Kamitsuyo Yuriko, up until she died in battle late into the second great vampiric war and his daughter took the throne. Afterwards he still served as the commanding general for his daughter during the third and last war. Even before ruling he had witnessed more of the vampiric world's history than anyone else. Though he appeared no older than thirty, Taizo was still without question the oldest living vampire on the planet having been born at the very end of the first great vampiric war, the one that brought the Kamitsuyo clan into power.

War had wrought this man's life like a blacksmith does a blade. In many ways Masahiro Taizo was a blade. Masterfully skilled in the ways of war and destruction this vampire's very name was feared throughout the world just as much as it was respected. As such Taizo was invaluable to the clan…to Zukiyo.

However, as necessary as this visit was, this was not going to be easy. Ever since his daughter's death Masahiro Taizo dealt less and less with the clan. Then when the twin princesses were born he withdrew into an exile of sorts only visiting once every few years before he stopped coming altogether.

Hiashi could guess at the main reason. Zukiyo was named after Taizo's daughter, resembled her in almost every way, and took after her in personality as well. It had to hurt this once great king to even be around her, but it had to hurt even more to know what her sister was doing to her and would do to her.

"Taizo-sama…" he started.

"No." was the only response he got from the great elder before he tried shutting the door in the Hyuga elder's face.

Hiashi bit back all his clan's upbringing as he forced the door to stay open with his foot and the palm of his hand. He was raised to rule his own clan and serve the Kamitsuyo clan without question. Still he found himself questioning everything for the past three decades or so. Now he was doing it again as he looked up defiantly into his former king's eyes terrified. Not terrified of him though. Hiashi was terrified of what would become of the world if Taizo did not help.

"Listen to what I have to say first." Hiashi stated, almost hissing in irritation, "I wasn't sent by the queen."

"Fine." Was the only new response he got as the much older vampire stepped away from the door to allow the Hyuga entrance.

Praying he could convince this man to help them Hiashi stepped inside and forced back his fear.

"It's been decades, Kakashi...sit, sit." The older sliver haired man stated to the younger after he had entered a small flat off one of the city's canals and was greeted by none other than Ryouma Hiryu, "Mi told us she saw you on the bridge. Never really believed it to be as notorious a meeting place as they say…now I'm a bit more convinced."

"Where are Misora and Sumire?" Kakashi asked only to be answered almost immediately as they both walked in, Misora now without her mask and costume but still in an outfit of mostly black, and Sumire carrying a plate of cookies, "It is good to see you all again."

"Likewise, dear, cookie?" Sumire asked as she held the plate out to him smiling hopefully and he took one before speaking, knowing all too well her hope was not for him possibly taking one of her cookies but for news of her beloved granddaughter.

"Yukiko, has gone completely mad." He stated, knowing that there was no easy way to say what he had to, "She planned to have Zukiyo murdered at the immortal's prison where she was to serve a sentence for murdering the ambassador of another clan…even though Zu was technically in the right."

The masked vampire watched the hope die in Sumire's purple eyes as well as those of her daughter and the dark eyes of her husband. There was no questioning the fact that they loved the exiled princess. It tore them apart to even suspect that harm had come to Zukiyo.

"However, before this could take place Neji and Hinata escaped with her. Zukiyo is alive."

"Thank the gods…" Sumire breathed, clutching at her heart as she let out a sigh of relief, and her husband pulled her close to him in a comforting hug.

Misora's relief was just as evident as she sunk down to the small couch while her eyes flooded with that relief. Kakashi hated to have let this family even think the worst for a moment but there was no other way he could have put it without making the danger seeming less than it was. They sensed this however and Kakashi could see the next question in all of their eyes.

"Where is she?" Taizo asked as he sat down across from his unwanted guest.

"We don't know Taizo-sama. My daughter and nephew did not tell anyone where they were going to take her." The Hyuga admitted.

"A good idea knowing Yukiko's violent means of trying to get what she wants."

"Indeed…she's tried questioning everyone. When she doesn't get the information she wants she lashes out. Nori-sama was rendered immobile for 3 days after she tried to get information out of him and Kurenai-sama…he shielded her."

"Why?"

"She's pregnant." Hiashi stated and saw the shock momentarily flood the former king's eyes.

Hiashi knew it wasn't over Kurenai's state but over the fact that Yukiko was gone far enough to lash out at a pregnant woman. Still that was only the tip of the iceberg so to speak, and Hiashi knew he had to make the former king realize just how bad things really were under Yukiko.

"Taizo-sama, the queen…is…insane. The dementia that members of the clan suffer from when they do not feed properly has set in her mind permanently." The Hyuga stated, knowing that this would not be easy to hear…still it had to be said regardless, "Yukiko is mentally unfit to rule. She is destroying the clan and the government. If something is not done soon there will be a collapse…then war."

"So you want her sister to rule instead." The former king stated as he didn't need to ask, he already knew the answer.

"She was born for this, Hiryu." Kakashi stated to the Ryouma elder.

"Is it what is best for her though? As the queen she will be targeted by everyone, lusted after by every man wishing to be king, and potentially used as a pawn by the council." The man argued back and Kakashi could only wish he had remembered to watch for Hiryu's infamous temper.

"Zuzu is not such a fool as to let herself be used like that." Misora intervened, always the mediator of the family, "Pa…if the government fails because of Yukiko, Zukiyo will be hunted down and targeted even more because of her relation to the clan. As for the king detail…you know how she is. The world will be lucky if she ever finds a man she likes enough not to kill."

"Still…it's not going to be easy." Her father stated.

"It still must happen." Kakashi replied, "She will need help with it…she needs her family. The council needs you to find her. You are somehow able to move without Yukiko or…her husband…knowing about it."

"That will take time…" Sumire stated, "It's difficult to find someone that does not want to be found in a world this large."

"We will find her." Misora stated plainly and yet Kakashi could hear that determination in her voice, "It may take time but we will find her. We have to before Yukiko does."

"Find her first." Taizo stated, "Then maybe I will help you with this…rebellion."

The former king said the word almost distastefully. Hiashi couldn't really say he was surprised. As a former king it was nearly built into Masahiro Taizo to be loyal to this clan. Still, the fact that he said maybe and didn't kill the Hyuga the second he mentioned a rebellion was a promising development.

"You know very well I cannot go find her myself or look for her. Yukiko has almost every one of my movements watched. I cannot even visit what few friends I have left without Yukiko calling me and demanding to know why I am going somewhere." He remarked with a scornful tone to his words, "It's infuriating and the main reason I can't go find her myself."

"We understand that, Taizo-sama. We decided to find the Ryoumas and have them find her. They're the only ones that can move around without the queen and king knowing."

"They've always been good at moving around unseen. They will find her. When they do and you are aware of it come back to talk to me again. In the meantime try not to let this rebellion be discovered. It may be for the best in the end but right now and until Zukiyo is on the throne…this is still treason." The once great king reminded Hiashi.

"Sometimes, during times of great and desperate need, treason is the only answer." Hiashi replied firmly and received a nod in response, "I need to go now before Yukiko wonders where I am."

"Go. If she asks you were questioning me about Zukiyo's whereabouts. I did not know on the basis that there is no reason Zukiyo would ever come to me for help." Taizo stated, a carefully hidden yet still palpable sadness to his voice, "We have never been close enough for her to do such a thing. Now go."

The Hyuga elder nodded as he left and returned to the clan's ancestral manor to continue his duties. Fear still flooded the deepest parts of his soul but he hid it all the same. If anyone noticed he was afraid they would ask questions…and questions coming from those still loyal to the queen were dangerous. Fear was a weakness in most eyes, even his at times, but right now fear was one of the main things that were keeping him alive in these times. Fear forced him to remain cautious and rethink every step he took before he took them. Fear made him calculate how to proceed with this rebellion, and it was fear, fear for the future of the immortal world, which made him pray Kakashi had been successful. Only then would he allow himself to hope.

"Hope…" Sumire stated softly as she and her family watched Kakashi leave, "We have hope."

"So do they." Hiryu stated as he closed the curtains and sighed, "Hope for a better future with a new queen."

"The rightful queen. Yukiko is unfit to rule. She proved that all the more when she dared to marry that murderous…bastard Yoko." Misora spat angrily as she stared into the fire, her purple eyes ablaze with a fire of their own and her hand resting idly on her stomach as she sat on the couch, "We must find Zuzu and start praying now that she finds someone worthy of her to be her king. That damned council is not taking things into perspective. They might somehow get rid of Yukiko but there's still…HIM to consider. He will never just step aside, not from the title, not from the power, and NEVER from this family. He will force the clan by-laws to be enacted."

Hiryu growled audibly at that thought, and so did Sumire. Not one of them wanted that monster anywhere near their little girl. Still they knew there were only two options considering him: Kill him; or pray Zukiyo found a mate before assuming the throne.

"You can't for one moment let us relax and rejoice that those imbeciles have finally realized what we've known all along." Hiryu stated slightly grumpy with his daughter, "Can you?"

"No, because if we lose sight of what else must be done…everything is pointless." She answered as she stared into the fire still.

"Misora..." Sumire started, worried about her daughter a bit, she knew the look in those eyes all too well.

"I am fine, Ma." Her daughter stated then rose from the couch, "All I'm saying is that I fear for our little Zuzu if she does not find someone worthy of her. You know just as well as I do how that damned council is. Even if, by some miracle of the gods, Yoko dies…they will still force Zukiyo into marrying someone of their choosing to be king. Zu will never let herself be used but…there is only so much she can do by herself. She needs a king."

"She needs her family." Sumire interjected, "That way we can better protect her against them."

"If she lets us." Hiryu added thoughtfully, "She's always been untamable, uncontrollable, and free-willed."

"That's why she needs a king of her own choosing, Pa. She needs to find someone that will love her for who and what she is: a gypsy and a princess…a queen and will support her through this. We're her family, yes, but she can't lean on us for everything."

"She has to learn how to trust first, Misora. Zu…she hasn't let anyone in since…it happened." Misora's mother remarked.

"He ripped her heart to pieces during the worst time of her life…if she lets anyone in her heart or near it, it will be a miracle." Her father stated and Misora could only nod as he was right.

"Then we should start praying and hoping for someone strong enough to break down her walls." Misora stated and sighed, "How is the rest of the family? What do they know?"

"Aziza of course still despises Yukiko's every breath for her new laws. Chi does as well, although the both of them…well you know how they are." Sumire stated of her adopted sister and sister's granddaughter, two proud yet noble women raised in and among the palaces of a desert flanked river delta, "Yukiko hasn't taken to questioning them yet, thank the gods, not that they know anything. If they did they would have let us know. Chi is thinking of moving soon though. She's getting bored of where she is so…"

"She wants some new prey." Misora stated a bit amused, she knew her childhood friend's habits very well, "Where is she moving?"

"She hasn't decided yet. Your father suggested tossing a knife at a map to help her decide. Chi instead decided that she'd go wherever she could cause the most trouble while still remaining as far away from Yukiko as possible."

"That sounds like something Chi would say and do. Who knows, if we're lucky and fate is on our side, maybe she'll help us find Zu." Misora stated as she looked at the fire still and her mother spoke again before going back to the kitchen.

"We can only hope."

A/N: Yep the chapter is over. One of those ones where we get an update from the rest of the world. Zu and Gaara and the others will return in the next chapter I promise. That will be out as soon as I can get it out. Leave me some feedback to let me know how I'm doing.