*Chapter 24*: Chapter Twenty One: Learning
The properly beta'd version of chapter 21.
Previously: The preliminaries to the Chunin Exam finals have finally come to an end, and the violence has been great and terrible. Now, as the winners take their leave and begin their preparations, Konoha's rookie Ten, now nine, come to grips with everything that has been wrought...
Chapter 21: Learning
The Hospital was a jumbled platter of nurses, doctors, orderlies, medic nin, and patients, liberally sprinkled with ANBU and well shaken.
This was disaster. Sasuke had been discovered. Nobody was being allowed into or out of the building, ANBU were checking and rechecking the identities of medical staff, patients, and each other. Everything was a semi-organized and carefully orchestrated mess.
And the worst part of it all was that everything — the entire security protocol dance — was completely pointless. They knew who: Orochimaru. They knew what: the infliction of the curse mark. When: about ten minutes after Sasuke was escorted to his room from toxicology. Where: in the aforementioned room, practically under the nose of one of the more talented members of ANBU hospital security, who was himself being interrogated even now by Morino Ibiki himself.
The why and how were less clear, but currently only of academic importance for the time being. Lockdown procedures were in place, security checkpoints were established, and entire pages of phrases, counter-phrases, and passwords were recited and examined.
All pointless. The patients and staff checked out, ANBU hadn't been infiltrated, and Orochimaru was gone.
The effort was not exactly wasted; sort of a live ammo exercise in their reactive procedures, allowing for a safe execution of lockdown without anything actually being at risk. Even so, every so often one of those involved would absently reflect on the futility of their attempts. Even if it was all executed perfectly, they would still come up empty, and not even the most awful fumble was likely to make things any worse.
And so, even though they were throwing everything they had into it, there was still the nagging feeling that they were just going through the motions.
"Will he be alright?"
"No worse than you, I think," said Kakashi. "Kurenai is an accomplished seal mistress, as much so as I am. And Sasuke, while he doesn't have your inborn healing ability, seems to be naturally resistant to the energies of the mark. Or, at least in some fashion, able to adapt to it, even to the degree that he could probably live through it without sealing it at all... for a while, at any rate."
The door opened, and Naruto and Kakashi looked up. Shikamaru was still napping in the hospital waiting room chair. Some habits, it seemed, could not be easily done away with. As long as Shikamaru wasn't actively doing anything — which was, admittedly, a rare occurrence of late — he would fall asleep at the drop of a hat.
Naruto nudged his teammate in the ribs, who opened a bleary eye in response. It was always a fascinating thing to watch Shikamaru wake up. Despite the inherent laziness of his demeanor, he passed no intermediary stages between asleep and fully alert. The eye took in their immediate surroundings (relatively empty save for the three of them and the orderly at the door), Naruto's posture and state of mind (relaxed and calm), and subsequently the general posture and position of everyone else in the room. Finding everything to be in order, Shikamaru raised a questioning eyebrow in Naruto's direction before puzzling out who the new arrival must be, and opening the other eye to look at the medical worker.
The whole process took somewhat less than a full second; one reason Naruto loved watching it was because it was all processed so quickly. Naruto was no dummy, but Shikamaru was just plain fast, brilliantly so.
The nurse at the door cleared his throat, and said, "Nara-san, Kakashi-sempai, the doctor has stated that Uchiha Sasuke has been attended to by Kurenai-san. As to Mamochi Haku, his wounds are negligible. He is currently only suffering from a moderate case of chakra exhaustion. He will be fine with another day or so of rest."
Kakashi was still clearly tired for some reason; Naruto hadn't inquired as to why. This fatigue was probably the reason behind Kakashi's uncharacteristic lack of subtlety as he stood up and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "When will we be able to visit them?" he asked.
The nurse looked at the three shinobi with obvious discomfort. Naruto was suddenly flanked in supporting positions by both of his companions, both of whom were directing focused and not entirely amiable looks of accusation at the hospital staff worker. Naruto himself was not offended by the staff worker's unease; he was used to it. He was, however, slightly uncomfortable, partly due to the unfamiliar feeling of people unhesitatingly and unreservedly sticking up for him, and partly by the close proximity of both of those advocates, far closer than he was used to or wanted, especially from guys.
The nurse looked from face to face between the three before biting his lower lip. He suddenly could not meet their gazes. "Doctor Akimichi has cleared Nara-san and Hatake-san, but Uzumaki-san has been requested to instead report to him."
The three shinobi exchanged uncertain glances. Their initial impression was that Naruto was to be excluded, not that the doctor needed a consultation with him. And why would a doctor need Naruto in the first place? After a moment, Naruto shrugged. "Guess I'll go see what he wants."
The nurse escorted Naruto down the hallway to a flight of stairs. They went up two floors, took a hallway past a number of examination rooms, and went through a set of doors which read 'Outpatient'.
The nurse seemed apprehensive. Naruto said, "Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you. No need for panic." The nurse halted so suddenly, Naruto found himself taking an extra step or two past him, before he stopped himself and turned to face the escort. "What?"
The nurse frowned at him. "I'm not worried about you hurting me," he said waspishly, and a faint touch of anger crossed his face. "I'm worried about you giving false hope to people who've been let down far too often. Bad enough someone should have to suffer from an eventually fatal illness, but to raise their hopes one more time before they come crashing down? You are as cruel as the thing that hides inside of you."
Naruto blinked. "W-what?"
The nurse glared at him, before gesturing to the door. "That's the room. The doctor and the patient are inside. Goodbye." The nurse turned and walked stiffly off down the hallway.
Naruto blinked again, before he set his hand on the handle of the door and opened it slowly.
Naruto understood immediately as soon as his mind processed everyone in the room. There were two doctors, one of whom was a very large framed man. Next to the exam table, there stood an anxious looking woman grasping the hand of the man seated on the table- Gekko Hayate.
The doctor with the large frame smiled, and as he did, it struck Naruto how much the man resembled Choji. "Hello, Uzumaki-san. My name is Akimichi Katsuo. I'm a specialist in chakra-related illnesses, and a chonin level medic-nin; although while I'm on duty here I'm simply Doctor Akimichi. This is my colleague Doctor Ono, Uzuki Yuugao, and you've already met Hayate-san. I imagine you've already guessed why we've called you here today."
Naruto nodded. "The tumor, right?"
The doctor nodded in return. "My patient tells me that your kekkei genkai can tell you exactly where it is?"
Naruto frowned and nodded assent. "But don't you already have Hyuuga who can help you with that?"
Doctor Akimichi turned his eyes over to Hayate, who sat watching Naruto carefully, as though afraid to believe in what was really happening. Yuugao, however, was instead infused with a mixture of excitement and hope. Her free hand, the one that wasn't holding Hayate's, twined and twisted in her yukata, a fairly fancy one for just a hospital visit, Naruto noted absently to himself.
PERHAPS SHE HAS SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE. PERHAPS YOU ARE THE REASON SHE IS CELEBRATING… OR RATHER, WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR HER MATE, the Kyuubii noted.
Naruto grunted; the Kyuubii's interjection distracted him from what the doctor was saying. "I'm sorry, Doctor, could you repeat that?"
The doctor smiled. "Of course. As I mentioned before, I'm a specialist in chakra related illnesses. Gekko-san here has a rare form of cancer, a type which is commonly referred to as a CRC, which is short for Chakra Reactant Carcinoma. Some of these cancers are relatively benign; others are highly malignant. Gakko-san likely has a more benign version, as it was discovered several months ago and he is still alive; some forms of CRC can kill within a matter of weeks. All CRC's have several traits in common. First off, the patient must be very cautious with his use of any chakra, as the cancer will siphon off a portion of that chakra and use it to grow, almost invariably in severe and unpredictable ways. Likewise, he may not be the recipient of any form of medical jutsu, as the chakra influx into his body will be almost immediately absorbed by the tumor and will trigger its growth. This, of course, makes them inoperable by normal means."
The doctor's face became grave, as he went on. "The second thing most CRC's have in common is that Byakugan and most similar dojutsu are inherently incapable of seeing them. Their presence creates a haze through which chakra reactive sight cannot see; and chakra analysis is useless on even standard injuries, not just the tumor itself. In short, Uzumaki-san, if you are capable of seeing the location and size of the tumor, then you are likely the only person in the world who can."
Naruto activated his Kamigan. The occupants of the room seemed intrigued by the blackness of his eyes, but Naruto ignored their reactions. "Yeah, I can see it. It's, Hmmm..." He took a few steps forward, tapping a spot just to the left of Hayate's breastbone. "Right about here, but an inch or so in, at the branching part of his lungs, um, on the bottom, kind of sticking through the wall of it and into the baggy part around his heart. It isn't touching the heart itself, though." Naruto frowned and looked at the doctor. "It's about an inch or two wide and roughly roundish, like a stretched out ball, but a little lumpy. None of the flesh around it is anything like it. But I don't understand. If you can't use chakra or jutsu to get it out, what can you do?"
The man that Doctor Akimichi called Ono sprang up, and ran for the door, shouting for a nurse to fetch several orderlies and a gurney. Doctor Akimichi said, "That is why we have Doctor Ono in the room. He is a surgeon, and we'll get that monstrosity out of Hayate-san the old fashioned way. We'll cut it out. I want you to go into the operating room with the doctor. You've got a good head for describing the location of things, and you will make exploratory surgery unnecessary. You've drastically increased Hayate-san's chances of survival. In fact, I might even say that you have, almost singlehandedly, saved his life. If that's all there is to the tumor..?"
Naruto nodded. "That's the only thing like it in his body that I can see."
Hayate and Yuugao both burst into tears and hugged each other, even as the door opened and the nurse from before arrived with a gurney and two husky men. Doctor Akimichi handed Naruto a set of scrubs and directed him to the sink. "Put that on, and wash your hands up to your elbows, quickly and thoroughly. I want that water as hot as you can stand it. Then put on a set of gloves and go with them. Be as accurate as you can be when you describe the location and the size of the tumor; the less damage the surgeon can inflict on his way in, the faster Hayate-san can recover from surgery and the more likely that he will live through it. Go. Now."
Sasuke was gaping at Kakashi in disbelief. It was two days after the first time that Team Akachi had been allowed to see him, but Naruto hadn't come by yet, not even once. When Sasuke asked Kakashi why, Kakashi answered him; and all Sasuke could do was stare in response. After a few seconds, he managed to reconnect the circuits from his brain to his mouth. "He wants to do what?"
Shikamaru was thoughtful. "Actually, it might be a pretty good thing, to have a medic-nin as Hokage."
Sasuke, in his hospital bed, and Kakashi, leaning against the doorframe, both looked with raised eyebrows over at Shikamaru where he sat. Shikamaru, seeing their reaction, just gave a chuckle. "Oh, come on. He's going to get there, probably in the next decade. If not the Godaime, he'll be the Rokudaime; although that probably depends on when Sarutobi-sama decides to step down a second time."
Kakashi looked to the ceiling, as though in thought, doing his best not to show how Shikamaru's words had struck him. Internally, he began thinking about the Sandaime's pipe; he didn't notice the taste so much any more, and he had to admit, it did calm his nerves, especially after having to deal with everything that the Hokage dealt with day in, day out. Out loud, Kakashi said, "Although any other genin I would advise to hold off on these studies and train fighting instead, given that the Chuinin Exam finals are coming up, Naruto might actually benefit more in the upcoming exam by learning the medicnin trade. For a ninja with his degree of talent and power, he could only benefit from a more detailed understanding of the human body."
Sasuke seemed to bristle at this for a moment, until Kakashi added, "And with his temperament, it is probably best that he gains that understanding in an atmosphere whose intent is to heal, rather than to harm. Because, for all his ability in the art of violence, Sasuke, you are far better suited to handling it in your own life and background, ne?"
Sasuke snorted, but Kakashi could see that his words had their desired effect. Kakashi continued with a shrug, "At any rate, I would not have the time to train him personally, as I will be too busy."
It was Shikamaru's turn to raise an eyebrow. "With what?"
"Training Sasuke," Kakashi replied. "But don't worry, Shikamaru. I've arranged for you to have a tutor of your own, who is in every way as capable as I am, and, given his abilities, is much more suited to your style of fighting than I would be."
"Really?" Shikamaru asked with a slight frown. "Does he play shogi?"
"I'm not sure. I've never really asked him. But he's not a straight-forward combat type... so when he does confront an opponent, he prefers to analyze them and understand their motives, what makes them tick, then figure out how to use his own skills and the terrain around him to their best effect. He's very good at it."
Shikamaru mulled this over before finally giving an approving nod. "Sounds promising," he said. "What's his name?"
Kakashi gave a smile that only showed in his one visible eye, as he replied, "His name is Pakkun."
Off on the far side of Konoha, Choji was wandering, lost in his thoughts. Naruto had been walking wounded, the whole time. According to Shikamaru, he'd already received his injury the first day of the exam — some kind of a chakra mark — and had carried the injury for five days before the preliminaries to the Chunin Exam finals. Yet even with this injury, Naruto had beaten him with relative ease before the injury finally overcame him.
True, Naruto was one of the most mysterious and powerful of the genin currently in Konoha. But... he'd been all but incapacitated, fighting without his signature weapon... And Choji had fought his best and hardest.
Still, Naruto had beaten him hands down, without even having to really hurt Choji in the process.
("If there's anybody here in the preliminary who can take on Naruto and win... it's you.")
Did his loss mean that there was really nobody in the exams who could beat Naruto?
("Choji, man, have you ever known me to lie to you?")
Did it mean that Shikamaru had lied to him?
("Remember what I told you.")
Or did it mean that Choji hadn't really believed enough... in himself? ("You're the only person strong enough to go toe to toe with him and win.")
Strong enough...
At least, Choji discovered, he was no longer afraid of the Blond Terror of Team Akachi. Intimidated by, in awe of, envious... yes. But... no longer afraid.
He pulled up short. Ahead of him, outside the walls of a women's bathhouse, crouched a tall, powerfully built man with face paint that could not hide his age, not with the beginnings of the sag of his cheeks nor the color of his long, spiked white hair. He wore geta shoes- How long has it been since THOSE were in style? Choji wondered.
The man was peeping through a hole in the fence and giggling with a perverted smile, while furiously scribbling in a notebook.
Choji frowned uncertainly. "Um..." he began, "I don't... think you should be doing that."
In the years to come, Choji more than once wondered what would have happened had he simply turned around and walked away. Occasionally he would wish he had; more often he was grateful he didn't.
But one sentiment remained constant in the years to come: had he just walked away, it would have saved him an AWFUL lot of grief.
"It's incredible," said a medic-nin. "I mean, it's one thing to hear about it, but to actually see it."
"It's fascinating. I don't understand it, but it's fascinating," agreed another. "If he can get enough practice in, he'll have a level of chakra control unmatched by any normal human."
The topic of their conversation was sleeping on a diagram on the floor. Glyphs and chakra circuits surrounded him in an incredibly complex pattern. The circuits and seals channeled the information being gathered about Naruto's body and displayed in a three-dimensional force-field genjutsu, slowly rotating so that the various observers in the room could get a comprehensive view from all sides. Right now, the force-field genjutsu was displaying Naruto's keirakukei.
Several of these observers were not medical staff at all; most notably, Yamato, Maito Gai, Mitarashi Anko, and Hatake Kakashi. Anko admitted, "I'm not even entirely certain of what I'm seeing." She studied the tangled and interwoven lines where, according to all the scrolls she had ever read on the subject, there should be a single path.
"As near as I can tell," said Hyuuga Natsume as she traced the redundant pathways in the force-field genjutsu display, "it seems that his keirakukei have been reinforced, not just multiplied. They appear capable of handling a higher chakra load than any keirakukei network I've ever heard of; and they seem to have an intersecting tertiary redundancy. I won't know more until and unless we can get Hiashi-sama to seal off his tenketsu, but from the network flow I believe attempting to overload his chakra pathways — or even blocking the tenketsu, for that matter — would be an exercise in futility. We already knew the Kyuubi's chakra heals him, but this appears to be designed to not only heal his wounds but to repair any obstructions in the pathways themselves. One would need to strike all tenketsu in a section to cut off flow from all possible currents at the same time, or else the chakra would simply flow around the blockage and clear the interruption from other circuits almost immediately. Since the curse mark propagates itself through the keirakukei, it's a miracle that Kakashi-san was able to seal it off at all."
"It works because I do not fight the mark; I force it to fight itself," Kakashi said. "A foe's strength is often best and most effectively used against himself."
"What did you mean by what you said earlier, about higher levels of chakra control?" asked Gai.
"Once he learns to differentiate and decide which chakra pathways he uses, he can subdivide it as it flows down his keirakukei until the exact amount he needs is flowing along each pathway," Natsume answered. "And in sealing, there are a series of techniques where parallel pathways can be laid out so that, when charged with chakra, they create a wave form interference with one another which can effectively magnify the precision with which chakra is applied. In his case, he could learn to set up the wave form interference within his own body, something that nobody with normal chakra pathways could do. I wonder if it's hereditary."
"It likely is," Yamato murmured softly. "They have always liked to create new species; a difficult thing to do if the traits cannot be passed on."
"So, you think Naruto is no longer human?" Anko inquired in an equally quiet tone.
"No. They didn't take woman to alter. They'll ensure he can breed with his ancestral stock," Yamato replied.
A voice from the door interjected, "Teach him the art of one-handed seals."
All of their eyes turned towards the doorway, where Nara Shikaku stood, leaning idly against the frame. "Where did you come from?"
"The Hokage," Shikaku answered. Something in his voice made Kakashi's eyes narrow slightly. "I would have said something earlier, but it was more interesting to listen to you guys. At any rate, that's not what I'm here for." He held up an envelope; the outside of it was labeled Uzumaki Naruto. "Your patient has a mission, signed by the Hokage: to back up Team Eight on a mission they are being dispatched on. Mission will be co-led by Ebisu Saboro and Yuuhi Kurenai."
Kakashi grunted. Asuma was pulling Hokage duty today; he knew his father's administrative style better than any other member of the Nine. The use of Team Eight so shortly after the loss of one of its members was a telling choice. They needed someone found... but the inclusion of Naruto suggested that he felt the team might need muscle with them. And why Ebisu? He's an elite instructor, but only slightly above average when it comes to field operations — much of the reason he's classified as special jonin. Most of the time he's teaching Asuma's illegitimate kid, Konohamaru. So why this? What is Asuma thinking?
"What's the mission?" asked Kakashi.
"Hey, hey, what makes you think I'd know?" protested Shikaku.
Kakashi's complete lack of response was more eloquent than any facial expression of annoyance. "Fine, fine. You remember the little tussle between Hyuuga Neji and that medic kid in the preliminaries?"
"You act like you personally saw it," Anko said acerbicly.
"Saw the replay on the cameras," Shikaku smirked. "And stuff a sock in it."
"Fuck you," Anko retorted.
"Married, hon, so I'm not eligible. Besides, I'm not into pain." He didn't respond to her indignant squawk. "Anyhow, Hyuuga Hiashi is demanding that every effort be made to track down and bring back the Sannin Tsunade. Team Eight isn't necessarily expected to be able to bring her back on the official records, of course, but they are the only fully trained tracking team we have that isn't out on mission. And it will be excellent on the job training for them. However, our intelligence indicates that Kumogakure has been operating very heavily in some of the projected places which Tsunadehime has been known to travel, and given the grudge against the Hyuuga clan that Kumo has, it puts Hinata at very high risk. In a situation like this, the Hyuuga heir would ordinarily have their personal bodyguard accompany them; but since Neji is the reason for this mission in the first place, Hiashi-sama has found a replacement. Possibly a permanent one..."
That made an impact on all of those present, but none more so than on Hyuuga Natsume. She knew full well what this meant, for Hinata's future and Naruto's alike.
Kakashi asked, "But what if the mission runs past the Chunin Exam finals?"
Shikaku's eyes were full of speculation and curiosity in equal measures. "He said that if the mission runs past the deadline for the Chunin Exam finals, and Uzumaki-san is successful in bringing back the Hyuuga heiress safely, he will personally endorse Naruto's ad hoc promotion to chunin."
Kakashi's eye widened in surprise, and Anko let out a low whistle. "What caused that change of heart?" Kurenai wondered, seeming almost offended by the news. "Hiashi has always insisted that Naruto should have been kept sedated like any other jinchuuriki; or killed, if it could be proven that the Kyuubii would die with him. What could have changed his mind so drastically?"
Shikaku's grin was as sudden as it was gleeful. "Hinata yelled at him. Not sure if it was the fact that she forced him to see
Naruto had risked his life to protect her and her teammates against Orochimaru, or simply that under Naruto's influence
Hinata finally stood up to him. Whatever the reason, Hiashi has effected a complete reversal of his prior policy regarding Naruto. Apparently, his logic is that anyone who can hold off a Sannin, even for only a few minutes, is suitable as a guardian for the Hyuuga heir."
The pieces fell into place for Kakashi. "Hiashi plans on making it permanent. And he thinks that with Naruto along, the mission will succeed."
Shikaku shrugged. "Well, Naruto is the major unknown factor here, with his unfamiliar bloodlines, but the team has a good mix of skills for the mission, and they're almost perfect for dealing with Tsunade's psych profile. Shino prefers to be silent and in the background, supporting; Ebisu is so congenial as to be almost obsequious; Hinata is gaining confidence as a person and as a ninja; and Kurenai…" Shikaku raised an eyebrow at her as he said her name, "…can charm damn near anyone when she decides to. The boys will remain more or less in the background for this one while the girls take the lead. According to Tsunade's personality profile, this will make a far better impression on her than any other formation we could think of. Save perhaps leaving off Naruto, but Hiashi wouldn't hear of it, and in all fairness, he does have a point. Naruto doesn't have the knowledge and experience of a jonin; but, short of one, I don't think we could add a more powerful single member to their team."
Anko frowned. "I think you'll be repeating all of this when Naruto wakes up."
"I wasn't asleep."
Everyone in the room shot a look over at Naruto, whose body lay in perfect relaxation, breathing even and slow. Even his blood pressure and chakra regulation still registered absolute rest. His lips move again as he said, "I don't really need much in the way of sleep anymore. So I can remain alert and ready to move while I let my body rest."
"According to what I'm seeing here," Natsume said, "you have been asleep. Or at least, part of your brain is. I think your brain is sleeping in partitions, one part at a time."
"Oh." Naruto didn't seem particularly impressed by this information. "Do the others know about the mission yet?"
"Hey, wait a second," protested Anko. "You mean you were listening in the whole time? That takes all the fun out of talking about you behind your back."
"We need to stay on topic," Naruto said. "We have a mission to discuss, and I have a few questions to ask about this Tsunade woman. Does she not like guys or something?"
Shikaku shook his head, momentarily forgetting that Naruto, with his eyes closed, couldn't see him. "Tsunade-hime, not like guys? Well, she's a bit of a strange one. I don't know personally if she doesn't like guys or not, but it's a pretty well documented fact that she hates perverts. Another reason that Kurenai-san will likely be glad you're going along, since according to her, you're about as close to frigid as she's ever seen any male get." Anko started laughing uncontrollably as Kurenai blushed a deep crimson, a vein popping out on her forehead as she glared at Shikaku. Shikaku ignored the look as he continued, "In fact, according to her, she thinks you might be a eunuch."
Anko was laughing uproariously now, while the other members of the room looked on in varying degrees of mortification. Kurenai's look promised violence in Shikaku's future.
Naruto's voice registered puzzlement. "What's a eunuch?"
Hyuuga Hinata watched as the door to Neji's hospital room opened and Hiashi — her father — walked out. Her father's impassive face showed no emotion, no trace of his thoughts, and yet, Hinata could sense the turmoil, somehow. Pain, sadness, regret, and even anger, she could sense them in him.
After a moment, as she watched her father stand motionless outside the door to her cousin's room, Hinata chose to speak. "Father, I—"
Hiashi raised a hand, interrupting her. "Hinata... chan." Hinata gasped. Her father had not addressed her as '-chan' for as long as she could remember. "Now is... not the time."
Hiashi turned and began walking, and Hinata walked beside him, matching his pace and his bearing. For the first time in her life, she felt like she belonged next to him: the great Hiashi, head of the Hyuuga clan, and his daughter, the Heiress apparent. Their walk home to the Hyuuga compound was quiet.
Finally, they reached the compound, entered the main building, gone to his study. Hiashi closed the door behind them, while Hinata sat in one of the visitor chairs.
Hiashi took his own chair. Hinata chose this moment to ask. "Father, what were you talking to Neji about?"
"My brother," Hiashi said softly. "I told him the truth of what happened, when Kumogakure demanded my corpse."
Hinata knew of this. She'd been involved in the incident, at least peripherally, as it was during an attempt to kidnap her that Kumo's Raikage was caught and killed. The chain reaction had nearly started a war, only narrowly averted by her uncle offering himself in Hiashi's place. She'd learned of it later but had been cautioned not to bring the incident up to her cousin, as his emotional state was considered fractious and unpredictable. Better that he cooled off before he was told, the clan elders had said. Yet somehow, Neji never seemed to let go of his pain. "How did he take it?" she asked.
Hiashi sighed. "He refused to believe me. Said that I was merely attempting to placate him."
"Why did you chose to tell him now, father?" Hinata asked.
Hiashi shook his head. "Because I wanted him to understand that I didn't want him to live the rest of his life crippled. Not because he is the greatest potential weapon our house has, but because I owe him… I owe my brother… this much. And Neji... is all I have left of my brother, now."
Hinata blinked, somewhat surprised. This was a side of her father that she'd never seen before.
Hiashi took a deep breath. "Hinata. You are the Hyuuga heiress. For a time, I had despaired of you ever being ready to take up the mantle of clan leadership. You knew our techniques; your academic knowledge was adequate; yet you lacked confidence. You lacked drive, ambition, and determination. But I have seen a difference in you. I first began to notice it after your joint mission between Teams Seven and Eight. Anko-sensei informed me of your performance in combat; that even after injury, you pressed forward, continued to fight and refused to pause for more than cursory medical attention. Make note, I find that to be reckless and stupid; you are the clan heiress, and are not to take such risks as refusing medical attention unnecessarily.
"Yet, I admit to feeling a certain sense of pride in your fire, your determination to complete that mission. There will be times that such a decision will be needed, even vital; and when they occur you must be willing to make that decision… as you have already demonstrated that you are. But you must also learn to discern when it is necessary and which missions are so vital."
Hinata nodded. Hiashi continued. "You displayed your ferocity to me only a few days ago. When I spoke disparagingly about the Uzumaki boy in your presence, you not only contradicted me but actually yelled at me. You pointed out that you — and the House of Hyuuga as a whole — owed Naruto a debt of blood for saving your life, quite nearly at the cost of his own. And when I was forced to see I had been in error, I thought back to your prior infatuation with Naruto… Yes, I have been aware of it." Hiashi made no acknowledgement of Hinata's blush as he went on, "I had initially intended to ignore it as a passing phase. When it did not abate, I made my feelings about the boy known to you, expecting you to act accordingly. Never once did I forbid you from seeing him or associating with him, as I had assumed that your station would make him keep his distance."
Hiashi paused. Hinata felt her heart leap into her throat.
After a long pregnant moment, Hiashi said, "I can no longer deny that Naruto has had an influence on you, and that it has been a positive one. He has made you bold, made you willing to defy others, even me, in the face of what you believe is right. And through you, he has even effected a change in myself."
Hiashi took a scroll from the corner of his desk and, after looking at it for a moment, handed it to Hinata. The scroll was unsealed, but tied closed. Hinata looked at it, then at her father, before looking back at the scroll. Slowly, she unfurled the scroll with trembling hands. Her eyes scanned the first words on the page, widened as she read a few more lines, then filled with tears.
She dropped the scroll and jumped up. Pens, papers, scrolls, and various knick-knackery, along with Hiashi's favorite lamp, flew off the desk in disarray as she flung herself across it, wrapping her arms around her father and crying, interspersing her sobs with 'otousan' and 'arigatou.'
Though Hiashi's distress at the disorderly disaster made of his desk was pronounced, he still managed gentleness as he set her down. "Daughter, compose yourself! We have a great deal to discuss yet, and this must serve to soften the blow for what is yet to come."
Hiashi occupied himself with picking up the numerous things Hinata's impulse had scattered. Hinata simply sat back in her chair, cradling the scroll to her chest.
After her tears had died down to sniffles, Hiashi spoke again. "Make no mistake, my daughter, this is not the most significant piece of news I have to relate to you, nor is it the most far reaching. You are being sent on a mission, one requested of Konoha by the Hyuuga family. The mission is to locate and bring back to Konoha the Lady Tsunade, for the purposes of healing your cousin Neji. He is talented and a great asset to our house and village alike... and he is, as I have said before, all that remains to me of my brother."
Hiashi grimaced. "There is, however, a complication, and this complication ensures that I must put ahead of my personal wishes the good of our clan and our village. During the morning of the preliminaries to the third exam, a meeting of the civilian council was called. Since the death of my great uncle, my father has served as the Hyuuga representative to the council. I am aware that you already knew this, Hinata, but I mention this because I am considering having him removed as such."
Hinata blinked again in shock, the scroll momentarily forgotten. "But father... Why?"
Hiashi sighed heavily. "Because my father has somehow lost sight of what is in the best interest of the Hyuuga clan. In the meeting, my father attempted to stir up sentiment against Uchiha Sasuke.
"Most of our family wishes that the old rivalry between Hyuuga and Uchiha ended with the massacre. All those responsible for the past were dead, and only one Uchiha remained in the village. It was plain to see… for me, at least… that he had little of the ambition and hunger for dominance that the rest of the Uchiha clan possessed. He was only a child, hurt, and scared of the brother who killed the rest of his clan. But a few in our clan… notably, my father and a few others… saw him not as a child but the last, vulnerable remnant of the greatest threat our village has ever known."
"A threat to our village?" Hinata wondered.
"Yes." Hiashi looked up at the knock on the door. Outside stood one of the branch members of the house with a tray of tea.
"Hmm. Four o'clock already," Hiashi murmured to himself as he deactivated the Byakugan and nodded to Hinata. She stood up and opened the door, and the young Hyuuga Hotaru walked in, before setting down the tray, pouring two cups, and bowing. "Will you need anything else, Hiashi-sama?"
"No," Hiashi replied, taking a cup and nodding to her. "That will be all."
Hotaru nodded and bowed again, before leaving.
For a moment, Hiashi and Hinata sipped at their tea, each taking council of their own thoughts. Hiashi broke the silence. "There is much that is not known to the village in general. Even most of our shinobi are not privy to the true workings that go on around them. The bulk of this village's secrets rest in the minds of the clan heads and the village jonin. And one of the most dangerous secrets is that of the Uchiha clan massacre."
Hiashi's face was gravely serious. "For many years, the Uchiha clan, by virtue of the power of their Sharingan, served as first the de facto, then de jure, police force of Konoha. But we, the Hyuuga, served as a secret police. While the eyes of the Uchiha provided a brute force none could exceed and few could equal, our eyes gave us a superior ability to uncover that which was hidden and to root out that which was traitorous. It is why we were granted the Privilege of Hyuuga, although it was given numerous strictures to prevent abuses. Because of our competing positions in village security, we were frequently at odds with one another, each side convinced of the other attempting to 'poach'."
Hiashi finished his tea, before pouring more into his cup. At his raised eyebrow, Hinata nodded, forcing herself not to fidget or blush. Her father nodded approvingly in turn; this was a meeting of clan head and future clan head, and her forced composure was good practice for the future. He poured her tea and set the pot back on its place. "Tensions rose to a head when the Nidaime Hokage took office. The Uchiha insisted that some members of our family lured several chunin officers into a fatal ambush, while my father insists that the evidence back then was fabricated."
"Which was it, father?" Hinata asked.
"I do not know," Hiashi admitted. "There is little certainty either way. But regardless of who struck first, the die had been cast. The Uchiha arrested several members of our family in connection with the alleged murders, including my father's elder sister, who was originally intended as the Heir. No word was mentioned of what became of her; she was never seen again.
"My father was still in the academy at the time. Despite the fact that he knew he would be given the caged bird seal, he and his sister were very close. The arresting officers had to knock my father unconscious to get him to stop fighting them. He would have been arrested and charged with assaulting an officer, but the Nidaime Hokage pardoned him, saying that he had only been performing in his official capacity as the Protector of the Heir.
"Strike and reprisal went on, sometimes covert, sometimes more openly, for several years, sometimes with weeks or even months between incidents. Shortly after my father gained chunin status, Grandfather was implicated in the murder of several Uchiha that had gone missing.
"By this point the Sandaime Hokage had taken up the reins of the village. With the indictment of our clan head, the unsecret secret of the Hyuuga-Uchiha war was forced to be openly acknowledged by both the council and the Hokage. My father, only sixteen at the time, acted in what he believed to be the best interests of the Hyuuga clan. He surrendered to arrest most of the clan elders and issued a public statement of responsibility for the conflict. This might have had terrible repercussions to the clan thereafter, but my father knew the seeds of the Second Shinobi War were already sprouting; and less than two weeks after his declaration, open war broke out with Kumogakure. Rather than face legal scrutiny the Hyuuga clan instead exonerated themselves in blood against Kumo, throwing ourselves into the fight unreservedly. And we were exceedingly good at it. It is an interesting thing to note that the vendetta Kumogakure holds of against our clan has its roots in the Uchiha-Hyuuga rivalry." Hiashi stopped for a second, and Hinata realized that her tea had gone cold. She finished it quickly, then poured more for herself and her father. Hiashi took his cup and sipped from it, before continuing. "At this point, with our acquiescence, the Uchiha clan became first among equals. But unknown to many, until it was almost too late, the Uchiha were not simply content to attain simple prestige. No, as it turned out, without the risk of the Hyuuga Secret Police, they were free to plot the takeover of Konoha.
"It is only ten years after the end of the second War, in the Third Shinobi War, that a historical irony occurred. By forcing the Uchiha to suspend their time tables when hostilities broke out, Iwagakure actually saved Konoha from destruction at the hands of the Uchiha clan. Not that Iwa would much appreciate the service they performed for us, of course. It was against them that Namikaze Minato honed his skills, so that by the time the Third War ended, Minato was too powerful to depose as Hokage. The Uchiha were forced to wait... but they were nothing if not patient. Yet fate, it seemed, was against them.
"By the time circumstances were ripe for them to take advantage of the advancing age of the reinstated Sandaime Hokage after the Kyuubii attack, the clan had been partially depleted, mostly by the attack itself. The Uchiha were training their next generation of ninja, the ones whom they planned to take control of Konoha, and at their forefront was Itachi."
Hiashi smiled. "The Uchiha were a proud, arrogant clan... but Itachi was different. The Uchiha found it amusing and convenient that the Sandaime Hokage chose to train Itachi personally; but the Hokage was craftier than they had guessed, and took to nurturing the difference within Itachi. When Itachi was at last forced to choose between his clan and Konoha, he chose to side with Konoha, first in killing Uchiha Shisui when he discovered Itachi's loyalties and went to warn the rest of the clan, then later, on Hokage-sama's orders, in killing the rest of his clan.
"My father was overjoyed. Karma, it seemed, had extracted the revenge the Hyuuga clan had hungered for over a generation. And, for a time, he was satisfied. By this time, of course, he had long since passed the mantle of leadership to me.
"Then, the dynamic of the situation changed. On the most recent Academy graduation, Sasuke was shuffled into Neji's team. My father was incensed. He demanded that I require him to be transferred to a different genin team. I pointed to the progress Sasuke's influence had sparked in my nephew. Yet my father countered my arguments by pointing out that exposure to Neji had spurred Sasuke to activate his own Sharingan. Sasuke was gaining strength, and with his attention drawn by Sasuke's placement on Neji's team, my father's scrutiny remained even after Sasuke's transfer to Team Seven. Matters only served to deteriorate more once Naruto demonstrated his own Byakugan. In Father's eyes that sealed Naruto as not only jinchuuriki but also a child of the Lost Ones, quite forgetting — or possibly, unwilling to admit — that the Lost Ones left the family after Naruto was born. So Naruto, however he had received his Byakugan, was not of their line. Although I myself would dearly like to know exactly whose indiscretion it was that led to him. At any rate, this information tainted Sasuke by association even further."
Hiashi frowned. The cups were empty again; so too was the teapot. For a moment he seemed ready to send for more tea, but then reconsidered it. He sighed, and said, "Which brings us back to the meeting on the day of the preliminaries. My father's aspersions on Sasuke were met with ridicule. When even most of his usual supporters voted against him, he chose to invoke the Privilege of Hyuuga against Sasuke. This is possibly the worst thing he could have done, for the clan and village alike, as he has now ensured that the rivalry will start up all over again if it fails, or that Konoha will lose one of its greatest bloodlines should it succeed. Yet in light of the past and his experiences, I can see his reasoning, the more alarming for how compelling it is despite the flaw of using obsolete information to drive his actions. My father may even believe he is acting in the best interests of the clan but, while I understand his logic, I do not support it and I will not allow his error to incur a debt on Konoha that our clan cannot afford.
"Our only lucky break in this is the severity of the injuries inflicted on Neji. As my father chose Neji to carry out the
Privilege, the time limit has already begun. Sasuke will not be informed of the Privilege until the actual challenge is made — and the challenge must be made within twenty days. Meaning that, as of tomorrow, only fourteen days remain for that challenge to be made, or else the Privilege has failed. Therefore, you must ensure that Tsunade-sama is not returned to Konoha before two weeks have passed. And you will be operating in an area where our clan's greatest enemies are active."
Hinata's face was solemn. "Who will I be teamed with, Father?"
Hiashi sighed. "For jonin support, the team will include Kurenai-sensei and Ebisu-sensei. Your teammates will be Shino, your remaining teammate from Team Seven... and Naruto."
The bottom dropped out of Hinata's stomach. The scroll she'd received earlier felt like a lead brick in her hands, and her head swam. Her father had granted a formal intent of betrothal to Uzumaki Naruto, to be delivered to his guardian, the Sandaime Hokage, and she was being sent on a mission with her future husband with the intent of sabotaging it. In this mission, she might be forced to betray her future husband — he might even discover some evidence of her betrayal in the process — only to return home and learn that the girl who had betrayed him was the woman he would one day marry.
Yet Hinata knew that if it was necessary, she would do it. Because, if Neji were to present the challenge of the Privilege of Hyuuga, then either Sasuke or Neji would die.
It truly was a bitter pill to swallow.
End Chapter 21
-AN: That was a beast of a chapter- second longest to date.
Little to add here- I've seen a few conjectures, and been surprised at how close (And how far) some people are guessing at what is going to happen next. For those of you kvetching about the 'pairing' let me remind you that everything is still up in the air. Just because nobody in the past has turned down an intent of marriage from a major clan doesn't mean that it isn't going to happen. Nor does it mean that Naruto will turn it down. Both of these statements are true.
Hope that you all like this chapter- I know it has no fighting in it, although I got to put in a bit of backstory that made more sense to me than what canon espouses (At least, of what I've seen of it- much is left unexplained so I felt the need to take artistic license here and there).
Thank you all for your readership and reviews- I almost added another rant here, but then thought the better of it. My irritation is aimed at people that none of you who have stuck with me this far will (luckily) ever have to meet. so instead I leave you this: a preview, and then a sign off.
Preview chapter 22:
Recognition. At last.
He kept trying to feel the pride, the joy. Yet the only thing he could feel was the cool grooves in the smooth metal of the hitai ate.
He should sleep, he knew. Tomorrow was a big day.
But he just couldn't sleep.
End preview.
Ja mata.
-AXENOME