*Chapter 36*: Chapter Thirty One: Loose Change

Chapter Thirty One: Loose Change

Change is the only certainty.

People rail against change, despite how inherently adaptable they are. Usually it is out of laziness, more than anything. Why change if we don't have to, yes?

But change happens anyways.

It is change that moves the world forward, change that defines our growth, change that occurs all around in ways both large and small.

The Hyuuga clan has undergone change, and many of those in power aren't happy about it, while others are ecstatic.

-rf-

"You are outvoted in this matter, Shinzashi."

The elder Hyuuga grimly stared back at the main family elders, from all six lines of the main family. Hiashi's line might have been first among equals, but the other five lines were main family lines as well, and they could not be ignored.

Shinzashi raised his chin defiantly. "I will NOT unseal him. The Privelege was never enacted, as Neji was medically crippled until after the deadline for the Privelege. Therefore, he will not become a main family progenitor."

"You know the rules!" Snapped Hotaru of the fourth line, her milky eyes cataracted but no less forceful for it. "The

Privelege may only be enacted by a main family member! By demanding that Hyuuga Neji be the executor of the

Privelege, regardless of its outcome, you ensured that Neji, branch member of the First line, would become a Main Family member, and the only means by which this may be enacted is the excoriation of his Caged Bird seal and his establishment as a New Main Line family! You have brought this about yourself!"

The implied insult about lack of foresight was a heavy one among the Hyuuga family, whose dojutsu implied both prediction and insight far beyond that of any other. Shinzashi bristled at it. "He has done nothing to earn it, and his surly demeanor and defiant behavior- which my son has done NOTHING to curtail out of a misplaced sense of affection to Branch Member Hizashi-" this addition was met with a murmur of growls from the other elders, "-and should he be granted free reign in his undisciplined fashion he will bring shame and ruin on the house of Hyuuga!"

"Father." The voice was sharp as a knife. All elders' eyes shot to the doorway where Hiashi stood. "I too agree with them.

It must must done."

Shinzashi's voice was brittle, as brittle as his emotions. "How dare you, boy?" He demanded. "I am your FATHER! I was the head of the family for longer than you've been alive! How dare you to presume you know better than I what is best for the Hyuuga?"

Hiashi's face was stony and stern, unbending for the first time in his life against his father's will. A dim portion of

Shinzashi's mind, one that he tried to ruthlessly crush, yet failed, felt a small stab of pride that his son had finally stood up to him. "Father, it is true you were once the Head of the Hyuuga clan, but you abdicated that position long ago when I ascended to the title and position. You are an elder, it is true, and the will of the council of elders supercedes mine, but my word is law to any single elder, as Head of the Hyuuga clan. And I order you to unseal Branch Member Hyuuga Neji, as is befitting the traditions."

"I WILL NOT!" Roared Shinzashi, anguished at this rebellion of his eldest son.

"If you do not, you will spell the ruin of the Hyuuga clan, starting with the loss of the Privelege of Hyuuga."

The silence that followed was deafening, although save Shinzashi, there was no surprise or confusion at this declaration. Hiashi continued. "The Privelege of Hyuuga exists as a relic from a time long past that the current powers that be would like nothing more than to erase from Konoha for all time. The only factor that enables it to stand is our strictest adherence to the letter of our laws and the contract with Konoha that ensures no abuses of the Privelege are ever permitted. Our willingness to risk a main line family member, a great minority in our clan, allows us to deal with dire threats to the family and Konoha at large without the interference of legal loopholes. And as much as it pains me to admit, the ability of the village to curtail infiltration and sedition were severely damaged by the loss of the Uchiha clan. Should we, the only other watchdogs, be disabled of what allows us to perform our duties, Konoha would be at risk and our reputation would be irreversably tarnished. We would lose our status as first among Konoha's clans. It is vital now that even though his duty as Executor was prevented by circumstance, that we none the less adhere to the letter of the law, both within our clan and within Konoha. And I will not see our clan diminished for the stubborn spite of one elder who regretted his choice of successor from the moment Neji first began practicing the Jyuuken."

Shinzashi's face crumbled, an expression matching the crumble of his resolve within him. "You- you're only doing thisbecause he is your nephew..." He stammered out feebly.

Hiashi's expression was unchanging. "I do what I must as head of the Hyuuga clan."

Shinzashi didn't respond further, but all present, as Hiashi stood maintaining a steady look that Shinzashi couldn't meet, understood that Shinzashi would do as he was told. The other elders filed out of the room quietly, until only Hiashi and his father remained. Hiashi looked for a bare moment as though he wanted to say something, but the moment passed, before he too left the room.

Shinzashi sat down heavily. For a long minute he stared blankly ahead at the wall, before the rested his face in his hands and began to cry.

-rf-

The Hokage, contrary to what many believed, was not exempt from performing missions when the circumstances called for it. After a piece of blackmail involving a bottle of imported vodka that had been drunk twenty four years ago, a hotel room, and the presence of both Jiraiya and Dan in what was the most cherished memory at Jiraiya's disposal, the Hokage managed to convince Tsunade to fill in under henge at his desk while he went out to Wave country. Chouji came along, as did Shikamaru, although even to Jiraiya's eyes the boys had both once been best friends, and were now almost willingly reducing themselves to strangers. It was a very awkward experience for all three of them, and Jiraiya took to training them seperately in the arts that each was to take up in his stead, Chouji in the arts of toad summoning, and the firt steps of becoming a Sage, while Shikamaru was groomed in the fine and vital art of spymaster.

If anything, Shikamaru had the makings of being a better intelligence operative that Jiraiya had ever been, and modesty aside, Jiraiya knew full well that he, himself, was possibly one of the most effective spymaster Konoha had produced in sixty years.

Chouji on the other hand...

Mild mannered, polite, not a perverted bone in his body...

Jiraiya had no clue as to how effective Chouji would be as Toad Sage, if he ever managed to attain the title at all.

The mist was lifting, slightly. Chouji's eyes squinted a little, trying to make out the massive shape looming in the fog. "What is that out there?" He wondered aloud.

"Tazuna's bridge." Shikamaru said, subdued. He too was looking at the bridge, although Jiraiya got the impression that Shikamaru was less looking at the bridge than at something in his own memories.

"The Great Naruto Bridge, actually." Jiraiya corrected, noting the incredulous look on Chouji's face as well as the slightly raised eyebrow on Shikamaru's expression.

"Why are we here?" Chouji asked.

"Matter of village security." Jiraiya answered shortly. "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. And I've invested too much time in you for that, so I'll just save my breath and your blood."

Chouji gulped uncomfortably, while Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. As Chouji looked back toward the bridge, Shikamaru made eye contact with Jiraiya before his fingers flickered. Naruto? They spelled out.

Jiraiya gave a slight smile and a barely perceptible nod, and Shikamaru sighed before turning back to face the structure whose proximity grew ever closer. "Mendokuse." He muttered.

Chouji flicked a glance in Shikamaru's direction but whatever was on his mind never made it past his lips.

"We're almost there." Said the boatman. The mood changed on the boat as all three ninja went into professional mode.

"Thank you, Ran." Jiraiya said.

The boat bumped ashore a small bank, and the three ninja stepped off. Jiraiya headed in the direction of what appeared to be a main road out of the small town, until they were all three well out of sight of any houses. "Alright, Shikamaru. You've been here before. Can you get us to Tazuna's house without any of us being seen?"

Shikamaru nodded with a look of resignation on his face.

"Then let's go."

-rf-

Sakura sat nervously in the chair, glancing from side to side as people who had arrived after her were escorted in by ANBU to the adjoining room.

So far, none of them had come out again.

Her own ANBU escort stood to the side, face forward, in no way indicating at all the his(her?) attention was in any fashion directed towards Sakura.

She felt eyes on her anyways.

T&I was the purview of the infamous Morino Ibiki, and for whatever reason, she was sitting in his waiting room.

Slowly, Sakura began reviewing her conscience, trying to find any good reason why she would be here. It was a fairly long list, but she couldn't see anything on that list that was legally more significant than a small fine. Certainly nothing that rated a visit to Ibiki.

Sakura shot a single look at the ANBU, bit her lip, and began reviewing the list again.

-rf-

"Hyuuga Neji. You are called forth to a Meeting of the Elders tonight, at ninth hour. Do not be late."

The stiff attitude of a fellow branch member was new to Neji, much as the stiffness in his joints and body were still new to him in his rehabilitation. After Lee's speech to him during the Chuunin exam finals he had found himself wondering more and more about fate. He hadn't had to call out the other genin he'd been matched up against. He'd thought- briefly- about surrenduring. But he'd felt the rage inside him, the same rage he felt about being helpless in the face of being trapped, that hed felt all his life. He hadn't had a choice but to rail against it... right? But... he'd CHOSEN to call him out, to call something whihch he'd already guessed wasn't a bluff. He'd made the choice. I, Hyuuga Neji, decided to allow him to do whatever he'd had planned after he'd already beaten me. It didn't have to happen.

All his life, he'd been taught by Hyuuga custom, to believe in strictest order, that all Hyuuga have their own part to play, whether they liked it or disliked it, and that part was decided for them. That there was ORDER to the universe, to the world in which they lived, that decided their lives. But this manifestation of self determination, it was unordered, chaotic. And every day, people were affected by choices they made. Was the world truly so... so random as to not have a predetermined path?

Could it really be true that there was no such thing as fate?

That night, Neji's world, already teetering precariously, was sent into a tumbling spiral to crash to the ground. And the next morning, Hyuuga Neji, Progenitor and Patron of the Seventh Main Family of Hyuuga, wore his headband around his neck, proudly displaying to the world his scarred forehead, a forehead that bore the marks of liberation from the Caged Bird seal, marks identical to those on the forehead of the man who'd first placed it, then last night removed it, his paternal grandfather, Hyuuga Shinzashi.

Hyuuga Neji looked to the sky, at the birds flying free, himself freed of the mark of servitude and now honored as a seventh House of Hyuuga. Seeing the mingled resentment and anxiety of those who had been entrusted to his care, it was an uncomfortable sensation. He'd always imagined having power over the people who'd made his life so fraught with anxiety, but what he'd felt for his fellow branch members hadn't changed with his own liberty. And suddenly he'd started to notice that of all things that protected the Hyuuga from the randomness, from the dangerous chaos of the outside world, was the strict order that they enforced on their people, and that the main family of the Hyuuga clan was in its own way every bit as chained to the ultimate welfare of the Hyuuga as any branch member.

Here he was, most worthy heir of the Hyuuga clan, and a place that seemingly defied everything he'd ever believed about fate. It had shaken his world to its very foundations.

If there truly is such a thing as fate, he mused to himself as he stared up into the sky, it is a thing far beyond the understanding of any man or woman.

-rf-

Chouji was outside, patrolling the perimeter along with about a half dozen toads Jiraiya had told him to summon. Their first duty was to ensure that Jiraiya had forewarning of any possible visitors, civilian or otherwise, as early as possible while he himself was busy with the occupants within.

Currently, he had all three of the residents hypnotized within a genjutsu, but was making very little progress with them. "Can you describe for me a little better what Uzumaki Naruto looked like, Tsunami san?"

The woman looked confused, as though she was trying to describe him, but couldn't. Bits of words started to come out but they made no sense, like speaking to some stroke victims. After a few minutes, her shoulders slumped in defeat. "I... cannot recall him very well."

"What was his hair color?"

"I don't remember."

"How tall was he?"

"I don't know."

"Did he have any scars?"

"I can't remember."

Jiraiya sank back on his heels and regarded her carefully. She'd not been able to tell any more about Naruto- or any of the others, for that matter- despite his best efforts digging into her subconscious. It was readily apparent that they could recognize Shikamaru on sight, being that they'd greeted him warmly and by name when they'd arrived, but casual conversation had revealed none of them could adequately describe any of the members of team Akachi while they weren't present.

Now for the moment of truth- "Tsunami san, can you remember anything that Kakashi might have spoken about the Kyuubii?"

Tsunami blinked a moment, then shook her head. "I don't remember him saying anything about demons."

"Huh." Grunted the Toad Sannin. he rubbed his chin a moment, then smacked his forehead. "Of course. So obvious." He stood to his full height, gave a few short instructions, then released the genjutsu.

The trio in the living room slowly awoke from their daze, Inari first, before he grinned and said, "I'll bring it out right away!"

Tsunami recovered next, watching in a vague state of disorientation as her son dashed up the stairs to his room, before she gathered herself and remarked, "I forgot the tea! Please excuse me, Jiraiya san, Nara san," as she hurried off.

Tazuna woke last, after a little difficulty digging himself out of the trance, before he took a swig of sake from his jug. "Have to say, we might be your hosts, but you bring a fine present when you visit," he commented as he eyed the jug appreciatively. "We rarely get anything this fine out here- very mellow."

Jiraiya waved his hand dismissively. "I can afford it. Besides, you're a fan, aren't you? I recognized your address from my mailing list."

Tazuna chuckled. "Actually, my daughter is the fan. She just orders the books under my name in case anyone notices one arriving in the box."

Shikamaru blinked, looked over at Jiraiya momentarily, before his eyes shot to the kitchen where Tsunami was coming out with a tray of tea and cups.

-rf-

Later that night as the trio left, Shikamaru waited before they were out of earshot before asking the big question. "Why didn't they remember any of the others?"

Jiraiya smiled. "Sharingan security measures." He replied smugly. "Of course Kakashi would remember the measures, the clan was still fairly populous during much of his career. Didn't realize he'd nmastered his transplanted eye to that degree, though."

Chouji looked over at Jiraiya with his head cocked to the side. "Security measures?"

"The Sharingan, when sufficiently mastered, can actually rewire someone's mind. It takes a delicate touch and a hefty affinity for genjutsu, the latter of which has never been particularly Kakashi's forte, and usually a taste for revelling in power over others. But when the eyes- or eye, in this case- is sufficiently mastered, one can literally program people.

Weakminded ones, at any rate. Within a couple of weeks, the rewrite becomes permanently ingrained. They're no security risk."

"Huh." Mumbled Shikamaru. "Why were the Uchiha allowed to do such a thing at all?"

"At times, a civilian would see or hear something that they shouldn't, things that could compromise the security of the village. Especially if this was a Fire country civilian, the Daimyo tends to frown on us simply eliminating them the easy way. Therefore, we needed to come up with a means by which to prevent any leaks."

Shikamaru noded. "Beats just killing them, I suppose. Can't collect taxes from a dead guy."

"Or a dead kid." Added Jiraiya.

Chouji listened to the conversation with a sense of numb discomfort.

His old friend Shikamaru was gone, taken from him by team Akachi. And he was pretty certain it was because he'd been teamed up with Naruto.

Didn't matter how good a ninja he was, by his actions and by the influence he had on those around him, Naruto was a monster. Thank Kami he was gone. And pray Kami he didn't come back.

-rf-

Sakura looked over at Ibiki incredulously. She'd waited four and a half hours of developing terror as the parade of victims went by not because she was under investigation, but because Ibiki wanted to TRAIN her?

If it wasn't so horrible to experience, she would have admired him for the emotional roller coaster he'd put her through.

"It served as a gut check, among other things. The fact that you can maintain eye contact with me, after the carefully planned out ramping up of the pressure I put you under while marching in people to be 'Disappeared' clearly tells me that you're made of some pretty stern stuff. You can tough it out almost as well as you can dish it out, the way you did during the prelude to your fight in the elimination round of the Chuunin exam. I was pretty impressed with that, by the way- you managed to pack about forty minutes of effect on the original version of the jutsu you were using in the span of forty seconds, and kept up a genjutsu to deceive Hayate AND your opponent in the process. You clearly have talent in Genjutsu and in psychological tactics, which is why you were sent to me. You are NOT being given a choice in this matter, I want this to be clear."

Ibiki cocked his head to the side, as he straightened out a cup on his desk almost unnoticeable amounts, before standing and briskly walking around it to make it clear that there was and would be nothing between them, nothing to protect her as he spoke. She didn't flinch. "You WILL be my apprentice and you will learn the fine art of interrogation and torture, both first and second hand. Nobody is so effective an interrogator as someone who has been there tied naked to bed springs that are periodically and randomly electrified. The only choice you have, and it IS an important one, is whether you will take pride in your work, or else just see it as another form of training. That difference is the difference between a good interrogator and a great one. So tell me, and be honest, forget morality, forget everything you've been told. Do you think you are capable of enjoying someone's pain as you break them wide open, to see their shame and agony and every secret they have laid bare before you?"

Sakura froze, listening to his words. Her inner self hammered at her, trying very hard to make her way to the fore. For a few moments she tried to stop it, when she realized that this, in fact, was exactly the sort of thing that Ibiki wanted- and heaven help her should she not deliver the unadulterated truth.

A grin rose on her face as she continued to meet his gaze, unafraid. "Ibiki san, do you collect insects?"

-rf-

Naruto had tossed the kunai he'd been given casually. Every time he did so, he felt a... well, a pull of sorts. Like a faint tugging at the edge of his mind. Like a call he wanted to answer. He went over to the tree and pulled it out, then tossed it again.

Tug.

Toss.

Tug.

He felt it on the edges of his soul.

Naruto took out a scroll from his shirt, unsealed a much larger scroll. Unrolled it.

Past forbidden jutsus, past bloodlines and seals, Naruto reached an entry a little over three fourths of the way down. He'd scanned it several times, as well as the kunai, with his Kamigan, and he was learning nuances and minutiae about both each time he did so. And he was certain that this kunai was what had enabled the Fourth Hokage to use the Hiraishin. According to the scroll, the seal required a rewrite for any individual that attempted to use it, one that uniquely identified the user, and written in a distillation of the user's blood. The user was defined almost on a molecular level, and then after the correct inscription, had to master the ability to transfer himself from where he was to where he wasn't, by removing the distance between where he was and where he wanted to go, and putting that distance someplace he wasn't. In essence, the concept was to twist space around until the two points were touching, then move the universe a slight degree to move him across the two points in contact. Even with the Kamigan to help him keep all the variables in his conscious awareness, it was a daunting task.

According to what he'd read, there was no way that he and the Fourth Hokage should have been anywhere similar enough for him to feel a tug. The only possible explanation would be if they were genetically very close.

Like a father?

Naruto chuckled mirthlessly to himself. He'd always hoped... but maybe this was the proof he'd been looking for.

Putting away the scrolls, then the kunai, Naruto made his way across the bridge into Kumogakure.

-rf-

Kabuto was anxious.

Orochimaru had survived... somewhat. His spirit, his soul, if you will, had been horrendously damaged. Parts of his persona were so scrambled as to be unrecognizeable. The serpentine soul had gathered the dissipating chakra and attempted to heal itself en route to the lab that had housed an emergency host in stasis. It was a clone body, no native experiences, so no new jutsus or even considerable bodily fitness, but Orochimaru was training the new body in physical exercise like a madman to compensate. He'd never seen the Snake Sannin so motivated before.

And Orochimaru had ensured that the entirety of the Oto nin under him were working as madly to train themselves as he was.

If nothing else, their physical fitness would give them an edge over any opposition that they ran across due to sheer strength and speed.

Now, if only Orochimaru sama would stop thanking him for providing such a young body.

End Chapter Thirty One

End Rogue Fox part One

-AN: Five months of fighting it, wanting to reveal things in flashbacks, followed by six hours of "fuck it, I give up" and typing.

You guys earned it. Thanks for reading, and the follow up will come soon, I hope.

Ja mata.

-AXENOME