Cloudy Night
The clouds blocked out the light of the stars. A chill wind blew through the winter night. Snow rarely fell in the Hidden Leaf Village, but it seemed like tonight might be one of those nights.
The young Hinata Hyuga was walking home alone. She was dressed in a thick white winter coat and long pants to keep her warm.
Normally, she would be at home eating dinner with her family at this time. Tonight was different. Her family was hosting delegates from the Hidden Cloud Village. The Hyuga clan elders had expressed concern about letting her interact with them. A failure like her might mess things up.
Thus, she asked her father to excuse her for the night. A request Hiashi Hyuga agreed to with the stipulation she spent the night training. He felt she was lacking in strength and needed to gain it before she became an embarrassment to their clan.
It always hurt Hinata to hear her own relatives say such a thing to her, but she didn't have the confidence to stand up for herself. She was a failure. Even after training for hours tonight, she hadn't gotten any better. Hopefully, her family wouldn't be too harsh on her.
Hinata was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of something running on a nearby roof – and then falling on her. The young heiress was knocked cleanly off her feat.
"Na- Na," Hinata barely managed to stutter in shock as her cheeks turned a rosy red. Lying on top of her was her crush – Naruto Uzumaki. He had just fallen right off the roof and onto her! His face was inches from her own!
Any questions about why he was running on the roofs or was even out at this hour were lost to her. The embarrassment of the whole situation had frozen her mind. She didn't even realize her hand was gripping his. The shock made her grab onto the closest thing.
"Owie! I better be more careful next time," Naruto said while wincing. The blond-haired boy was wearing an orange hoodie and green pants. A ramen-esqe smell radiated from his body. Bright blue eyes turned into Hinata's white eyes. Recognition filled his gaze. "Oh, Hinata, what are you doing out so late?" He questioned as if he hadn't just fallen on top of her out of nowhere.
"I-I," The heir to the Hyuga clan stuttered. Her common sense was fading into the ether. How could it stay when her crush was right on top of her? This wasn't a situation that could be logically explained.
Well, she would get a partial explanation when a loud shout pierced through the silent night like a dagger. Though, this was a familiar dagger. One that she was sure even people in the Village Hidden in the Sand heard daily.
"NARUTO!"
"Uh-Oh! Iruka-sensei is mad," Naruto quickly sprung up from the ground. Hinata did the same thing, moving only slightly slower than Naruto. The boy gained a comically scared expression as an angry Iruka-sensei came into view. Pure terror was on his face, but it almost seemed like he was having fun - reveling in the situation. "Ahhhh! I don't want another lecture!"
He began running, and Hinata simply followed along. Her white eyes – and mind – were too preoccupied with the fact that she was holding Naruto's hand. Its warmth filled her hand on this cold night.
Where were they going to? To- to his home, maybe? Hinata didn't think she could stomach going to his house. What would her father say? Oh, no. He would be so angry. She wasn't supposed to be near him, much less go to his home. But she, personally, didn't mind. She could just not tell her father unless Iruka-sensei saw her with Naruto. He'd probably tell her father, and she'd be in trouble. But Naruto handled being punished all the time…
"Wh- wh- what did you do?" Hinata managed to stutter after a few moments of running with Naruto. A bit of curiosity rose up inside her. Her classmate's actions could get a little extreme. Just asking the principal after that incident.
"He somehow caught me setting up an ultra super special prank in the classroom! Now he's all mad about it!" He answered with a massive frown and a cute pout. Hinata couldn't help but feel bad for him. Sure, he was probably planning some prank that would completely derail class, but he didn't mean ill. Naruto lived his life to the fullest, unburdened by what others thought. It was awe-inspiring. If only she could be more like him…
"Is that Hinata with you!" Iruka-sensei shouted once again as he chased them down – how he didn't catch them already was beyond her. She wasn't that fast, and neither was Naruto. The only thing that made sense was that he was going easy on Naruto. "Did you rope her into this too!"
"Nope! I got no idea why she's following me. Believe it!" Naruto merrily laughed at their sensei. The soft and pleasant sound was different from his usual chuckles. When he laughed in class – after being mocked or something – there was always a sadness to it. Now, it sounded like it should, full of joy.
Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand back. He was grabbing her hand! Hinata could faint if it wouldn't trip up Naruto! "But I'm not complaining! Come on, Hinata, let's escape this joker! Hahaha!"
Hinata nodded without thinking and kept up with Naruto as he began to run faster. His joy was just too contagious for the young girl. He quickly led them back up to the rooftop without slowing down one bit. It was like he had done this a million times. There was no hesitation in any decision. He was confident he wouldn't mess up.
White snowflakes began to fall from the sky. There were only a few for now, but Hinata could still see some of them falling on Naruto.
"NARUTO! HINATA!" Hinata shuttered as her name was added to her sensei's shouts. The rational part of her brain hoped that her father wouldn't hear of this lest she gets into more trouble. Emotionally, she had no idea how she felt. She was running hand in hand with the boy she had a crush on. His warm smile and laugh radiate like a sun on this cold winter night. Her worries melted away every time she saw it.
"You should just give up, Sensei! You'll never catch us, you know!" Naruto taunted him before turning towards her. "Your turn!"
"M- my turn?" Hinata questioned as they kept running. She could tell Iruka-sensei was gaining on them. Each one of Naruto's taunts made him run faster.
"To taunt Iruka-sensei!" Naruto prompted her to do what he just did. His sun-colored hair fluttered in the wind as the words left his lips.
Hinata looked down with blush cheeks. She didn't think she had it in her to insult her teacher, much less publicly and loudly. It wasn't fitting for a Hyuga. Her parents and the clan elders would get mad at her. And it wasn't like she had any right to insult someone else. Everyone else was so much better than her. How could garbage insult its betters…
"What's wrong, feeling scared?" Naruto asked incredulously with narrowed eyes. A deep desire for her to follow along – to validate his actions – was held within them. "Don't! Trust me! You can do it!"
Hinata was shocked by the confidence Naruto had in her. The only time they ever interacted was when he saved her from bullies. He'd have no reason to know anything about her. She never proved herself to be someone worthy of faith. Especially since she couldn't even stand up for Naruto when he needed her. The other villagers treated him cruelly, and their classmates bullied him, and she just stood on the sidelines.
But… Naruto was the boy she looked up to, the one who didn't know how to quit. Someone she trusted not to lead her astray. If he thought she could do it, she could!
"o- ok," she barely agreed as they jumped onto another rooftop. She didn't want to disappoint Naruto. Hinata wanted to prove she could be like him. Here and now!
"Ir- Iru- sen- yo-," Hinata quietly muttered before gathering her courage. A burning feeling appeared in her stomach and grew like a wildfire. "IRUKA-SENSEI, YOU'RE SHOES ARE UNTIED!"
She barely managed to shout her taught before bringing her free hand to cover her face. Embarrassment shook her. She was going to get disowned. Or worse! How could she so blatantly lie to a teacher and yell at them?
Yet, beyond the immediate shame, Hinata did feel excited. Her heart was pounding in her chest faster than a drummer beating on their instrument. The chakra that circulates through her body felt more lively and bouncy than before.
"What?!" His eyes widened. Confusion on his face. Hinata couldn't tell if it was because he didn't expect her to shout or because he didn't have shoelaces… she wasn't very good at being mean.
Iruka-sensei missed his next step and fell off the roof. He hit the ground with a goofy yelp.
"Good one," Naruto complimented her, causing her to almost fall over too. He ran faster, quickly losing the fallen Iruka-sensei. The blond-haired boy jumped down off the roof once he felt they were safe. The two were standing alone in the alleyway.
Hinata pulled her hand away from her crush's and began fiddling her fingers. Everything had happened so fast that she barely understood what was going on. One moment she was walking home, and the next, she was insulting her sensei while running away from him. Was life always this spontaneous around Naruto?
"Wh- wh- what do we do now?" Hinata stuttered. Her white eyes looking at the ground. The blush on her cheeks was bright enough to be used as a light source. The snow was beginning to fall harder now.
"Don't know! Never escaped Iruka-sensei before!" Naruto laughed while cheering. "Thanks for the help, Hinata!"
"I- I'm welcome," she murmured. Hinata felt joy at being thanked by Naruto. She was a little annoyed he didn't know what to do now. What if Iruka-sensei goes and tells her father?
No, she shouldn't place that on Naruto. She was the one that decided to run off with him. She could handle being scolded. Just this once.
"Anyway, do you want me to take you home?" Naruto asked her while he put his hands behind his head. "I can't just let a girl walk home alone."
Naruto offered to walk her home. He wanted to walk her home. He was the one who asked to walk her home. The one she had a crush on was going to see her home.
Hinata barely managed to agree, and the pair began walking toward the Hyuga Clan's home. Naruto started talking to her along the way!
He talked about his pranks, his plants, and so much more. Hinata didn't add much to the conversation, but it was still nice. Naruto spoke so honestly to her when most other people found her creepy.
Eventually, he asked why she was out by herself so late.
She explained how the Hyuga clan was hosting some delegates from another village, and her father didn't want her to be around them. Naruto misunderstood what she meant. He thought he was worried about the outsiders, not that she would embarrass the clan. It was a misunderstanding she didn't want to fix. She didn't want Naruto to know how much of a failure she was.
Hinata did explain why the Hyuga clan was chosen to entertain the foreigners.
The Hyuga clan was the strongest clan in the leaf village. Only a single clan managed to have influence rivaling theirs – the Uchiha. And after the Uchiha Massacre, their only rival was extinguished, minus Sasuke. As such, it was up to them to greet and handle the outside villages.
"While that's cool and all, what makes the Hyuga so special anyway?" Naruto asked her. His arms were still held behind his head. The boy's blue eyes were looking up into the sky.
"Our eyes," she explained. Hinata found herself studdering less the more she talked to Naruto. "The Byakugan."
"Well, your eyes sure are white," Naruto noted while looking a little too intensely into her eyes. Unlike the bullies that once harassed her, his gaze felt nice. His smile joyful and welcoming. How could the Village hate someone so warm? Why was she told to stay away from the one person who stood up for her when she needed help? "They suit you – I like them. They're pure like the snow."
"Oh, Naruto," She said while blushing. He might not have understood why the Byakugan was special, but it still made her happy to hear someone say they weren't creepy. Being complimented felt good.
She made a mental note to explain the fact that the Byakugan had special powers and weren't unique just because of their color.
Hinata frowned as she realized they were a few minutes away from the Hyuga compound. She had been enjoying this conversation and didn't want it to end.
"There you are."
Both Hinata and Naruto tensed at once. The voice of their sensei suddenly rang out in their ears. His hands were suddenly on their shoulders. Both kids turned to find his eyes level with theirs. Iruka-sensei somehow managed to find them and sneak up on them without either of them noticing!
"Sensei!" The pair of children shouted at once. The teacher looked like a demon stalking the streets at night with a crazed expression on his face.
Naruto jumped out of his grip while Hinata looked down in shame. "How'd you find us?! We lost you! Believe it!"
"I'm a chunin, Naruto! Do you think I can't track down two kids!"
"I mean, we got away from you," Naruto shrugged him off.
"NARUTO!" Iruka-sensei raged in the same pattern they always did. Hinata had seen them do this almost every other day, but it was the first time she had been involved with it. Watching them argue from this angle was strange, different than when she was berated by her father. Emotions there she didn't have the context to understand.
"Hinata," Iruka-sensei stop to take a breath after arguing with Naruto for five minutes straight. He let her go, and she walked up next to her crush, fidgeting at her teacher's glare. "Were you in on Naruto's next prank?"
"Hey! She had nothing to do with that!" Naruto stood up for her, stumping his feet. "Hinata's way too shy to do that, ya know."
"Na- Naruto," Hinata began studdering again. She couldn't finish whatever she wanted to say. Iruka-sensei's firey aura was too strong for her to handle.
"See," Naruto pointed at her with his thumb.
"Then why'd she help you get away?" He asked her this time.
"I- I got caught up in the moment. Pl- please don't get angry with Naruto," She muttered quietly. Naruto's expression grew surprised and then protective. It was like he didn't expect her to try and defend him. Iruka-sensei seemed less surprised, but his expression still softened. Hinata could almost see some sort of positive emotion in his eye.
"Naruto tried to set up paint bombs in the classroom," Iruka-sensei calmly said. "He must be punished, and you must be too."
"That isn't fair-"
"Quite down!" Iruka-sensei shut down Naruto before he got going. "Tomorrow morning, you both will arrive at the academy early and clean up the classroom."
Hinata's eyes widened. She got to spend time with Naruto? Alone? Was this really a punishment? Or a gift in disguise?
"No arguments!" Iruka-sensei said before he could be interrupted by Naruto. A quick glance at Naruto showed he was still about to argue with him.
Iruka-sensei was about to say something else, but suddenly he stopped and looked up behind them. He grabbed both of them and jumped back. A few kunai suddenly embedded themselves where the three had stood.
"What!" Naruto began to shout while turning to look at where the kunai had come from. Hinata had already found the perpetrator.
Standing on a nearby wall was a tall man with dark skin. He was wearing Shinobi gear but lacked any identifying headband.
A flare of fear rose up in Hinata's throat. She'd never been involved in any conflict with real Shinobi. One where she could actually die or worse: be kidnapped. And the Hyuga was certain that this was what was going on. There was no other reason for a Shinobi to attack without a headband unless they were aiming for one of those two things.
"You, identify yourself," Iruka-sensei ordered with a cold harshness. The feelings Hinata couldn't understand in her teacher's voice earlier were gone. He was no longer talking with his students but an enemy. "And what do you want?"
Iruka-sensei's eyes went between Hinata and Naruto.
"Do you really need to know the details?" The unnamed ninja asked. He held a kunai in his hand and narrowed his eye. "You have the girl, and I'm going to take it."
Hinata's heartbeat in a way different from the way it does around Naruto. He was after her.
"Go to hell!" Naruto yelled. "I don't know what's going on, but we're not going to let you kidnap someone! Believe it!"
Naruto may not've been able to do anything, but he still stood up for her. It made her feel safe.
"I have to agree with my student here. You're out of your mind if you think I'd let you lay a hand on my students," Iruka-sensei said as he dropped the pair behind him and quickly pulled out his kunai in one fluid motion. "Naruto. Hinata. The Hyuga Clan compound isn't far from here. Go there, raise the alarm."
"I wish you'd let me kill you without a fight," the nameless Shinobi said as he charged Iruka-sensei. Sparks flew as their blades collided.
"But Sensei!" Naruto shouted.
"No buts! This guy is after Hinata. You must protect her," Iruka-sensei ordered Naruto. "I'm counting on you."
Hinata watched as Naruto's eyes widened. A complex expression formed on his face as he stopped smiling for once. Deep sadness seeped into his normal kind expression, but it quickly disappeared. It was replaced with an even larger smile. "Ok, sensei! You can trust me!"
Naruto reached and grabbed Hinata's hand. "Hinata! You need to lead the way!"
"Yes," Hinata agreed as they began to run. Naruto already knew the general direction of the Hyuga complex from earlier, but she directed him.
The sound of Iruka-sensei and the unnamed Shinobi raged on behind them. The pair of Shinobi fought at speeds too fast for normal people to keep up. The two were equal in every regard – leaving them at a standstill.
Mentally, Hinata prayed that Iruka-sensei would be alright. Her sensei was a good person, and she didn't want to see him hurt because of her. If only she was strong enough to protect herself and those around her…
The two ninjas in training ran toward the Hyuga Clan home without any incident. Neither the orange nor white-clad children said a word. They were both too focused on trying to notice any signs of attack.
Hinata didn't risk activating her Byakugan in case they was a hostile sensory ninja around. The chakra required could alert them to their locations – at least, that's something she heard from older Hyugas.
And as much as Hinata trusted in Naruto, she didn't think he could take out a genin or a chunin. Dying or being kidnapped was an assured thing if enemies found them. Academy students didn't have the potential to fight back against people who could sneak into the Leaf. A doubly true fact for failures like them.
No, the only way they could survive was by making sure no one noticed them before they got help.
"That's the place, right?!" Naruto pointed at the front gate of the Hyuga clan's home. Hinata nodded a yes. "Nice place."
"Naruto…" Hinata said disapprovingly. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about how nice her home was.
"Fine, fine," Naruto said as they reached the open gate.
Hinata frowned. Why was the entrance open? The Hyuga clan never left it open after sunset.
"Yo! Anybody home!" Naruto screamed as he passed through the gate and into the courtyard. His voice was loud enough to break glass. A flash of panic made Hinata worry about what her clansmen would think of Naruto coming out of nowhere and yelling at the top of her lungs. Panic turned to unstoppable terror by the lack of response. How could nobody hear Naruto's shout?
"Naruto, something is wrong," she quietly told him as they stopped momentarily.
"Yeah, it's a ghost town in here," he said while shivering. "Something feels wrong here."
Hinata moved closer to her crush so that she could talk to him in whispers. Usually, this would've left her red, but embarrassment was the least of her worries right now.
The pair walked into the house together, just to stop in their tracks.
The white eyes of the next Hyuga clan head widened at the sight before her. Lying motionless on the floor of the welcome room was her Uncle Hizashi. The Curse Mark: Caged Bird was as gone from his forehead as the breath was from his body.
"Uncle!" Hinata cried, forgetting all the fear she once held. She reached out to him, and his body felt so cold. His dead glassy eyes stared into the roof, never to see the sky again. Their Irises were gone, destroyed by the curse mark.
He was deceased. Her kind uncle was dead…
"Who would do this," she heard a dark growl from her crush. Hinata had seen Naruto's anger before, but this was the first time she caught hatred. She looked up with tears in her eyes to see the blond-haired boy looking through one of the doors. Looking at something she couldn't see. He turned towards her with a scowl.
The scowl quickly faded as they locked eyes. The emotions behind it were hidden. Locked Away. A sympathetic and sad look overtook his expression. Quickly closing the door, he ran toward her. "We need to go! Believe it!"
"I need to find the rest of my family," Hinata said with teary white eyes. Her trembling hands clung desperately to her uncle's robes.
What was going on? Everything was happening too fast. It was scaring her. The world was slipping out from under her, and she didn't know why. Why was this happening to her?
Without thinking about the threat of sensory ninjas detecting her use of her chakra, Hinata made a hand sign. The veins around her eyes throbbed as her Byakugan activated, and she gained a 360-degree view of everything around her. Everything in the immediate vicinity became clear to her. The dojutsu let her see through walls to look upon what Naruto had seen… and so much more.
The bodies of her fellow clansmen lay scattered about, not a single living soul among them. Not a lone member of the side branches had a wound on their bodies, but they were dead. The vibrant chakra networks were gone.
Tears flowed throw her eyes as she took in the sight of her dead clan as far as she could push her Byakugan. All other things were tuned out.
Neji, her cousin she considered a brother was dead. His corpse was alone and away from the others. It looked as if he struggled against something, fighting to try and reach help, but he failed. He died in isolation. Solitude.
Her father lay dead in a manner different from the rest. Unlike the side branch Hyuga, he had visible wounds on his body. Blood splashed on the dinner table he had been eating from. His eyes were ripped from his body, leaving empty sockets. The – The very symbol of his pride as a Hyuga was stolen from him. He was a warrior and clan head murdered in his own home. It was a disgraceful death not suiting someone as strong as him. Did he even get a chance to fight back?
The sights made Hinata freeze. She couldn't do or hear anything. All she could do was look over the slaughter of her kin in great detail. Her breathing became shorter – more erratic – with each passing moment.
Where was her sister? Would she suffer the same fate? Would she have her eyes stolen from her? What little pride and dignity laying within her stipped?
Hinata would've sat there for an eternity. Too scared and frightened to move. Her very soul being crushed.
Her only salvation came when she felt herself being picked up and carried away. If only it wasn't too late to stop the cracks in her soul.
Naruto had been having a good day before now. He had woken up and gotten his allowance from the old man. With it, he went and got ramen. And paint too.
He was going to rig his homeroom to explode and cover everyone in the paint, but Iruka-sensei caught him in the act. If it was another teacher, that would've annoyed Naruto, but it wasn't. It was Iruka-sensei. No sensei was more fun to mess with than Iruka-sensei! Think about how funny it would be to see him burst a vein or two!
They had a fun chase through the Village, only for him to fall on that strange girl who always sits at the back of the classroom – Hinata. She was always kinda weird, stuttering and fidgeting and all that. Made her hard to talk to, ya know.
Normally, he would've run off without thinking about it, maybe shooting her a short apology along the way. But, somehow, she ended up running behind him, too, joining in on the chase. It was the first time he'd ever had someone else on his side. And Iruka-sensei's face when he saw Hinata running with him was hilarious, almost as funny as when she shouted at him.
Naruto would need to help her work on that. The art of enraging your opponent is a fine art he had mastered over his years of dueling against Iruka-sensei. Hinata was but a novice in need of his sagely guidance.
He honestly had fun talking with her during their walk to her house. It had been the first time in as long as he could remember that he talked with somebody who didn't seem to hate him. Who wanted to talk with him, even if she stuttered a lot. The attention she gave him filled him with joy.
So, how'd the day end up like this? It had been cool at first, getting attacked by a ninja and saved by their sensei. But then they found the corpse of Hinata's uncle, and Naruto saw more in one of the hallways.
Seeing corpses for the first time disturbed Naruto. He didn't know much about Hinata or her family, but he knew what it was like to be alone. To be an orphan. Every single person dead was a family member someone – Hinata – lost. Each death made her more alone.
Naruto couldn't understand what kind of pain Hinata was going through; he never had anything to lose. But he knew it had to hurt, and he had to do what he could to help her. And the first thing he was going to do was get her out of here. But she wouldn't respond to anything he said to her. The bone-chilling expression on her face almost left him speechless. Thus, there was only one thing to do.
Pick her up and carry her out.
Luckily, she was super lightweight to carry, and he had ninja training. It was easy to hoister her into his arms like a princess.
He ran as fast as he could out of the building. His breath appeared as he did so. The boy's hands felt cold as he moved.
Naruto ran as quickly as his legs could take him out of the Hyuga clan's complex and into the street. The adrenaline pumping through his body made him run faster than he ever had before, despite carrying someone.
His feet loudly beat against the ground. Where was he supposed to go now?
It would be stupid to run toward where Iruka-sensei was. He was fighting a real shinobi. Naruto may have been willing to if he was alone, but he had Hinata to think about. He couldn't risk her getting hurt by running into combat.
The ramen shop was probably closed by now, plus they weren't going to help him. It would be stupid to trust them to be altruistic outside of letting him buy food. No adult is.
The Hokage mansion was guarded, and they'd probably throw him out without listening to him. Or maybe accuse him of doing something wrong. The old man was nicer to him than most, but that didn't mean he'd help Naruto.
Naruto swallowed. The only safe place he could think of was his apartment, so he'd go there.
"Hinata, are you alright?!" Naruto decided to ask her. He quickly glanced at the girl in his arms. Her white eyes were spacing out. "Ugh, I'll take that as no. Don't worry! We'll hide out at my place!"
The silence Naruto got in response bothered him in a way he wasn't used to – or could understand.
Hinata thought nothing as Naruto brought her somewhere.
Even after the sight of her slaughtered clan was no longer within her eye's range, it still dominated her mind.
She vaguely heard the sound of the door opening. The feeling of the atmosphere changed, becoming warmer. Like she entered a heated room.
Her body shifted as it was placed on something soft.
Something began to shake her. Yelling at her. Her name was called repeatedly. Slowly, she partially came to reality.
"Hinata!" the boy with blond hair yelled at the top of his lungs. He was right up in her face, his hands on her shoulders. "Earth to Hinata!"
"Naruto," she said calmly as she looked at her surroundings. She was in a room. Sat on a bed. It was horribly messy. The Hyuga clan would never let her have a room so dirty. It would bring shame to the clan. They were the greatest in the Leaf. Nobody could touch them. The clan was alright.
"Good! I thought you'd lost it or something!" Naruto said, sort of rudely. "I took you to my place! We'll be safe here, ya know!"
"Where's Iruka-sensei?" Hinata once again spoke with an eerie calm.
"Don't know, but I'm sure sensei is ok," Naruto comforted Hinata. "He's too annoying to die to some random scum!"
Hinata nodded without saying anything. She accepted what Naruto said without much thought of her own. It hurt too much to think about her sensei falling as well.
"Do you want something to eat? I got plenty of ramen!"
Hinata nodded a no and looked out a nearby window. A silent prayer in her heart, hoping what she saw was just a nightmare. That what she saw wasn't real.
Unfortunately, the world doesn't bend to the hopes of a wounded child.
Hiruzen Sarutobi. The Third Hokage. God of Shinobi and the Sannin's teacher.
He had lived a life far longer than most shinobi. He watched as friends, family, students, and countless others died around. And he was so very tired.
The Third Hokage looked out of his office window with exhausted eyes.
They finally signed the peace treaty with the Hidden Cloud Village this morning. After years of warfare, they could finally lay down their arms. Getting to this point had been a struggle, but now no more shinobi would be forced to die in a pointless war.
Hopefully, these next few years could be spent peacefully nurturing the next generation. How Hiruzen longed for this to be the case – but something didn't feel right.
A deep feeling of foreboding fell upon the hokage as he heard a ruckus outside his door.
"Lord Hokage!" a familiar voice shouted out while throwing open the door to his office. Hiruzen swirved in his chair. A deep weight fell on his chest. No one would barge into his office without good reason.
"What is-" The Lord Hokage's words stopped as he took a look at the intruding chunin. Iruka was covered in cuts and wounds – the most prominent being a cut along the front of his body. It was evident he'd just gotten out of a fight with someone. Another shinobi.
Worst-case scenarios ran through the old man's mind. Was Iruka attacked by a spy? Did something happen with the hidden cloud village? Did anyone die?
"Naruto and Hinata, you need to send people out to look for them-" Iruka sounded frantic as he shouted at the top of his lungs. He didn't even seem to be thinking about his wounds.
The Third Hokage's brow raised as he maintained his calm exterior despite himself. Was someone after those two?
Both of them were high-value targets for kidnapping. But for someone to be after Naruto, that means either the secret of his heritage or what was sealed inside him was leaked. A traitor would be in their midst. Did someone else he trusted and treated like family betray him?
"Calm down, Iruka," Hiruzen told the young chunin. Decades of experience had taught him not to rush into a situation without a calm heart and a full mind. "Panicking wouldn't change anything."
"Yes, sir," Iruka said as he caught his breath. He stumbled toward the Hokage's desk. "I was chasing Naruto after I caught him seeking into the classroom to set up a prank. He ended up running into Hinata, who helped him get away."
Hiruzen was slightly surprised to hear Hinata helped Naruto get away from Iruka. She didn't seem like the type to do something like that. Then again, he'd only seen her once or twice. There was much about her he didn't know.
"I caught up to them outside the Hyuga Clan's complex, where we were attacked. They were after Hinata," Iruka explained to the Hokage's relief. He didn't know what was happening, but at least there wasn't a traitor who spilled either of Naruto's secrets. "I sent them to get help from the Hyugas while I fought the shinobi – who killed themselves after I managed to beat them. I quickly rushed to find the kids… only to find the Hyuga dead."
Any relief the Third Hokage felt at realizing there was a traitor disappeared. "What do you mean?"
"They were all dead. Naruto and Hinata were nowhere to be found! We need to find them!" Iruka shouted at his student's predicament.
"I'll gather the ANBU and start a search for them!" Hiruzen said while standing up at his desk. His hands found their way to his desk. "And what of the Hidden Cloud representatives?"
"They were alive but unconscious," Iruka answered quickly.
Calculations ran through the Third Hokage's tired mind.
He trusted Iruka's report without question – the man would never lie about something like this, and his concern for his students was true. Which meant something horrific had occurred.
How the Hyuga clan was attacked, and how many survivors would be saved for later. First, he needed to protect those who may still be alive and in trouble. Once that was finished, he would put together what had happened.
A deeper darkness fell on the Third Hokage's heart as he called in his ANBU. Countless lives under his watch had died once again, and it was his fault. As are all deaths under the Hokage.
Naruto lay sleeping in a poll of his own drool. He had told Hinata he'd keep watch for Iruka-sensei and anyone coming after them… but he was Naruto.
He had fallen asleep soon after Hinata did. One would think that they'd have trouble sleeping after what they'd seen. But the weight of everything they saw tired their young minds.
They were in such a deep sleep that they both missed the knocking on the locked door or the old man who entered the room when he didn't get an answer.
The old man walked directly into Naruto's room, where the two children lay. The young girl slept on the bed while the boy was sleeping on the floor in front of it.
Normally, he wouldn't wake sleeping children – but he'd already let them sleep for long enough. They needed to discuss last night and what will happen now. "Naruto. Hinata."
Neither woke up to the old man's gentle wake-up call. Thus, he shouted louder.
"Naruto! Hinata!" the old man said loud enough to wake up the two kids.
Naruto jumped up first and turned toward the source of the voice. "What! Who's there!" The young boy jumped up and to attention. Hinata quickly moved behind Naruto, almost clinging to his back.
"Calm down," the Hokage told the two kids softly.
"Gramps!" Naruto shouted while Hinata didn't say anything. "Why'd you break into my house?! That's illegal!"
The blond boy was annoyed at the Hokage. You shouldn't just break into people's homes! It was a total invasion of privacy –
The boy's anger quickly faded when he remembered the night before. The bodies of Hinata's uncle and the people in the hallway flashed into his mind. "Gramps! Something bad happened, you know!"
"Yes, I know," the Hokage said while taking a seat at the end of naruto's bed. The young boy shifted to stare at him while Hinata followed suit, staying behind him. Using him as a human shield. "That's what I'm here to talk about."
Naruto frowned and crossed his arms, waiting for the Hokage to start talking. Hinata deferred to his judgment.
The Hokage meanwhile looked over the two children, looking for any injuries. Fortunately, he didn't find any. Being in good health wouldn't make it any easier for the young Hyuga to hear what he had to tell her.
"All the branch members of the Hyuga clan were killed," the Hokage said with a neutral expression. He couldn't be the one to show weakness in front of the one he failed the most in this situation. The one who had to bare the burden of losing her clan. "It seems their cursed seals were activated and used to end their lives without a fight."
An endless emptiness fell on Hinata. She didn't feel anything as she heard about the death of her entire family. How the killers learned the secret to activating the Hyuga clan's juinjutsu meant nothing to her. The Hyuga clan heiress was more focused on something else.
They were all so much better than her, so much more deserving of life. Yet, she was the one to live. Why? Why would someone as useless as her survive when the others died? Was it a punishment for being weak?
Meanwhile, Naruto frowned. He didn't understand what the cursed seals were or anything. All he knew was that it sounded like Hinata had just lost her whole family. The few bodies he saw were just the beginning of something much worse.
"As for the main branch… it seems their food was laced with a fast-acting poison that left them unable to fight back," Hiruzen said with a heavy heart. "From there, killing them became a simple matter. I'm sorry."
Hinata didn't say anything. She didn't have the right to say anything to anyone – much less the hokage – after what had happened. All the worthless girl could do was look blankly into space.
Naruto frowned, interjecting before the Third Hokage could say anything. "Who killed them."
"We don't know for sure, but we think it might have been the Hidden Cloud," the old man answered with a sigh.
Only a great village would have the resources and talent to figure out how to activate the Hyuga Clan's curse seal. They had the motive to do so – to get their hands on the Byakugan. And they had the means, given they were willing invited into the Hyuga Clan's home. Moreover, the Hidden Cloud's representatives were left alive at the scene of a massacre. It was like they were asking for them to be killed in retribution.
They had effectively wiped out the strongest clan in the Hidden Leaf and set it up so that the Leaf could be framed as the aggressors if they struck back. Even killing the representatives without proof would give the Cloud pretext for a retaliatory war.
Everyone would be able to tell who was responsible for the Hyuga massacre – but the Lead couldn't definitively prove it. The shinobi that attacked Iruka was a missing ninja from the Hidden Stone. The poison used on the main branch members was from the Hidden Sand Village. There was technically no physical evidence of the Cloud's actions. And technically was good enough for their 'allies.'
The treaty between the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Sand Village only covers defensive wars. The Hidden Sand wouldn't help them unless they absolutely had to. They would take any opportunity to ignore the treaty.
If the Leaf tries to march to war, then Kazekage will leave the Leaf to fend for themselves. With the death of the Hyuga and the Uchiha clans in rapid succession, the Leaf will need the help of the Hidden Sand to have a chance at victory. Without their help, there is a very good chance the Leaf would lose. And even with their help, the Village will be left extremely weak and vulnerable to attack.
The Village Hidden in the leaves has too many enemies waiting to strike for him to let that happen.
"I don't know what the Hidden Cloud is, but they sound like jerks!" Naruto shouted with a frown. He didn't normally care about what happened to the Village outside of how it directly affected him. But Hinata was delightful, so he now cared. "Why would they kill Hinata's family?!"
"The Hyuga Clan was – is – dangerous," Hiruzen answered with a small correction. "The Hidden Cloud Village is doing what they feel is right to protect their own people."
Hinata's fist tightened. She didn't hate The Hidden Cloud Village for its actions. She just wanted her clan back. They might not've liked her, but she loved them. Maybe there was some way she could bring them back?
The old man could understand what Hinata was thinking without her saying anything.
He didn't dare say anything about the missing Hyuga children – including her sister. With no bodies found, it can only be assumed they were stolen either alive or dead.
Hiruzen planned to keep this quiet except for those sent to search for them – for Hinata's own good. If they couldn't rescue them, then Hinata shouldn't live her life fixated on them.
"Who cares what they were thinking?! They tried to kidnap Hinata!" Naruto glared harshly – having already forgotten he was the one who asked the question. "We need to kick their asses! Believe it!"
'Kushina, this boy is definitely your son," Hiruzen thought to himself. It would've almost been charming seeing an echo of the past if the situation wasn't so grim. And Naruto wasn't proposing a losing war.
"Naruto Uzumaki!" The Third Hokage shouted with a practice shout. Just like with Kushina, he'd only listen if you yelled at them. "Instead of thinking about fighting, you should be comforting Hinata."
A guilty shadow passed over Naruto's expression for a moment before he crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't like having to concede the point to anybody. Losing sucks.
"Now, Hinata, we have some things to discuss. Would you like to do it here – " The Third Hokage started while pausing briefly to look at the messy room. "Or somewhere else?"
Hinata's hands tightened on Naruto's clothing. She didn't have anywhere to go and wasn't ready to uphold the Hyuga clan by herself. Was The Lord Hokage expecting her too?
"Don't worry, child," Hiruzen said while reaching out to pat her head. "School is all you to worry about -after one or two things, ok? First, let's talk about living arrangements. Do you want to return to your home?"
"Oi! Isn't it full of dead bodies, ya know!" Naruto complained.
"Do you think we'd just leave them there!" The Hokage shouted.
Hinata tuned out the pair.
Hinata was only alive right now because she wasn't good enough to be there at the dinner like the rest of her clan. Going back now that everyone has died feels wrong. But it was her home. Her heritage. It was the only place she had connecting her to her family.
What should she say?
"Hey, Hinata," Naruto turned to her. "If you're worried about those bad guys coming back, I'll beat them up! So, don't worry about going home!"
Naruto spoke with such confidence and determination that Hinata couldn't help but nod at his words.
He didn't really understand her issues or what she was going on, but it was the thought that counted.
"Ok, Naruto," Hinata said softly to Naruto, almost as if she only wanted him to hear her speak. If he wanted her to go home, she would.
"Are you sure? We can prepare other living quarters," The Third Hokage offered.
Hinata nodded a hesitant yes.
"Ok," Hiruzen said while sighing. "And don't worry about any attacks. ANBU will be monitoring you for the foreseeable future."
"Hey! Didn't you hear what I said earlier?! I'll protect her!" Naruto said with an arrogant smirk.
"You aren't Minato, Naruto, don't try to be," The Third Hokage spoke before realizing what he had said. His predecessor had come to mind while dealing with the boy.
"Whose Minato?" Naruto asked with a strange focus. The name Minato bothered him for some reason. He could feel it was important, but he didn't know why.
Hiruzen took a deep breath, carefully considering his answer. "The Fourth. As a child, he single-handly saved a young girl from being kidnapped by Cloud Ninjas – all by himself."
Naruto's eyes widened as he listened to the Fourth Hokage's feat. It sounded so cool, like the kinda thing that would get him acknowledged. If he could do that, then he was sure to become Hokage! Then everyone would respect him!
He might not be as strong as the Fourth right now, but one day he will be! One day he'd surpass him to be the greatest Hokage ever!
Naruto ran through the streets with a huge smile on his face. He was holding three steaming to-go bowls of ramen. The smell was mouth-watering.
A few days passed since the Hyuga Affair or slaughter as it was being called.
Naruto could feel a deep sense of unease falling upon his home village. He could sense the worry in Ayame and Teuchi. The shinobi he passed on the road were full of anger and fear.
The most powerful clan was gone, and the Hokage wasn't planning to do anything about it. People were beginning to question if the hokage would do anything to protect them or ignore their plights. How could they trust the Village to protect them if entire clans could be slaughtered and no one is held responsible?
Naruto couldn't understand why the old man wasn't doing anything. Innocent people were killed; something needed to be done about it! The Cloud shouldn't be allowed to get away with what it did.
Well, there wasn't anything he could do about it. And Hinata didn't seem to want revenge or anything.
The one silver lining of the last few days was that his life was better than it was.
School was canceled for a few days as the adults argued – and to respect the tragedy of what happened. Iruka-sensei had even forgotten about his punishment to clean up the classroom with Hinata! Sensei hadn't brought it up once when they visited him in the hospital, so he didn't have to do it now! Hopefully.
And Iruka-sensei had been surprisingly nice during that visit too. He didn't yell or rage about anything like he normally did, which was kinda terrifying. Sure, he seemed to genuinely worry about him and Hinata. But was it real?
Naruto had a hard time really accepting the idea Iruka-sensei would do something out of the goodness of his heart. He'd never known anybody to do something like that. There had to be another reason he seemed genuinely worried about him and Hinata. And why he fought to protect them.
Yet, Hinata was an example of someone who'd never been mean to him. She was nice to him for no reason.
But, Iruka-sensei wasn't like that. Naruto can still remember him having the same hate-filled eyes as everyone else. Fear radiated off him to this day.
On the other hand, he loved Ichiraku Ramen, and nobody evil eats there.
It was so confusing! Especially because his chest felt so warm but hurt at the same time. Naruto wanted to believe Iruka-sensei cared about him, but he couldn't.
At least Hinata wasn't mean. Though, he wished she was happier...
Which is why he is visiting her early. There's no way she could be sad after eating Ichiraku ramen!
Naruto approached the Hyuga compound and entered it without knocking first. He came by yesterday and waited forever after knocking, but there was no one to answer. Soooo, he was just gonna go straight to his new friend's room.
The place had been cleaned up, and the bodies removed. It looked nice for a place where countless people had died a few days prior. They must have practice cleaning places up after massacres or something.
Naruto ran with the to-go ramen bowls to where he knew Hinata's room was. He didn't even bother to knock on her door before swinging it wide open. "Hinata! I brought breakfast!" he cheered while presenting the bowls in his arms to the Hyuga.
Hinata was sitting up in her bed with her dark hair down. Her big white eyes turned towards Naruto.
"Oh, thank you," Hinata said softly, much to Naruto's chagrin. He hadn't interacted with her much before that night, but she seemed nice – though weird. He preferred her like that over how sullen and expressionless she had become.
"You're welcome!" He said as he handed her two bowls of ramen and eating utensils, leaving one for him.
One thing Naruto had learned over the last few days was how much Hinata could eat. She was like a human vacuum cleaner. But without a storage limit!
"Did you hear those cloud bastards left the village today?"
"No," Hinata curtly answered. Most people would've expected her hands to tighten around the ramen bowl in anger, but they didn't. They grew limp. Fortunately, the position of the bowls in her lap stopped them from falling over and spilling everywhere. "At least they're gone."
Naruto frowned while removing the lid on his ramen bowl. Hinata's emotionless expression made it hard to read her. Was she happy? Sad? Angry? Something else? He couldn't sense anything off her.
He needed her to be happy. Otherwise, he would be a bad friend, and she'd leave him.
"Schools starting tomorrow. Wanna ditch!"
You never learn anything in school. All the teachers do is ignore you and make you feel bad about yourself for being slower than the other students. Even Iruka-sensei makes them waste time learning nothing! Just think of all the fun you can fit into that time!
"Naruto, you need to study…." Hinata said meekly but without a stutter – she hadn't done so since that day. Her hands tightened on her ramen bowl, and she opened the first one.
"Yeah yeah," Naruto said while taking a bite out of his ramen. He didn't like school or anything, but he wasn't going to argue with Hinata. Not when she seemed actually concerned about him. And he was trying to cheer her up, not have an excuse to skip school. He did that all the time without needing an excuse. "I'll be there – I'll even sit right next to you, you know!"
"I'd like that," Hinata added. She pushed some of her hair behind her ear as she did so. Her eyes didn't meet Naruto's.
A blazing heat emerged in Naruto's heart. She'd like him sitting next to her. Nobody had ever said that to him, like ever. Normally, people would curse him or shove him for even thinking about getting near them. Someone wanting to be near him was incomprehensible.
Naruto couldn't help but pause his eating as his thoughts suddenly turned to the events a few days prior.
When they were running away from Iruka-sensei, Hinata was the one to hold his hand first – not him. Holding hands was something you did with someone you cared about or trusted.
The blond-haired boy never had anyone who cared about him. For as long as he could remember, the only hugs he got were the ones he gave himself as he tried to lull himself to sleep. The only hand held within his own was the other as he walked home alone. The touch of a friend or loved one was an unknown thing to Naruto.
It was selfish to think about when he was supposed to be trying to make Hinata happy, but he couldn't help it.
Was the warmth of Hinata's hand what others felt? Was it the touch of someone who cared about him?
Naruto truly hoped so.
The nameless ROOT shinobi knelt in front of their lord. He was on the right side of the mission leader. Another nameless ROOT shinobi was on their superior's left.
The young child had no place saying anything, for they were but an emotionless tool. A weapon with no emotions. They would fulfill their missions without question – and would continue to do so until their master deemed it his time to die.
They were reporting on their first mission: to assassinate the cloud representatives and make it look like bandits killed them. It was a difficult task when you accounted for aggressive interrogations. Masking torture marks enough to deny responsibility could be difficult, depending on how strong-willed a person may be.
Unfortunately, all the torture in the world won't be able to extract information someone didn't have. None of the Hidden Cloud's representatives knew how the Hyuga clan's curse mark was activated, killing off every member of the side branch. Nor did they know the location of the kidnapped Hyuga children.
They had just been decoys. People who knew nothing while the Shinobi did the real work.
Oh well… they're dead. Even if they didn't know about it, their deaths were still in the Leaf's best interest.
To the Leaf, it would be justice. It would help satisfy their thirst for blood – for a time. Just like how the Hidden Leaf would have to definitely prove the Cloud was behind the slaughter, the Cloud would have to prove the Leaf killed their envoys. ROOT made sure that didn't happen.
The nameless ROOT shinobi had no wishes or desires, but the tiniest part of their mind was curious about the missing Hyuga.
What would Lord Danzo do if they were found?
ROOT currently has male and female Hyuga agents they managed to procure a while ago. They would be harvested for the materials necessary to revive the Village's most powerful dojutsu. And have them all be ROOT agents.
So, what use were the kidnapped children to Lord Danzo? Keeping them away from other villages was something they had to do. But it wasn't necessary to bring them back. The easiest solution would be to simply kill them.
Though, none of that truly matters to the nameless ROOT shinobi beyond passing fantasies. A young ROOT agent like themselves wouldn't be sent on an important mission like that, and it could be many years until they track down the stolen. Only then would a decision be made.
A decision they trusted Lord Danzo to make. The lord was the only one who knew what was best for The Leaf.
AN:
Hello! Merry Christmas/happy holidays!
This is my first time writing a Naruto fic for this fandom, so I thought I'd mention some things specifically.
1) English Dub is going to be followed for naming things unless it's a special circumstance.
2) I'm one of the people who like the really optimistic stuff, like saving Obito and Naruto's final conversation with alive Negato. So, there may be dark things in the fic, but it's going to be a happy/optimistic story.
3) This fic is obviously going to be set in the Naruto era, but I am taking notes on character abilities and jutsu from Boruto. Like, don't expect Isshiki to appear or anything, but I'm not above stealing some of the jutsu ideas from Boruto if I need one. (Not scientific ninja tools.)
Talking about the chapter itself:
Kinda worried.
To talk about the politics, as that's what worries me the most –
When writing the idea of the Hyuga dying, it felt like horrific irony that they'd fall because of the curse seal. Like they died because they enslaved their family members out of fear of their eyes being stolen or the branch families revolting, which resulted in their deaths and stolen eyes. Plus, it explains how the whole Huyga clan could be wiped out before anyone realized what had happened. (Having the main branch family be poisoned felt like the ninja thing an assassin would do.)
Hiruzen not doing anything makes sense in my mind beyond the basic pursuit of peace and weakness he sometimes shows in canon. If he attacks, another great shinobi war will break out, as the fighting between the Hidden Cloud and Leaf will result in the probable destruction of the latter and the weakening of the former. A perfect opportunity for the Hidden Stone to attack either one of them (or both). This would eventually lead to all the nations fighting and lots of death.
Hiruzen is the type of person who'd see this and choose peace. And there will be consequences to this choice as he will be forced to rely on Danzo more to protect the Leaf, causing said guy to have far more power and influence. Which – needless to say – is not a good idea. And a lot of people wouldn't agree with Hiruzen's decision either. They'll feel he is either weak or incompetent. Or, they may lose faith in the government's ability to protect them, weakening the Third Hokage's power.
As for why the Hidden Sand would so easily abandon the Leaf: they don't have the relationship they have under Gaara and Naruto, and this shows that. They are much closer to the invade the Hidden Leaf from the Chunin exam arc. It only makes sense for them to leave their allies in the dust to benefit themselves in such a relationship, and they're ninjas. They don't have honor.
(Also, in case it wasn't clear, the peace treaty happened later than in canon.)
Hopefully, that's an acceptable answer to explain why the character did what they did and the logic behind the writing.
Other things:
Only Hanabi and like two or three infants were kidnapped, thus how their kidnappers were able to get away with them.
Naruto and Mito's ability to sense negative emotions is cool, and I'm having base Naruto be able to naturally use a weak form of it because of the story opportunities. And it's cool.
I'm pretty sure Sasuke lived in the same home before and after the massacre, so it makes sense for Hinata to have the same choice.
Naruto is also kind of selfish and a jerk at the start of part 1 (see the fact that he attacks and ties up Sasuke in chapter 3, for example). So, having him be sort of self-centered early on makes sense. He's a lonely and neglected kid who wants attention. Not the idealist that wants peace.
Lastly, don't know how old Sai was when he killed his brother, but around the eight range made sense (Kakashi was like a chunin at six and killing people). He was also more of a tag-along on his mission to get experience than an active participant.
Anyway, if anyone cares about my other fics or came here from them: There being worked on. I just had a bad month or two where my depression (and other circumstances, including a medical issue) hit hard, and I lost the will to write, among other things.
But hey! I haven't been to six therapists (seven if you count family) to not know how to manage!
Chain of Stars has had a chapter essential done for probably two months now, but I didn't have the energy to proofread it. I'll try to get that done within the next couple of days if I don't get distracted with this fic.
A Moon's Reflection has like half a scene left to be written, but I'll need to refresh myself due to not looking at it for a while.
The Fated Dawn's idea for rewrites has been written down. There are probably three to four chapters worth of changes I want to make. Like I'm going to change the direction of the story to skip the Dagda-Brigid war and focus on the aftermath (have them leave in the aftermath instead of going to war) since I can have all the same scenes I need story-wise and quicker this way. Plus, it trims the fat and needs less handwaving. Scenes of Dimitri and Byleth will be added too. The former leading into the Tragedy of Duscur smoothly instead of putting full brakes on the story to set it up.
So like, three to four chapters of edits need to be made, and then we can get to a new chapter.
Well, thanks for reading that and this chapter! It means a lot!