..Chapter Eighteen..

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Sasuke was the first to notice it, his hands gripping the railing as she moved about with the young Hyuuga. He was already on edge because of the amount of damage she was taking. That was enough to cut through any father. And then... it started to happen. And suddenly he felt flashbacks to his fight with Haku. Kei, like him, was slowly beginning to read Shin's movements. She was getting faster, quicker. And every now and then she would catch the Byakugan user.

He'd already been shocked out of his senses when he'd seen her pull out the ball and chain and use Chidori in that manner. He'd learned how to do so himself with his own sword. He hadn't taught her that. No, she'd figured it out all on her own. He'd considered it, but assumed teaching her to refine the flow into and object would be too much to ask of the young girl.

How wrong he had been.

Next to him Sakura was easily on edge just as much. She looked over at Sasuke through the slits in her mask. Her voice was low and away from the Kages. No one would hear them. "She's doing it isn't she? Her eyes... tell me it's not true..."

"I can't," he whispered back, his eye on the girl in blue ninja garb. His eyes suddenly dashed to Naruto. The blond momentarily flickered his gaze to his own. He was just as worried. He knew. He had been there that day Sasuke gained the Sharingan. He'd been there the day those tables had turned for them both. The day the seal started to break for the first time on his stomach and Sasuke learned his bloodline technique.

And then he looked down as the crowd erupted with a cheer. His daughter was walking towards the young Hyuuga with her eyes casting down. No one would be able to see from this height in the stands. Not unless they had Byakugan. And he was sure none would just use it at random. Wasting chakra on something like this wasn't a norm. Especially with so many varying villages in the stands; so many possible enemies to content with.

And then he watched with bated breath as she lifted her head to look at Shin. He felt his gut wretch as the boy held the flat of his blade out to her. To others it might look like he was calling the fight off, showing his defeat. But, Sasuke knew what the boy was doing. He was showing Kei her reflection. He was showing her what he saw. Her eyes.

"Oh, Kami..." Sakura breathed beneath her mask.

He reached for her hand and grabbed it. "Someone needs to get her out of there before the whole audience notices," he muttered quietly. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.

He moved away from the railing and towards Naruto's solitary form in the chair. There was at least four feet of space between the Kages watching. He looked down at him.

Naruto seemed to clench his jaw and he glanced up at Kakashi to his right. "The boy is done. Get them both out of there into an infirmary room. Make sure the medical ninjas are gone. Have someone send for Tsunade. Now."

Kakashi understood the heat in his words and went to it.

Naruto stood up and greeted the audience with a smile. "It seems the first match of the day is over. The win goes to Hyuuga Kei. Please excuse my rudeness as I check on my daughter in the infirmary. Allow the matches to go on without me." He heard a hush over the crowd. It was very uncommon for the hosting Kage to leave until the last match was done. But, they would assume it was because of Kei's injuries. Many spectators knew of the Hokage's quick and easy breaks from tradition in opting for his people's needs first. They would figure his family would be no different.

Naruto motioned for the three ANBU to follow him and made his way towards the dark hallway. They slowly began to follow him down the stairs.

"This is bad," Sakura said in a worried voice. "This is very bad."

Itachi looked over at her. "I told you we would deal with it when the time came. We will. No one will know."

"She will," muttered Sasuke angrily. She was going to hate him. What a way to find out. Right in the middle of a match during the Chuunin exams when everyone was watching you. At least he had the benefit of knowing who is family was beforehand. Kei did not. She was probably confused, angry, scared and had no clue what was going on.

Sakura bit her lower lip as she watched Naruto's leading back. He had said nothing so far. Was he as worried as them? Or was he being silent in order to prepare himself for the task of ahead of them; for the angry and confused child waiting for them in a room downstairs. Would she be angry with them? She would be. Her daughter had been lied to her whole life. Would she understand the hard choices they had to make? Would she understand why they had to leave her with Naruto and Hinata? Or would she see no reason at all and go on hating them no matter what they told her?

She felt fear sweeping her insides and tried to let it go. To do this she had to be the strong woman she'd turned herself into. The one who held no fear in her eyes as she wished to kill Kabuto with her bare hands years ago. The one who didn't give a damn about anyone but her lover. She wasn't that little girl anymore, but, was she really still that woman too?

She felt a hand on her shoulder as they stepped to the basement level and continued walking on down a long hall. Behind the mask she smiled as Sasuke. Her rock. Her protector and her faith. Aside from the little girl in the room down the hall, he was her guiding light in all of this. Somehow, with him by her side, she knew they could accomplish anything.

They stopped at a door, a young blond waiting for them with hands on her hips. She still looked as young as ever, but, they all knew better. Beside her was Tenten and Neji. All three looked worried and determined.

"Thank you for coming, Tsunade-sama," Naruto was saying. "And on such short notice. I know you're busy with Leiko and her medical ANBU exams coming up."

The old woman rolled her eyes, but there was humor in them. "My adoptive daughter can handle herself just fine. She's a grown woman. Shizune is seeing to her studies while I'm gone anyway, brat." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Besides, this is more important."

Kakashi suddenly came up.

Naruto blinked. "She's in her room right? This one?"

He nodded. "I had to take Shin to a different one. He couldn't wait for medical attention. There's a lot of damage to his ribs and I know you didn't want any medical nin inside her room."

He nodded. "Alright, we're going to go in. As soon as soon as we do I'm placing a seal on the room so no one can hear. Just in case I want you at the door."

Kakashi blinked. "But.. the matches..."

He shook his head. "Already taken care of. Konohamaru is reffing in your place."

He nodded. "Very well, Hokage-sama."

Naruto opened the door and they all stepped in. As soon as he did he was dodging a bed pan aimed for his head. It hit the wall with a clatter and fell to the floor with an even louder one. He sighed on the inside at the young girl in front of him. But, before any of them said anything stupid he preformed the seals for the room.

And then she was yelling at him, her face twisted in anger. She was pointing to her eyes with both fingers. "What are these? Huh? I mean, I've went my whole life thinking I was a Hyuuga. One who, for some reason, didn't have the same eyes as her brother and cousins. As her own mother. My whole life!"

Naruto winced and took a step back. Had he ever been that loud? He watched her fists shake at her sides, clenching. "Kei.."

"No! Don't you 'Kei' me! You lied to me! I don't know why, but you did. Why? Why would you hide something like this from me?" She was trying to watch his features. Ignoring all others in the room. "Am I even your daughter? Or are my parents dead? Did you even consider this might happen? Do you think I'm stupid?!" She turned and slammed her fist into a wall, causing it to crack under pressure.

Tsunade came forward then. She grabbed the girl by her arm and tightened her hold on her when she tried to yank away.

"Let me go, Tsunade!"

Her eyes narrowed on the girl. "You listen here for a minute, girl. And you listen good." Her voice was deadly. "No one is answering anything until we treat your wounds." She pointed to the bed, shoving her towards it. "Now shut up and sit down."

Kei narrowed her eyes and glared at the woman for a while. But, after a short moment and what sounded like a grunt she sat down. She said nothing as the older shinobi treated her wounds with her healing hands. She didn't even look at her father or the group of ANBU as they pulled off their masks. She hated then all! They were on his side. So as far as she was concerned they were just as guilty for lying to her.

She felt the old woman wrapping her shoulder and didn't flinch as the pressure of tape was applied. She'd healed most of them, but apparently some were too deep and would take hours more. She would deal with it. It was so insignificant compared to the rage flooding her system right now and ringing in her ears.

Tsunade finally stood up and turned to Naruto. "She's ok. There's only a couple of deep wounds that will take time to heal. I would continue, but would take hours. And I want to check on Shin. Ok?"

Naruto nodded. "Thank you." He quickly preformed the seals to let her out.

Tsunade moved to leave, but briefly stopped next to Sakura. She stared into her green eyes. "Be careful... it's going to take time. Be slow." She smiled and patted the younger woman's arm before shutting the door behind her with a click.

Kei eyed her father as he once more preformed the seals to keep the room quiet, private and locked. She clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes. Those damn eyes of hers could see everything now, but none of it was quite clear. She stood up, and ready to yell again.

"Do you have any idea how I've felt all these years? Do you?" Her face was a wash of pain. "I've thought my whole life I was a misfit. I mistake. A failure. All because I didn't have to damned eyes the rest of my family had." She waved her hands wide and then brought them to her chest. "I was the ugly duckling, do you understand that? How could possibly understand my pain." Her eyes were hard. "You don't."

Even as she spoke there was a knock at the door. Even as she yelled on it was opened and sealed again, all the while her father tried to keep his eyes on her as Hinata stepped in the room.

"You don't! You could never understand the pain of feeling different!"

Naruto felt his heart drop. He assumed if she let it out it would be better for them all. But those words... did she even know what she was saying?

And then Hinata was stepping forward. It was so fast Naruto barely caught it. The woman pulled her hand back wide and a resounding smack was heard.

Sakura gasped and moved to step forward but Sasuke stopped her. She looked at him intently with narrowed eyes.

"Just wait..." he said softly.

Kei held her cheek and stared up at her mother, eyes wide. It was filled with shock and pain. Why had she done that? Her mother's normally soft eyes were hard and full of disappointment. Her face turned to anger again as she turned her rage to Hinata. "How dare you hit me! You're just a guilty as the rest!"

"Shut up."

Kei blinked, shock again as she took a step back. The look in her mother's eyes increased.

"How dare me?... How dare me?" Her voice was slowly raising.

Kei had never seen her mother raise her voice. She decided immediately that she much preferred her quiet anger.

"How dare you! Do you have any idea what your father went through as a child? How many people hated him because of the demon fox? How many people threw stones at him and refused to serve him?" She spat with venom laced her voice. "You're life is a walk in the park compared to what he endured to get noticed. To become recognized. No one saw him for what he was but me, Iruka and the Third when he was in the Academy. It wasn't until he reached Genin and started to accomplish things that people came to respect him." Her hands were on her hips as her eyes bored down on her. "If I had any idea I'd ever hear such hateful words ever, ever come out of your mouth..." she seemed to trail off. "I didn't raise you to be like this. We didn't."

Kei felt her insides twist at the guilt. She hadn't thought before she spoke. She'd just been angry.

"You're father loves you. He did everything he could to shield you from the pains he endured as boy. To ensure that you, no one, ever went through that pain again as long as he was Hokage."

Kei lowered her eyes.

Hinata did as well and turned away from her daughter. She couldn't bear to look at her. She just couldn't.

After a moment Kei looked up at Naruto. She felt tears coming. She tried to keep them in as she coughed. "I'm sorry... You've always been honest with me, Papa. Why would you make go through all that pain; all the time thinking I was... different? Knowing how much it hurt you?" She held his gaze. "You once told me that this was a clan bloodline technique. Something only the Uchiha have. How can I possibly posses this technique? How?" Her voice was strained as she pointed to her chest with both hands.

Naruto sighed and ran hand down his face. He didn't know how to tell her. Should he come right out and say it? Lying would do him no good. Trying to tell her it was something else would do him no good. It wasn't in him. He was a better person than that and she would know the truth.

Sakura wanted to go to her, even now she was straining against her own will to grab her child and hold her; to comfort her. She would have to follow Naruto's lead in this. Everything rested on him and the Kages. She would hate it if he tried to explain it away... but she would understand. Her child's life was more important than her own selfish desire to reveal the truth.

Sasuke gripped her hand tightly and held his breath. He glanced over at Itachi, hoping for something, anything. But the older man just looked at him, pain in his eyes for his niece. He slowly shook his head, just as upset as him.

Sasuke turned his eyes back to the little girl and prayed for the best outcome.

Naruto took a step forward and knelt down. He reached for Kei's hands as she cried softly. He gripped them tightly a moment. "Look at me."

She did, her face torn with emotions. Confusion... anger... pain... distrust... but... most of all hope. Hope that he would help make it alright. He'd seen that face many times when she'd been a child and skinned her knees or someone said something hurtful to her. He'd been her rock. And now, his little girl was asking him, with her eyes, to make it all better once again. She wasn't that small child anymore... but she would always be his little girl. His first.

"Kei... I love you. More than you could possibly understand. One day, when you have children of your own... maybe you'll know the ache I feel right now. When that day comes I'll be there for you then like I am now." He reached up, smiling slightly as he brushed away a tear. This only seemed to make her cry more... but he would strong for her. Like he always had been. "You already know the story of Sakura and Sasuke leaving the village," he began in a soft voice, "You also know that they changed. That a miracle happened. Remember?"

She nodded, unable to speak.

He wiped another tear. "Late one night they came back to the village. It was twelve years ago... I was already a Jounin by then and married to Hinata; who was the Head. Neji came to wake us up. Tsunade had requested our presence in the tower. In secret. No one could know that didn't have direct ties to what was going on." He searched her eyes, wondering if she was following him. It seemed she was so he went on. "Sasuke and Sakura were waiting for us there. By this time Sasuke had learned the truth about his brother. That he'd been ordered by the Third to take out the Uchiha clan because of a coupe da ta being planned against Konoha. They had made a plan to take out Orochimaru with the help of the Akatsuki and eventually the Akatsuki themselves because of the threat they posed to the villages."

"What threat?" She asked, her tears slowly starting to fade.

"The Akatsuki are gathering beast containers like myself and Gaara to annihilate the five great villages. Itachi wanted them gone after he settled the dispute with his brother as much as the rest of us did. Now, that's neither here nor there..." He gripped both of her hands tightly again. "Sasuke and Sakura brought something with them. The miracle that changed their minds. They wanted to protect this miracle. If Orochimaru found out about it he would use it against them." He paused as he watched her unsure features.

Her voice was a quiet whisper. "What was the miracle, Papa?"

He smiled. "You, Kei. You were the miracle. They left you with Hinata and I so we could pass you off as our own daughter and protect you from Orochimaru and the Akatsuki. We didn't lie to hurt you. We lied to protect you."

She stared at him in awe and looked immediately to the two standing by the door. Her real parents. And somehow... it didn't come as such a shock. She looked back at Naruto for some kind of confirmation.

He just smiled at her. "You, Hyuuga Kei are not a Hyuuga at all. You," he spoke with pride in his voice, "are an Uchiha."

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AN: First of all you have no idea how hard that chapter was to write. I wanted to convery all the emotions in the room, but, there just so many characters. I wanted Neji and Tenten there because they were just as much apart of this as anyone else. and yet it didn't seem important to focus on them at all. Itachi either.

I had Naruto explain it to her because.. well.. as far as she knew he was her father. He was the most in the wrong. And as such her anger was to be directed at him. She would feel he was the only one who could tell her the truth. Finally. Don't worry though. The next chapter will have much mushiness going on between her and her parents. Everything will start to pick up with the Kages, Orochimaru and the Akatsuki.

Speaking of which, how does everyone feel about my characterizations? Personalities? Did you like the Kages I made up? Did they seem to fit? What about Kei and the others? Did you like how I portrayed Shin? Obviously he has feelings for the girl just like Ryu. But, I'm still on the fence about who she'll end up with. Sunako has now even become a possibility. And just in case you're wondering...

Jade's father is Lee. I don't have a clue about the mother because I ran out of female characters to pair people up with that made sense in some way. Akira's parents are Choji and Ino. And I'm not sure about Sunako. I know for a fact Gaara would have personally saw to his training because of his sand manipulation.

And I'm sure you know the rest.

How cute is Hanabi and Konohamaru?! I was shocked to only see two M rated fics listed for that pairing. I guess no one really thought about it. Perhaps I'll do a chapter desicated to them. Maybe a flashback to when they were kids and fell for one another. What do you think? I know some of you didn't like the Rin/Kalashi filler. -pout- Did anyone like that? Please let me know!

Shoutouts go to Kattylin, who despite not liking the 'incest' or 'gay' part has been reviewing this story since the first chapter. Sheen who wanted more reviewers! You're so nice! And yes, I know, what will I do with Madara? -wrinkles nose- How evil is he anyway? I've never read the manga. Superme383 you rock my sox you silly fox! It's nice to know someone loves my witting so much. Dominiqueanne, despite you short and quick to the point reviews I love it all the same.

--Blade