Notes: As with the last chapter of "White Dog Night," this one skips ahead a few years, and is an epilogue of sorts.
Hyuuga Secret Arts
Part 8: The Art of Inheritance
A Naruto Ficlet by
Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)
From the Desk of Hyuuga IrihiI am my father's child. That's the polite way of saying that if my father had been a girl, he would have been me. Or so my mother claims, anyway.
I choose to take it as a compliment. Papa is one of the most respected shinobi in Konoha. He hasn't left the village for anything but S-ranked missions in the last thirteen years... which, not so incidentally, is how old I am. And you'd be surprised, how few shinobi are willing to put their careers on hold to be a good father.
But you have to understand, I'm an adult now. A chuunin, even (okay, so it's only been a week since I got promoted, but still). So I flat out told him the one thing a father never wants to hear from his little girl, no matter how old she gets.
"You know, a little time apart wouldn't kill us."
He took it bad. Which is to say he told my mother on me, the big jerk. Little did he know I'd had the foresight to get her on my side first. Ironically, I got my brains from him, and my stubborn as an ox routine from her. It worked out pretty nicely, I think. She bullied him into the first mission that popped up, and it's been just us women for the last few days: me, my mother, all three of my aunts, and the twins (one is a boy, but he's so cute I hardly think it counts).
You wouldn't think it, but all those people represent the better part of two powerful clans in Konoha. It's a very odd story that I still don't quite understand, but I think I could sum it up.
Basically, my middle aunt, Hinata, ran away from home after she failed the chuunin exams (she had good reason, though). That meant that her little sister (my youngest aunt), Hanabi, was going to take over the Hyuuga Clan instead, which really pissed her off, since she seems to hate that job (despite how good at it she is). Anyway, my oldest aunt (who somehow manages to look and act the youngest), Temari, found Hinata and took her to Suna, where Hanabi and my father confronted them. Here the details get fuzzy, but I assume Hanabi kicked Hinata's butt and made her come home... only she wouldn't let Hinata rejoin our clan. Which worked out great, since Hinata got to marry this really funny guy she'd had a crush on since they were kids, so they got married and started their own clan (that's how we got the twins), which is why Temari gets to live here full-time now, since she's an official unofficial member (not blood-related, but they wouldn't dare kick her out, as much as she babysits).
Weird, I know, but reunions are too much fun.
The Hyuuga Clan is pretty serious about everything, and that'll never change, no matter how many times I beg Hanabi.
The Uzumaki Clan... not so much. At all, really. But that's why they're so cool to hang out with. You can lay around in the yard all day with Akamaru, or practice jutsu that would normally get your kunai taken away for a month, and nobody gets in trouble. If you're lucky, they might even give you pointers! And since they live right outside of the village, it's not like they're really breaking any rules, either. You can get away with just about anything on Uzumaki land; there's a whole section devoted to them in the laws of Konoha (I think they started it when my uncle, Naruto, broke most of their regular laws).
Naruto is probably the greatest guy you'd ever want to be related to. He's all about family, even more so than my father, if you can believe it. Well, a better way to say it is he's more about family fun. He doesn't have concepts of how you act in public or anything like that; he'll wrestle with his kids in the middle of the street if the urge hits him, and no one would ever call him on it. He's a pretty big guy, and he's even stronger than he looks, so most people just pretend to look the other way.
My first memory of Naruto is when he "kidnapped" me for a day, in order to save me from the complete boredom that he was convinced I lived in. Now, my father can be strict, and I don't think I've ever seen him angrier than when he tore up the village looking for me, only to find out I'd been with Naruto and Hinata the whole time, eating cinnamon buns and practicing looking through people's clothes (in a village full of shinobi, it's nice to know who's packing concealed weapons). Papa looked like he wanted to rip Naruto's head off, but then Hinata offered him some fresh cinnamon buns in that soft voice of hers, and he actually blushed and muttered something about needing to get me home before my mother really started to worry. I never got kidnapped again, although I did run away a few times, and even then it was my mother who came to get me, because my father turns into a complete wimp around Hinata.
I can see why Hinata didn't last long in our clan. She can be serious, but ultimately, she'd rather be playing with her kids, or baking, or working on her garden, or going for walks with Akamaru. It's hard to imagine how someone so quiet and gentle ever became a jounin, especially after all the setbacks, but I know she's strong. I can see it in her smile when she refuses to spar with her children. I can see it in her eyes when she feels her family is being threatened. Most of all, I can see it in Akamaru, who seems to get angry for Hinata so she doesn't have to. Normally, he's the nicest dog in the world despite his gigantic size, but he won't hesitate to bare his fangs if one of the twins even thinks about shedding tears. They got teased exactly once, and the kids who did it ran home screaming with Akamaru barking at them. There were complaints from concerned parents, but Naruto only shrugged and said, "They got off lucky with Akamaru; I'd have bitten them."
Don't get me wrong, the Hyuuga Clan is great, too, just in a different way. You know, the 'respect-us-or-die' kind of way. They're nowhere near as laid back, but as a result, everyone tends to stay out of their way. This is largely because Hanabi inherited her father's inability to understand the concept of humor. In short, she can't take (or make) a joke. Which is odd, since everybody knows she's got a thing going with her teammate, Konohamaru, who is nothing but a walking, talking joke with messy hair (he makes it look good, though).
I don't spend all that much time with Hanabi anymore, and it's not that I don't like her. She's one of those women that would be gorgeous if she bothered to smile regularly, so is instead sort of uncomfortably pretty. It's just that I know she's always busy, and I try my best to stay out of her way. She treats me like I'm twice my age, which is fun for about ten minutes, but then I start wishing she'd do just the opposite and give me some candy. The weird thing is, I know she loves me, but I could just barely give you any proof that would stand in front of a council.
That's the funny thing about love. It can be there, hiding, and you'll know it's there. And yet, when you feel like you're at your lowest, you can forget something you've taken for granted for years, because you're feeling sorry for yourself.
That's how it was for me, the day I nearly took my cousin's life.
The day started off like any other.
After breakfast, I helped Mama polish her weapons (I should say SOME of them, since I know she gained at least a dozen for every year I've been around), and then I went outside to practice with my Byakugan. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I've never been any good at it. Well, that's wrong. I've never wanted to be all that good at it. It just feels, I don't know, like cheating. And honestly, I feel a whole lot better when I can kick someone's butt without relying on my all-seeing eyes. I can use them when I have to, like if I'm in a tight spot, or if someone from the clan is watching, but I'm much happier just pounding people into submission (I keep my forearms and hands wrapped to help absorb the impact on my end).
The upside to this is that whether you use the Byakugan or not, Gentle Fist demands speed, which I have in abundance. What I don't have is the patience to look for chakra coils, so I usually end up using my speed to hammer my enemies from all directions at once. It's not a perfect strategy, but after I got some serious endurance, strength, and speed training from my father's friend Lee, the people started dropping a lot faster, and the ones that could still think through the pain knew better than to get up. Yeah, I could always drop them with one hit to a vital spot, but that's just no fun (plus it seems even more like cheating than searching out their weak spots).
Needless to say, I got tired of staring at things very quickly, and decided to go for a run through the village to get my blood pumping. So with a yell to my mother that I'd be back soon, I was off to get some real training in. Of course, the streets can get pretty crowded, so it just makes more sense to run (and jump) along the roofs. Though, with this being a ninja village and all, there's even traffic up there at times.
I was passing through (okay, over, technically) the shopping district when I spotted a familiar head of blond hair in four, spiked pigtails. And since the chances of two people with that hairstyle being in the same village were astronomically low (excluding clones and whatnot), I knew I had come across my favorite aunt. And since she was my favorite aunt, I wanted to greet her properly... by getting the drop on her. Now, this was much harder than it sounds: she's a jounin, has been one for some time, and what's more, she's a Sand-nin, and I have to say most of them are known for being needlessly brutal. But, since she'd never raised a hand to me outside of when I deserved it, I figured a swat or two was worth a good laugh.
To my credit, I got within a yard of her before I tripped on a kunai, which was wrapped in an exploding tag, which in turn blew me off of the roof, where I fell neatly into my aunt's waiting arms.
"That was really sloppy, Iri," she informed me with a smirk. "I heard you snickering, and you probably shouldn't squawk when you're dodging, even if there is an explosion." To be honest, I think she purposely avoided mentioning the fact that I tripped in order to save me a little dignity.
"I'll get you next time, oba-san," I promised her.
To this, she just smiled indulgently before putting me down. "I was just on my way home. If you come along and babysit the brats for me, I won't tell your mom about that sad little display I just saw."
This wasn't really a threat, since 1) the three people the twins liked best were me, Temari, and Akamaru, in that order, and 2) Mama would yell at me for attacking a relative before she'd yell at me for failing to attack one. But I decided to go along anyway, since Hinata had developed a habit of paying in cinnamon buns.
Now, the twins were old enough that they didn't really need supervision, but young enough where it was smart to keep an eye on them, anyway. Case in point: when we walked up to the Uzumaki compound, part of the front gate exploded from a stray chakra grenade. We'd had the extraordinary luck of catching the twins in the midst of a heated sparring session. They weren't even genin yet, but they could make several of my fellow chuunin sweat, if they really had to.
Enten was the one causing all the property damage, as usual. His arms were spinning like out of control windmills, launching bright blue, half-formed balls of chakra at his sister. His control wasn't that great yet, though, and a good number of them exploded the instant they left his fingertips. But the little guy either didn't notice or didn't care, because he didn't slow down one bit.
Tsuki was on the other side of the yard, zipping back and forth between her brother's projectiles. Most of them she danced around with ease, but the ones she couldn't were deflected with the help of hastily-erected, pale blue chakra shields about the size of a melon.
It took them a few minutes to realize that neither one was winning, and once they did, they charged blindly at each other, screaming their little heads off. Enten came in high with a powerful swipe that would've knocked Tsuki flat on her back, had it connected. Problem was, she was faster, and could read her brother like a book, so she came in low, slipping beneath his guard rather easily. And before Enten could stop her, she planted a noisy kiss directly on his nose.
Being a seven year old boy, Enten's reaction was pretty much standard for his age group.
"AAAAAARRRRRGGGGH!"
Tsuki just giggled merrily as Enten dropped to the ground, clutching at his face and kicking his legs wildly, howling about "girl germs" or something to that effect.
They really do look like and act a great deal like miniature versions of their parents, except Tsuki is more spirited and loud like Naruto, while Enten, like Hinata, doesn't say much unless he thinks it's important. You wouldn't even know they were brother and sister, if it weren't for the way they treated each other. Whenever Enten gets in trouble, Tsuki talks him out of being seriously punished... or she just talks until you start to wonder who exactly is being punished.
Any other babysitter probably would've cleaned the twins off and given them a lecture on getting along with each other. Temari just whistled.
A whistle is a powerful thing in the Uzumaki compound, because that's all it takes to bring Akamaru running. He must've been pretty close, because Temari had barely finished whistling when he came tearing around the main house, only slowing down enough so the twins could latch onto his neck as he brought them over to us.
Instantly, there was a delighted cry of "Iri nee-chan!" as I found my arms full of Tsuki, while Enten tackled my legs. I managed to stay on my feet only because I'd had plenty of experience with twin-tackling. And even when I finally pried them off, the only thing I got for my troubles was a very wet lick from Akamaru.
"Come spar with us, Iri nee-chan!" Tsuki begged, tugging on my arm. Enten was apparently above begging, but I could tell he wanted me to join in, too.
I looked to Temari for her approval, and she nodded. "Go ahead, Iri," she said while rubbing Akamaru's neck fondly. "If you can wear them out so they're too tired to cause trouble, I'll make sure there's an extra cinnamon bun in it for you."
"Yay!" Tsuki cheered, bouncing up and down, while Enten just grinned.
"Okay, who's first?" I asked as they dragged me further into the yard.
Tsuki volunteered her brother at once. "Show him how tough girls are!"
Enten never did think much about girls, until he lost to me. From then on, he was determined to beat me, but he never actually had. I was faster and stronger, and while Enten would be a threat if he had better chakra control, right now he was just a somewhat tame loose cannon. He might be able to sneak in a few hits, but he wasn't going to even come close to winning, not unless I let him (not that I would, as it would defeat the whole purpose of sparring). It's never actually been my goal to seriously hurt him, though. I might be a little rougher than necessary if he got cocky or started talking trash, but just to keep him in line.
We started off the way we always do: Enten doing his best to hit me, and failing, for the most part. Since Tsuki had inherited pretty much all of the Hyuuga talent from Hinata, that left her brother with Naruto's gifts, which were considerable, but much more difficult to use properly. Both of them had larger than normal chakra reserves, especially for their age, and because he knew that, Enten had formed a habit of never holding back out of fear of chakra exhaustion. He was somewhat tired from all the chakra he'd used in the spar with Tsuki, but he'd never admit that. I figured I wouldn't embarrass him unless he asked for it.
Problem was, we had opposing ideas on what was embarrassing, and when Enten finally realized I had yet to throw a single punch, he got mad.
"Stop going easy on me, Iri!" he growled, his face red. "Everybody's looking!"
It didn't matter that anyone watching would've agreed with my way of thinking, not his. The little guy had his pride, and I didn't really want to damage it if I didn't have to. I also didn't want to damage his body with anything too advanced. I ended up deciding on my old family standby, the Empty Hand of Hakke. That way I didn't run the risk of breaking any bones accidentally, and constantly getting shoved would most likely provoke Enten into making a mistake I could exploit without really hurting him (and as an added bonus, I wouldn't have to rely on my Byakugan).
But I'm proud to say I underestimated the little guy. A few minutes of getting shoved around, and he suddenly got the idea to jump over my attack. That, I never expected, since it was something Tsuki was more likely to try. She liked to move around a lot, but Enten was always more stationary in his fighting.
Anyway, he surprised me, and I didn't have much time to react before his momentum would slam our skulls together, so I blocked him, though with more force than I realized. I managed to brace myself with my arms crossed to protect my face, and used them to push off against Enten's chest. As I said, I fight with my arms all the time, and maybe because Enten had managed to throw me off my game, I responded in a way that I never would've chosen to consciously.
When visible, chakra comes in a wide variety of colors. But it's almost never a good thing when it's a really dark color. Black is probably the worst you could ever come across, but I'm a little biased.
At first, I thought Enten had done a jutsu that somehow got tar onto my fingers. But then I realized that he wasn't sticking to me, and that the black stuff on my fingers was actually MOVING. Towards him.
I'm not sure what happened after that. For all I know, I could've been looking right at Enten the whole time, and my brain just refuses to let me recall that particular memory.
I do know that by the time Enten hit the ground, what seemed like most of his blood was either on my hands, or coating his chest.
I remember I couldn't breathe. I could only watch him lying there, trying not to move in case that made it worse. And when our eyes met, I expected him to be confused, or angry, or afraid.
But he wasn't any of those things. Instead, he took a deep breath, slowly raised a shaky hand, and said three words.
"Help me, Iri..."
He still trusted me, even then. And that's what finally broke me.
I ran, harder and faster than I ever have in my life. I could feel something on my hands as I moved, and I knew that it wasn't just blood. My only thought was that I had to get away, before I hurt someone else. But I kept seeing Enten lying there, drenched in blood as he whispered my name, and not even closing my eyes helped, although it did result in me getting good and lost.
As it turned out, someone actually was calling my name, and I knew the voice well. But I was still very much freaked out at that point, and I mistakenly assumed that Temari would be angry with me. That, and I didn't want to hurt her. I kept running, because I knew on a good day, I could outrun just about anyone without my leg weights. Unfortunately, if I stopped to take them off, Temari would catch me for sure.
Problem was, I was only faster than Temari. I wasn't smarter. I'm only fast on land. In the air, trapped by chakra-enfused winds, I pretty much stand still, which was the idea in the first place.
With Temari closing in, I did the only thing I could do.
I begged. I begged her not to come any closer, told her I loved her and I didn't want to kill her, too. I even begged her to kill me so I wouldn't have to see the look on Hinata's face when she found out what I'd done to her little boy. She'd never be able to call the twins her "little sun and moon" again, and it would be all my fault.
Temari didn't listen, thankfully. She only said, "Show me your hands," in that no nonsense tone of hers, so I did. They were still covered in blood, and I could see something moving beneath the blood, but I was too scared to scream. And when Temari started forming hand seals, I just knew she was going to cut off my hands. Instead, she reached out and slipped her larger hands over my own. Whatever she did, my hands pulsed, and then they didn't feel weird anymore, but that didn't help much, since I still had Enten's blood on them, and now so did Temari.
I was even more surprised when Temari pulled me into a rough, warm hug. "Don't you ever run away from me when you're in trouble, unless I tell you to. You know that's dangerous, Iri," she said into my ear.
In my panic, I'd forgotten that particular lesson, but I knew it well. Naruto had told us the story nearly every other week for several years now. Hinata's junior teammates, Tatsuo and Tomoko, had gotten separated from their team on a mission. Tatsuo had wanted to stay together and watch each other's backs, but Tomoko insisted that regrouping with the others was more important. They ended up surrounded by enemies, and Tomoko ran to get help. The next time Tatsuo saw her, she was dead. In his anguish, he'd used a forbidden jutsu to destroy himself and the remaining enemies. Because of him, the rest of the team survived, and most of them believe to this day that if Tatsuo and Tomoko had fought together, they'd still be alive to tell the story themselves.
The twins had taken the story to heart, because one never went anywhere without the other. Enten wasn't crazy about holding Tsuki's hand all the time, but as far as he was concerned, being born five minutes earlier made him the big brother, and he took that very seriously. I, on the other hand, being a single child and an heiress, had been brought up to rely on my own power, and since I could no longer trust it, I didn't know what my body might do next.
Temari didn't seem too worried, although maybe she was just doing that for my benefit. She carried me on her back, and told me about the time Naruto had sneezed on an important treaty just as Gaara was signing it. The image of Naruto being chased out of the Kazekage's office by an army of enraged sand clones was pretty funny, but I couldn't help noticing that we didn't go back to the Uzumaki compound. Instead, Temari walked right past it, and took me into the village. I had a pretty good idea of where we were going, but my heart still sank when she actually set foot inside the Hyuuga compound. I had never done anything this bad before, and I could already imagine the look on my father's face when he finally heard the news. I hated to see disappointment in Papa's eyes, because that was even worse than him being angry at me.
But I was surprised yet again, because Temari didn't take me home. She took me to the meeting hall, which was reserved for discussions with really important people, like other clan heads and the Hokage. And before I could ask why, Temari had barged into what had to be an important meeting, since all the Hyuuga elders were there, with Hanabi sitting at the head of the table. Normally, she might have demanded to know what we were doing, but the instant she saw blood on my hands, she stood up and quickly excused herself.
"What happened?" Hanabi asked the moment we were locked away in her study.
"'It' happened," Temari replied simply as she let me down, and I was shocked to see that Hanabi accepted that answer at once.
"Was anyone injured?"
I very nearly blurted out that no one was injured, but that Enten was very dead by now, and that it was all my fault. But Temari shot me one her patented 'shut up or taste the back of my fan' glares and answered for me.
"Enten. I don't know his condition, but Akamaru was nearby when it happened." I'd forgotten that, actually. At the very least, Akamaru would've barked to bring Hinata running. And if Tsuki wasn't too traumatized by the sight of her brother bleeding all over the place, it was also possible that she might have recalled a few minor healing jutsu.
There was a distinct pause, and though I had never, ever seen Hanabi do more than talk to Hinata's children in a slightly detached sort of way, she swallowed the gasp that rose to her lips almost expertly. I never questioned whether or not she loved the twins again.
Immediately afterward, things... got a little weird. Hanabi pulled a large bowl from a shelf, and a few hand seals later, there was a rapidly melting chunk of ice in the bowl. Then she personally washed my hands. Mind you, this was only weird because she didn't have someone else do it, but I couldn't complain, since my hands finally got clean. And now that I think back on it, maybe that was Hanabi's way of saying she forgave and still trusted me.
Then, to my horror, Hanabi asked Temari to go get my mother. There was nothing I could say; it had to be done eventually. All Temari could offer in the way of comfort was a gentle squeeze of my shoulder as she left the study.
Once we were alone, I expected to be in enormous trouble. After all, people were rarely brought before the clan head to be rewarded. Well, I never had been; in most of my good experiences involving Hanabi, I had gone to her out of choice. On the other hand, before that day I had never done anything so terrible that punishment had to come from the clan head, so if I was going to be punished by Hanabi, then I truly deserved it.
But she didn't punish me. No one was going to, either, but I wouldn't figure that out until after Naruto and Papa got home a couple of days later.
"Do you know why you are here, Irihi?" Hanabi asked me in a surprisingly calm tone.
"To receive my punishment, oba-sama," I told her, lowering my head.
"No." She reached out and took my hands in hers, her grip tightening when I tried to pull them away. "I am not going to punish you for what happened today. I will tell you why that is, and why you must not be afraid anymore."
"But... oba-sama, please... don't hold my hands... not now!" I pleaded.
"Very well." She released my hands, but the moment I yanked them back, I got another surprise. "Come and sit in my lap, Irihi."
I stared at her in disbelief as she sat down on the floor and looked at me expectantly. Hanabi had never invited me to do such a thing. She wouldn't have stopped me if I'd done it on my own, but that was completely different, as far as I was concerned.
"Aren't you worried I might hurt you?"
Hanabi frowned at me. "I realize this day has been difficult for you, Irihi. So I will overlook the implication that you, even if you had all your wits about you, could possibly hope to harm me."
No matter how many times I replay that line in my head, and even though I know it was meant to make me feel better, it always makes me feel about two inches tall instead. So, feeling pretty silly, I gave in and sat in Hanabi's lap. And wouldn't you know it, as soon as I got comfortable, she reached around me and grasped my hands again.
"There is a very good reason why I do not fear you, and my being stronger and more experienced is only part of it," Hanabi said softly in my ear. "Something very similar happened to me years ago, at the peak of my ANBU career. And the results were far worse."
I could hardly believe it. It was hard enough to believe that there was something... living under my skin, and that it could hurt people against my wishes, but now Hanabi had the same thing, and had lost control of hers, too?
Over the next hour or so, Hanabi told me many things. Private things, things she had only told my father, and things she had never told anyone. Above all, she stressed two things.
First, that what had happened that day was not my fault (technically, it was my father's, in a strictly genetic sense). I had simply inherited a super-rare ability of the Hyuuga bloodline, just as Hanabi had. And like her, the ability had manifested while sparring with a relative.
Second, that this ability was not to be feared, but to be respected and used properly, just as the Byakugan was (it wasn't a great example in my case, but I got the gist of it). Even when the ability had been fully sealed, I would have to retrain my body to contain its power as I moved around, or else risk the seal failing over time. The only good thing that I could see in all this was that Hanabi was really the only person qualified to oversee my training.
I had never received any sort of training from her, but I expected it wouldn't be enjoyable at all. The Hyuuga way simply took the fun out of everything, a lesson I learned at age eight, when I realized that Papa's strange willingness to play pattycake over the years had only been a method of teaching me Gentle Fist strikes. The really sad part is that if I'd had any friends other than Shinju at the time, they wouldn't have stayed around long after I'd flattened them while playing. How was I supposed to know that normal kids didn't play games that required chakra control?
Just when I was starting to wonder what was taking my mother so long, there was a knock on the door. Hanabi motioned for me to open the door, and I was relieved to see that Mama was more worried about me than anything I'd done. But the relief didn't last long, because as she pulled me into a tight hug, I glanced down the hallway just as Hinata stepped into view at the other end.
With strength I didn't know I had, I dragged my mother into the study, slammed the door shut, and locked it. Had Mama not stopped me, I might have thrown a chest or two in front the door for good measure.
"Irihi, stop that! What do you think you're doing?" she asked, grabbing my hands.
"I can't face her yet, Mama!" I cried, burying my face in her shoulder. "She'll hate me, and Enten... he's not-"
"Enten," my mother interrupted calmly, "is with her, and he's been asking to see you since Hinata healed him. Neither of them hates you. Haven't you already been told that you had no control over what happened? No one blames you."
I didn't want to look at Hanabi, because I was in no mood to deal with a smug smirk at the time. Instead, I focused on what my mother had told me. "Enten... he's okay? But there was so much blood, and-"
"If you don't believe me, you can see for yourself momentarily."
I hadn't noticed that Hanabi was moving while we talked, and by the time I did, she was already opening the door. I wanted to run, or at least hide somewhere, but my mother was holding me firmly in place to prevent both. I could only stand there and face what I had done.
Despite what my mother had told me, I expected Enten to be limping, or at least look horribly pale, something like that. So I was more than a little surprised when he ran right past Hanabi (without even paying her the proper, or any respect, for that matter) and threw his arms around my waist, looking as if he hadn't been struck down just a few hours ago.
"Nobody would tell me where you were, or if you were in trouble," he muttered, squeezing me tightly. "I was scared when Temari oba-san came back alone. Why didn't you come back, Iri?" He raised his head and looked at me, his blue eyes pleading with me for an answer.
I didn't know what to say. I couldn't understand how he was standing there in one piece, why he wasn't angry at me, or how he could still use that shortened version of my name that only close family could or would. Didn't he know what I could've done to him? What I had done to him?
Why did he almost seem happy to see me?
Enten finally guessed why I wasn't able to answer him, so he let me go and pulled up his shirt. "Look, Iri! I'm fine, see?"
He wasn't fine. There was a huge, dark brown, X-shaped scar crossing his belly, but it looked perfectly smooth and almost faded, as if he'd had it for years. And from the look on Enten's face, he was actually proud of the mark.
"Mama says she might let me keep it. It's even better than a tattoo!"
I was still trying to wrap my mind around the scar being a good thing when Enten grabbed my hand and pressed it against his scar, as if trying to show me that he really was perfectly healthy.
My hand didn't tell me anything my eyes already hadn't, but I didn't pull away, mostly because I didn't want to risk any sudden movements triggering my ability again. I was still a little wary of my hands touching anyone, though, but tried not to show it as I gently traced Enten's scar with my fingers. For his part, he just tried not to wriggle when I passed an especially ticklish area. When I felt we'd both had enough, I slowly let my hand fall back to my side as Enten pulled his shirt back down.
"So... you'll still come and train with us, right?" he asked suddenly, giving me the same puppy dog look that Naruto gave me whenever he wanted my cinnamon buns. And while it didn't work in those cases because Naruto was too old to be adorable, with Enten it was totally different. I had changed his diapers, gotten him to take his first steps toward me, even taught him how to sense when someone was spying on him with the Byakugan (that was all Tsuki's fault; when Hinata stopped bathing them together, Tsuki wanted to know what she was missing out on). As much as I loved Tsuki, Enten would always be closer to my heart, if only because it felt more natural to think of him as my little brother.
"I... don't think that would be a good idea," I muttered, avoiding his eyes.
"No!"
My head snapped up at Tsuki's shrill cry. She had been hanging back near the door, clutching Hinata's hand the whole time. But suddenly she was flinging herself at me just as Enten had, clinging tightly to my waist.
"You can't stop visiting us, Iri nee-chan!" Tsuki wailed, tears spilling down her face. "We need you!"
I sighed and ruffled her dark hair fondly, the way I always had, before I realized what I was doing, and by then it was too late to stop. "Come on, don't cry. It'll only be for a while, until I get things under control."
Unfortunately, Tsuki wasn't looking for excuses, she was looking for me to say that I'd keep coming by. And since I didn't, well...
"We know it was an accident, and we still love you! We really do..." She trailed off, burying her face in my chest.
"We know you'd never hurt us," Enten said quietly, looking directly into my eyes. Everything about his expression in that moment told me that while he would always remember this day, he would never mention it to me. And that was what I needed from him. Not forgiveness, because to him I hadn't done anything wrong. Not acceptance, because I was only one that seemed to accept that I had hurt him. We were just going to move on, and behave the way we always had, almost as if this day had never happened.
"But... why aren't you afraid?" I asked them.
Enten stared at me as if I were crazy. "We could never be scared of you, Iri."
"What about...?" I stopped there, because I still didn't know quite what to call the ability. Hanabi hadn't really given it a name, though I assumed there was some sort of title she'd reveal to me later.
"We're not scared of that, either. Tsuki, um, saw the whole thing."
My heart skipped a beat, and I looked down to see Tsuki staring right back at me. That was another thing I'd been afraid of, but she didn't look traumatized, at least not by what she'd seen earlier. Which really begged the question of what would traumatize her, because very few people can watch their brother get sliced open and stay levelheaded.
"You shouldn't be scared of it, Iri nee-chan," she said softly. "It knew you were fighting, and it wanted to be useful. It was trying to help you."
I could only stare at her. Either she was just trying to make me feel better, or she really had seen all of that with her Byakugan. And since she was the only Byakugan user that actually saw the incident, I had to take her word for it. But I don't mind saying that it was a little creepy, having someone else know my own body better than I did. On the other hand, since I barely knew what it was up to just then, I'm glad someone close to me did.
"Tsuki. Enten. That's enough," Hinata said quietly but firmly. "Your cousin obviously has a great deal on her mind. I think what she needs right now is not to feel crowded."
I'd never seen the twins outright defy Hinata, especially when she could still see them, but Enten looked as if he were seriously considering ignoring her command. But either out of concern for me or desire to obey his mother, he backed off, tugging lightly on Tsuki's arm until she let go of me and moved away as well.
"Now, since both of you failed to show your aunt the proper respect when you came in," Hinata continued, and here the twins hung their heads almost simultaneously, "you can apologize and explain to her what got you so upset that you forgot your manners."
I swear I'll never understand how Hinata keeps those two in line, when punishment is just saying why you're sorry. But then I doubted she was in the mood to seriously punish her children, since she'd nearly lost one.
"And while you're doing that, I'll be going for a little walk." Hinata turned to leave the study. She had just cleared the door when she added softly, "Why don't you join me, Irihi?"
In all the time I've known her, I can't ever recall Hinata punishing me. Either I never gave her enough reason to, or she, like most people who knew my father, figured I got punished enough at home. Which wasn't exactly true, although that's mostly because people with one or more strict parents tend to live under constant unbending rules, so to them being punished is along the lines of bodily harm or worse. In other words, I knew Hinata wasn't going to hit me, but sometimes even soft words could hurt so much more than any strike.
I understood that Hinata wasn't really asking so much as she was telling me to come with her, and I liked going for walks with her under normal circumstances, so maybe she actually did want to help me relax. But it was more likely she just didn't want anyone else to hear what she was undoubtedly going to say to me. The sad part is that I would've preferred to be hit, because though that would've been totally out of character for Hinata, I still felt like I deserved some kind of punishment for what I'd done, even though it was an accident.
My mother gave me an encouraging smile as I followed Hinata out of the study, but the moment the door was closed behind us, I wondered how far I could get if I made a break for it. With any luck, Hinata hadn't brought Akamaru with her, and I could actually get away this time without being caught for an hour or so, at least. But I couldn't really go anywhere, either. All the good hiding spots I knew were on Uzumaki land, and anyone I went to for help would just take me back to my mother.
"You can relax, Irihi," Hinata said as we moved down the hallway. "In case you haven't figured it out yet, no one is going to punish you. In my opinion, not knowing whether Enten was dead or alive was punishment enough for you. I honestly don't think you could intentionally harm Enten or Tsuki; I believe your body would just shut down at the very idea. It's clear that they feel the same way."
"But they shouldn't!" I protested. "I DID hurt Enten, and even though I didn't mean to, it still happened! He SHOULD be afraid of me!"
Hinata slowly shook her head. "Do you know what Enten told me, when I asked him what happened?"
"The truth?"
"Not quite. He told me that he jumped you while your back was turned. And even though he was clearly lying, Tsuki instantly agreed with him, and they refused to change their stories until they knew for sure that you weren't in trouble."
"They did that?" I whispered. "Why?"
"Because they love you, so much that they would rather lie to me than suggest that any of this was your fault. And again, it wasn't, but they could tell that it looked very bad. But I can't bring myself to punish them for lying to save you. We all know it was wrong, but I might have done the same thing myself, and I know Naruto would have."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Was everyone going to cover for me, just like that? "But... I almost killed him!"
"It looked far worse than it actually was, trust me," Hinata replied calmly. "But you're missing my point. For the Uzumaki Clan, there is no such thing as going too far to protect a precious person. Do you have any idea how many times I've looked at you, and mistaken you for my own child, even before the twins came along? Don't you know that the twins have complete faith in you because Naruto and I do as well? You are so much more than just a member of our family, Irihi. Remember that the next time you decide to run from us, and don't be surprised if one of us comes after you. We are not in the habit of losing people we care about."
"You're really not mad at me, oba-san?" I asked softly. "You don't... hate me?"
"Hate you?" Hinata asked in surprise as she turned to look at me. "Oh, Irihi, is that what you've been so afraid of? That I would be angry with you?"
"How can you not be?" I demanded. "Enten is your son, and-"
"And," she interrupted, "if it were not for you, I wouldn't even have children."
"You... what?" I asked blankly. "What does that mean?"
Hinata knelt down and drew me into her arms. "The very first time I held you, I knew my life wouldn't be complete until I had children of my own. But I was also very afraid, because there were so many things that could have gone wrong, and I didn't know if Naruto and I were truly ready to be parents. And yet, whenever I watched him play with you, I tried to convince myself that if I never had children, it would be enough that we got to see you grow up. The more I watched you, the more I knew that I was wrong. There were times when I cried after you went home at night, because I didn't want to go to bed in a house with no children in it. Then one day, you asked me why I didn't have a baby, and I had no answer. You told me I would make a great mother for a baby, because I was already one to you. You couldn't have been more than five or six at the time, but somehow hearing it from a child made all the difference. So I have you to thank for my children, Irihi. You gave me my little sun and moon, and I've never received a greater gift. I could never hate you, my dear child. I love you far too much for that."
Maybe it was the hug that did it. Maybe it was the revelation that Hinata credited me with providing her with her children. Most probably it was the fact that she still thought of me as her own child, even then. Whatever it was, I bawled like a baby myself, and I wasn't ashamed. There was no point to it. Virtually everywhere I looked, I could find someone that loved me, and that felt better than any victory ever had.
My training under Hanabi was to start the following day, and I was exhausted from crying and worrying, so I figured I'd have no problem going to sleep. I hadn't counted on the twins begging my mother to let me sleep over, or that Hinata would throw in dinner to sweeten the deal. So I ended up sleeping in Hinata and Naruto's extra huge bed that night. I know what you're thinking, but apparently it's only so big so the twins can fit easily, as well.
I got almost no sleep that night, even though it was very comfortable. I kept sneaking looks at the twins as they slept on either side of me, wondering if they would always trust in me so blindly, and if I really deserved that kind of devotion. I wondered if this was how Naruto felt, when he first realized there was something living inside of him. Most of all, I wondered if Hanabi was sleeping alone that night, if she was more worried about me than she let on, and if I should have asked to stay with her instead.
When I was seven, Hanabi had to leave on a mission for a few weeks. I remember running after her as she left the Hyuuga compound, begging her not to go because I would miss her too much. She only smiled and knelt down to hug me.
"You are the child of my heart, Irihi," she said in my ear. "You are with me always."
I didn't know what she meant back then. I couldn't understand why she had no children, why she never got married to Konohamaru. I only had a bad feeling that I wouldn't like the answers.
It was my father who finally told me the truth, when he returned to find that I was well on my way to containing my new ability. He took me up to the Hokage Monument that same night, and made me swear that I would never tell anyone without Hanabi's permission.
Everyone had said it wasn't my fault. And maybe they were right. But I was amazed to find out what actually was my fault (that's how I see it, at least).
I was the reason Hanabi couldn't have children. Indirectly, at least. She was protecting my title, her gift to my father, at the cost of never starting her own family. And, though she would never admit it, she was also trying to reduce the risk of another Hyuuga being born with the ability so soon. But despite all the suffering my very existence put her through, she still loved me as if I were her own. Hanabi loved me in a way that was entirely different from the way Hinata did, and yet each had a certain intensity about it. With Hinata I could see and feel the love in every smile, every touch, almost every movement. With Hanabi I had to search harder, as if she were hiding it from me. And maybe because I had to put forth more effort with Hanabi, I appreciated her love more.
Hinata could forgive anything I had done because her heart was full of love, and as a mother, she understood that her children would make mistakes.
Hanabi would forgive anything I had done, not necessarily because she wanted to, but because I was her only child, and she understood that if we turned away from each other, her sacrifices would have been for nothing.
These days, no one discusses what happened to Enten. But we all learned from it. Enten keeps his guard up when we spar, I only block with one arm unless both are absolutely necessary, and either Hinata or Naruto watches us. It's not that they don't trust me, but I'm only getting stronger, so it never hurts to be prepared.
Enten still has that scar on his belly, and I still have the star-shaped marks on my hands where Temari first sealed my bloodline ability, as well as a more elaborate seal on my back that Hanabi had to apply a few days later. So far, I haven't had any other "leaks," and hopefully, there won't be any others. I can trust my hands again, as well as the power inside them, but I will admit to saving it only as a last resort that I have yet to use.
Some things just don't need to be seen a second time, after all.
End of Part 8.
Endnotes:
Most of the Hyuuga Clan have sun-related names, and I wanted to continue that tradition at least somewhat.
Irihi: evening/setting sun.
Enten: scorching sun.
Tsuki: moon. The phrase "kitsune-tsuki" also refers to being possessed by a fox.
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Hyuuga Irihi, Uzumaki Enten, Uzumaki Tsuki, Tomoko, and Tatsuo belong to me.