Under My Watch
By: Plato's Dream Girl
Summary: Naruto's the sixth Hokage and Hinata's the head of the Hyuuga Clan. Will Naruto's promise to change the Hyuuga Clan come between the two friends? Hinata/Naruto pairing.
Authors note w/ disclaimer: This story includes five installments, so it's pretty short, but it gets to the point. Hey if Tokko could wrap up their series in thirteen episodes, I can write a five part fic! Oh yeah, I don't own Naruto.
Part One: It Started With One Promise
It started with one promise. The promise of a lifetime; at the Chunin Exams Naruto had promised Neji that he would change the Hyuuga Clan's tradition of marking branch members with the cage bird seal. Naruto had never forgotten that promise, and once he had become Hokage, he began the tedious task of changing one of Konoha's oldest and proudest clans.
To understand Naruto's perspective, one only has to examine his… dualistic thinking pattern. Either you're doing the right thing, or you're doing the wrong thing. Branding branch members of the clan with seals that suppress their innate abilities, and coercing those individual to conform through the use of physical torture is wrong ---and the right thing to do is get rid of said seal. However, that outlook wasn't held by the upper echelon of the Hyuuga Clan.
It started with one promise. She had promised herself that she would become stronger and prove that she was the rightful heir of the Hyuuga Clan. Technically, the position was hers…it was her birthright after all…a birthright she and her father, felt at one time she did not deserve. Back then she was far too fragile and timid to lead one of Konoha's strongest and most respected clans. For a long time she doubted herself, but words of encouragement from one blue eye genin changed her, and she began the tedious task of changing herself. In the end she did, and now stands proudly as the head of the Hyuuga Clan.
Lady Hinata supported the use of the caged bird seal; because it ensured that the secrets of the Hyuuga Clan would be protected. Being the Head of the Hyuuga Clan, Lady Hinata was privy to information that was withheld from outsiders. Long ago, before Konoha existed, the secrets of the byakugan had almost been revealed to a dangerous enemy by a member of the Hyuuga Clan. In response to this treacherous circumstance, the caged bird seal and the separation of main and branch families were installed to keep this incident from happening again. Unaware of this dark piece of Hyuuga history, the Sixth Hokage concluded that the main branch's refusal to stop the use of the caged bird seal stemmed from arrogance and cruelty...and Naruto had voiced his opinions to Hinata quite clearly.
When Hiashi Hyuuga had turned over his position as the head of the Hyuuga Clan to Lady Hinata, Naruto had been ecstatic. He grew up with Hinata, ran missions with her, they were even friends. He knew deep down in his heart that she was a good person, and believed in doing the right thing. Naruto assumed once Hinata became the head of the Hyuuga Clan that she would rid the clan of the practice. However, in the end Naruto was shocked when Hinata held the same opinion as her father. At first Naruto had been sad, but sadness turned to anger when she explained to him that the practices and traditions of the Hyuuga Clan were not his jurisdiction in the village.
Needless to say their friendship suffered. Lady Hinata no longer blushed and held the Sixth Hokage on the pedestal she had once placed him on. Yes, she still respected him, but she was unwilling to proscribe the preventive measures of her clan to appease the temperamental blonde she had once adored. Naruto no longer felt the need to protect Hinata from the world. In the past, Naruto had viewed Hinata as his fragile friend that needed protection from the bad guys in this world--- but in a devastating turn of events another one of his friends was siding with the bad guys. Naruto was convinced that Hinata was supporting the wrong decision, and brashly explained to her that her views on the caged bird seal arose from arrogance; Hinata was convinced that Naruto was unaware of the controversy surrounding her decision, and was upset that Naruto would think so lowly of her.
An altercation was bound to occur between the two distant friends...where they would finally be able to discuss their differences in opinion that was slowly but surely tearing them apart. It happened before dawn when Lady Hinata and the Sixth Hokage slipped out of their beds to meet at the Hokage Great Stone Faces without their guards.
The stars slowly began to fade into the night's sky, as the first few rays of sunshine began to cast itself over Konoha. Beneath that sky, a beautiful young woman gazed upon the fleeing stars from atop of the Hokage Great Stone Faces. Dressed in a light kimono appropriate for a warm summer's morning, she gracefully fit the image of the head of a well respected clan. Although her focus seemed to lie solely on the stars twinkling before her, she was anxiously awaiting the sounds of footsteps hitting the stone securely below her.
A few moments later those footsteps sounded.
Tearing her gaze away from the dazzling dawn's sky, she looked over to her left and spotted a handsome young man reclining lazily against the stone wall. He was dressed in black sweat pants and a white t-shirt that clung tightly to his chest like a second skin.
Hinata's breath caught in her throat before she glanced away. "You're late." She announced quietly while she looked over Konoha.
Naruto's eyes roamed over Hinata before he sighed heavily. "Paperwork" was his lackadaisical alibi. An awkward silence fell over the two as Naruto watched Hinata stare at the village. The two remained that way until Naruto pushed away from the wall and walked over to her side. "The Hyuuga Clan needs to stop its use of the caged bird seal," Naruto stated firmly. The Sixth Hokage had never been one to beat around the bush.
Hinata's eyes narrowed in annoyance.
"The caged bird seal has a purpose in our clan. The details of said purpose cannot be shared with the populace, but they are important--- as you know, things happen for a reason---and that reason led to the use of the caged bird seal." Her voice was calm, yet her tone exposed her frustration. She had explained this to him before.
He had heard this before--- and he wasn't interested in hearing the Hyuuga Clan's recycled explanations. "There is no justification for branding family members, and fellow clansmen, Hinata-sama." Naruto snapped---livid from the aristocratic explanations used to justify the main branches cruel actions.
Hinata's turned and glared at Naruto bitterly.
His use of the honorific "sama" clearly was an insult---he was basically calling her a spoiled brat. Hinata was livid. "Grow up Naruto," Hinata seethed. "Were not little kids anymore…I get it you have ideas on how the world should work, but sometimes the right thing and the hardest thing are the same. Damn it---why do you have to be so dense." Hinata stopped her tirade when her words finally caught up with her. She had just insulted the Hokage--- regardless of their familiarity with one another--- her actions were inexcusable. She needed to apologize, and she opened her mouth to do so, but Naruto's laughter cut her off.
Was she serious?
Hinata blinked. Did she say something to elicit such a response?
Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, and smirked smugly. "If anyone's dense Hinata, it's you."
The sun rose above the mountain range in east, and a golden hue illuminated the two people standing upon the Fourth Hokage's head.
Naruto's eyes widened slightly when Hinata's eyes began to glow in the new light. The bitterness and anger that once overcame him slowly seeped away as a new emotion swept over the Sixth Hokage. An emotion that he had put on hold the day she told him, "the Hyuuga will continue the use of the caged bird seal under her watch." An emotion he desperately wanted to act upon, but refrained from doing so---it must have been the light…it could have been the fact that her eyes began to water once he insulted her…whatever it was the Hokage's heart wretched painfully---squeezed by longing and regret.
Hinata turned away from Naruto before wrapping her arms around herself. "Do you really believe I enjoyed branding my little sister with that seal?" Hinata whispered softly, guilt clearly evident in her voice.
Naruto reached out to touch Hinata's shoulder, but stopped once he felt a familiar presence. His arm fell to his side, yet his eyes remained on Hinata.
Lady Hinata sighed in relief when she sensed the presence of Naruto's guards. "I will refrain from wasting anymore of your time Hokage-sama. Our conversation was very enlightening, sir." Hinata faced Naruto, bowed in respect, and then disappeared in a blur. The only evidence of her presence---were the tear drops that remained on the stone.