Hiashi sped along through the trees beside Tsunade. Things had been a little tense since that fiasco a couple of mornings ago. They worked well together, but there had been an undertow that was not previously there. "Why did I behave that way? I'm not a schoolboy! I am not given to lecherous behavior, yet I have shamed myself" Hiashi chastised himself. He was a man who lived his life in complete discipline. Restraint was second nature for him. Remain calm; show no emotion. Some clans celebrated passion in life, gusto, "the springtime of youth" and to them, the Hyuga seemed cold and emotionless. This was not true, of course, but Hyuga celebrated serenity.

Tsunade was embarrassed and therefore angry. She must have just latched onto Hiashi when he came to wake her. She felt like an idiot. Sure, it had been a long time, but she was not in the habit of attacking men; she did have her pride. What must he think? Damn, it hacked her off to think about it.

"Hiashi, tomorrow we should get near the Sound and our real work will begin." Much had changed since Konoha's last conflict with Akatsuki. The old leader had been killed and the new one was even more unstable.

"Have you been able to find Itachi? It is him that you've been seeking at night, isn't it?" asked Hiashi.

"Not a sign of him anywhere" Tsunade responded "it's as though he is no longer on this plane of existence". She didn't know how right she was. "Neji has reported faithfully and you know as well as I do that if Itachi was in or near Konoha, that man would sniff him out!". They both knew that Neji was like a hawk and every other Shinobi in Konoha would be on high alert.

"Protect her, Neji" was Hiashi's latest prayer.

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"Ah yes, the Hyuga" thought the leader of the Akatsuki with an evil grin. His focus had shifted to those people with their very interesting eyes of late. Hinata Hyuga was of particular curiosity. Not only was she the heir to their clan, but her strength was peculiar even to the Hyuga. It was at first assumed that her Byakugan was weak. The leader had examined her personally a number of years ago, under the cloak of an ANBU mask during the Chunin exams and he healed some grievous injuries for her. He had discovered something very interesting during the process. Hinata had what could only be compared to dyslexia. She was brilliant, but learned differently than most. Her natural timidity amplified her frustration and therefore sometimes worsened her problem at the most inopportune moments.

Hinata must have somehow found a way to overcome this disability because news of her strength and heroics had come to him from various sources. Kabuto still kept cards of everyone he encountered and his latest most favorite one held the image of a certain young woman with violet eyes, blue hair and such a gentle nature.

Ah, the Hyuga, demure dress, solemn gardens simple elegance hair styles to furnishings. Minimalism was engrained into them. Space and order were most important.

Relationships were no exception. It's not that Hyuga had no passion, far from it. Hyuga felt that passion refers to emotional suffering. They rarely paired outside of their own and to be honest, most would not be patient enough for a Hyuga.

The age old excuse for public amorous behavior "They are in Love" does not apply to Hyuga. A Hyuga in love is in misery because their marriages are arranged and usually to the exact person who would afford the most advantage for the clan and was rarely ever a lover's union.

Hyuga women were highly sought after because of their gentle behavior. Men found out too late that their yoke was uncommonly tight with her. Many women were sucked into the male Hyuga's web. What female can resist an alpha male and the Hyuga male does appear so with his brooding charm and possessiveness. Few knew how truly powerless he is.

The Hyuga child is a slave no mater the house it is born to. No human can ever live up to the standards of the main house. Hinata had endurance, which was a backwards strength. She clawed at the edges of sanity in her youth trying in her respectful, quiet way to remain visible. She was the nail, and only those who had experienced her absence truly knew of her strength. Neji and Hanabi exhibit physical strength and fluidity of motion, like the plank. The plank cannot make a structure without the nail's binding qualities and the nail is insignificant even with its sharp edge without the plank.

Hyuga needs balance and that was the essence of Neji and Hinata. They struggled against each other early on. However, their bond is like the sand and the sea or the wind and the current. It was amazing to the twisted new leader of the Akatsuki how often the protector and main house became amorous when the subjects were male and female.

He leaned back in his chair and imagined the fun he would have with Hinata. His years of servitude to Orochimaru had taught him many ways to experiment.

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A/N - Okay, I'm going to take a break to work on making this a little less boring. Have some neat ideas, but I don't think it's coming across-- I think I'm hearing crickets out there! Maybe I'll start another and try again. Any tips or pointers or ideas are welcome. Constructive criticism openly welcomed.