A/N: I apologize for the long delays. I'm wrapping up things with school and will graduate this spring! Here's to hoping my updates will be a little faster. Reviews are welcome!

Selisona Pi

It is Hiashi's personal rule to only use the curse seal under very specific conditions: to protect loved ones, to protect the clan and to protect the village. It is because of these conditions that he has used the curse seal less than ten times in the span of his rule, though the rumors would suggest otherwise. And as such, he knows each incident intimately; from the circumstances that led to him raising his hand to how long it took the wearer to recover. And by these conditions, Hiashi never wavers. There is no emotional attachment to the action, only the business of maintaining order.

He wished other members of the Main House practiced more restraint but there's only so much he could do about that. He heard of one Main House member activating a seal because the wearer did not prepare his breakfast to his exact liking; a waste of manpower, in his opinion—it takes days to recover from a seal activation—and beyond petty. And while Hiashi has made his opinion very clear on the manner in which a curse seal should be employed, he cannot, by clan law, directly interfere with a Main House member's blood right to use the seal as they see fit-to the inclusion of meal preparation.

It was a great philosophical debate and the Main House was equally divided on the matter. Are we masters of beasts or men? How can one claim to be superior if they must resort to such barbaric practices? However, Hiashi was not so zealous as to think the debate was a simple matter of to use or not use the curse seal. There are those within the clan who would do the Hyuga harm and to forget the history behind the curse seal is to commit a foolish and grave mistake.

Hiashi respected the seal, understood its roots and the power it gave him and thus, he only used it sparingly.

However, there was a time when he used it in anger and that was the closest he ever came to killing with it.

~0~

He understood his brother's frustration. Neji was talented and showed extraordinary promise. But he was a Branch and the laws were very clear. The older brother did everything in his power to ease his brother's burden; an often times difficult task given Hizashi's risky and cavalier behavior. It may have been asking too much to expect gratitude for his efforts but loyalty was another matter entirely.

So to feel Hizashi's killing intent turn towards his precious Hinata was the worst kind of betrayal and Hiashi did not hesitate to activate his brother's seal.

Perhaps that was the last straw. His brother was not the easiest person to live with and Hiashi was weary of the verbal attacks, the never-ending animosity regardless of what he did or said. He was tired of apologizing for being the eldest, for their father's death, for the Hyuga's history, for all the things that were beyond his control. He was done.

'Selfish coward!' the clan leader seethed mentally. His hand shook with suppressed rage as he watched his brother writhe on the floor in agony. He activated the seal for 30 seconds; the longest he'd ever activated a seal.

It was the children that stopped him. The look of terror on Neji's face and fearful whimpers from Hinata grounded him and he quickly deactivated the seal before it could cause permanent damage.

"Take your father home," he ordered his nephew brusquely, ushering his daughter out of the studio.

Later, when he was calmer and his daughter was safely asleep in her room he would wait for the remorse and regret to set in as they always did in matters concerning his brother.

They never did.

After all, he adhered to his core principles regarding the use of the seal. His conscience was clear.

- TBC -