Hiashi looked at his daughter with worry. Five years old children were supposed to be innocent and hog their parent's attention, but Hinata wasn't the norm. She only wanted her mother, never the father. He wondered what he did wrong for Hitomi separate them emotionally. 'Oh... that...' He had to take a concubine, as the Elders didn't accept a 'half-breed', but the 'new heir' had not been born yet. He felt guilty, having pledged to be loyal to his wife, but the damage was already done. His few attempts at interacting with the girl were feeble at best, and her eyes had the shadow that plagued his wife in the past.
The man watched his wife as she relaxed on the veranda. 'Hitomi, why can't I bond with our daughter?' Pale lavender eyes were focused on the pond in the garden, the colored koi fish occasionally leaping from the water to catch dragonflies. She was the antithesis of a Hyūga. Never ignoring a snide remark of a commoner, showing clear emotions, straying far from the path of the Jyūken, wearing dark colors instead of pastel, and having a fondness for the local pariah, Naruto. If the clan were the nightingales in a gilded cage, she was the kestrel that smashed the cage and flew into the skies, soon to be followed by its fledgling.
The heir to the Hyūga clan head stuck out like a sore thumb. She grew up far too fast, which led to some accusing Hitomi of having a curse or using forbidden techniques. At one year of age, she was as developed as a child three years older, already receiving light training from her mother. Both her hair and Hitomi's were a shade of dark navy blue, unlike the usual brown. Her eyes weren't the pearly shade of a regular Byakugan, but a darker one, that leaned towards purple, much like her mother.
She was isolated from other children in the clan, both branches tended to avoid the foreigner and her offspring, considering them bad influences. But it didn't matter for her, one day she would return to her mother's land, to her true clan. The tales of powerful warriors that fought with other races were engaging and she couldn't wait to unlock her secondary bloodline. Until then, she would train her body and learn to use the weapons provided by her mother.
She wandered in the streets, not caring about the destination. Her mother said that her first friend had to leave the village, for a reason she knew not. 'Naruto...'
Hitomi was walking through the corridors when she heard whispering. Some of the elders were at their passive-aggressive campaign against her again, but this time, they had a second target. ''What should we do with the taint?" Akio, Harima and Sousei, these three men were the most vocals in antagonizing her. "That cur should be cast in the Branch House. Her lineage is questionable at best." She felt a yearning that was almost forgotten, the taste of fresh blood in her mouth. "But we can't deny that the mother has good blood. That strength should be cultivated for the clan's sake." She gritted her teeth, she and Hinata weren't tools or breeding mares. 'I should send a few messages.'
When she went past the elders, she spiked her chakra and enjoyed their cringes. "Try anything and I shall kill you." Then she thought about the blond boy who went missing a few days ago. 'I wonder where he is, maybe one of the scout groups took him in.'
Sarutobi Hiruzen was relentless in finding Naruto, both for keeping his promise to his deceased successor and to keep the village safe, as the Kyūbi was a deterrent against other major villages. No bones fitting a five years old child were found, and the seal key entrusted to Jiraiya was still active, which meant that the boy was still alive somewhere out there. Some jōnin were deployed to follow the trail of wolf mentioned by Inu, most coming from the Inuzuka clan. The search led to some dead ends or to actual wolf packs.
The wizened Hokage shifted his thoughts to the current Hyūga matriarch, Hitomi. She was a wild card, possibly holding intel on the Forbidden Continent. 'That bracelet shows signs of use, but why?' The likeness of the feline-type creatures was the most obvious clue, but he couldn't make a move against her without angering Hiashi. 'Is it similar to a storage scroll?' The woman also had suspicious marks on her back, gleaned from one medical exam taken when she was severely injured. 'It looked like the marking on a tiger's forehead... a bloodline indicator, perhaps.' Three horizontal lines and one vertical crossing them, 王. And what about her daughter, Hinata? Probably she inherited unknown traits, or would receive information from the mother. If he managed to make her loyal to the village...
Another problem was the reports of spies describing the beasts all over the Elemental Nations. 'If they decide to invade, will we have a chance at all?'
Naruto had settled into the life of the trio easily, loving the chance to experience an actual family and having parents. "Hey, let's see if you got my bloodline." Kigen was holding the boy as the two females watched. "What's that? Is it a cool eye thingy?" The gray wolf deadpanned, he was impressed by the damn Uchihas? "No, but if you master it, most attacks will have close to no effect." His fur got a metallic sheen and he blocked a few arrows with his arm, courtesy of Kyou. "See this? It's the Tetsu specialty, to be able to harden our bodies to stop any strike." "Not to mention that you're studs in bed!" He glared at the brunette. "Shut up! He's just a kid!" Roppoi was already punishing her for the outburst, holding her in a painful headlock.
Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "What bed and getting hard have in common?" His father got flustered as Hell. "I'll tell you when you're older, say, sixteen!" He pouted, not liking to be out of the loop. "Fine... how do I use it?" Kigen held up his paw and Naruto mimicked him. "Focus on your hand first. Picture it becoming hard like stone." He squinted as he stared at his hand, trying to form the mental image. "Don't force it. Think of it like water wetting cloth, start at the nails." Kyou seemed to be about to chip in, but Roppoi held her muzzle tight.
As Naruto tried to access the skill, Kigen went hunting, Roppoi prepared the camp and Kyou kept watch. "Aunty Kyou..." She turned to the kit. "What's the matter, pup?" Blue eyes were downcast. "Will you leave me if I can't do the hardening thing?" She grabbed the kid and nuzzled him into a hug. "No way! You're too cute to leave behind!" Then she tousled his fur. "Tell me, is there at least one person back in the village that you will miss?" He thought about it for a moment. "There was this nice lady and girl. Their eyes were weird, but they were the only ones who played with me." Kyou mulled over the description. "Weird like... purple eyes, no black dot?" He nodded. "We'll tell her that you're safe, okay? Don't worry."