Chapter Eleven

"Come quick, little missy!"

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"The new kid that arrived yesterday, he's causing all sorts of trouble."

"Like what?"

"Stealing, fighting... he doesn't listen to anyone!"

"I see."

"He broke young Kai's arm, too. I swear, that kid's a demon of some kind!"

"Hmm. Where is he now?"

"He climbed on the roof of the bakery and he's not coming down. We don't want to make this any worse than it is, but he lets nobody get close."

"I'll talk to him."

"If you could, that'd be great. Like I said, none of us can get close, but you..."

They turned a corner, and then the village square lay before them, bathing in the light of the fires. The girl halted halfway down the large stone stairs she had been descending and took a short moment to assess the situation from that viewpoint. A large crowd had gathered, and the people were staring at the roof of one of the buildings, on which a lone figure sat with his legs dangling carelessly over the edge. Dirty strains of black hair hung in front of his face, hiding his features.

The girl didn't hesitate. "Wait here," she told the others.

"Wait!" urged one of them. "You can't go up there alone. It's too dangerous!"

"No, it's the safest way. Don't worry, I'll be careful!"

She ducked into the alley next to the bakery and ran along the wall until she found a ladder, which she climbed. The roof was higher up than it had seemed from the ground, but she wasn't afraid. The tiles were still slippery from the rain that had fallen earlier that day, and the girl took off her shoes and socks to have a better grip on them. Then she carefully walked over the ridge and made her way to the front of the building, slowly approaching the boy's hunched shape. When she was about halfway there, he suddenly shifted around and raised his hand.

"Stay back!" he barked. His voice was surprisingly rough for such a young child. The girl halted.

"You should come down," she said. "It's not safe up here."

"You're telling me? I can take care of myself. Leave me alone!"

The girl smiled friendlily. "Why do you want to be alone?"

"I like being alone. It's none of your business. Go away."

"You've really upset the villagers. You should go down and tell them you're sorry."

"I'm not sorry. I don't care."

"If you want to live here-"

"I don't! Why would I want to live in a cave? They didn't tell me that. They just said it'd be a good place to live. But it's not. It's a dump."

"You've only been here for one day."

"One day too many. I'm going to leave."

"You can't leave. Nobody can. This place must remain a secret."

"Who's going to stop me? You guys are so weak it's pathetic. Unlike you, I can control my chakra. There's nobody here I couldn't beat."

"Why are you so hostile?"

"Because I am."

"Are you going to come down?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Fuck off."

A drop of water hit the girl's cheek. She looked up, and another one fell on her nose. Rain started to fall through the openings in the cave ceiling. The village square was built under one such opening so that the rain might wash it clean every now and then.

"It's starting to rain," said the boy. "If you're smart you go down now."

"I'm not going until you're going," said the girl. She took a step towards him.

"What are you doing?"

"You shouldn't be left alone up here."

"I choose to be alone!"

"I choose not to leave you." She took another step. The rain was pouring down now, soaking her clothes and chilling her. The tiles became slippery and treacherous with the flowing water.

"Can't you see it's raining?"

"It's only water."

"Stupid. If you can't use your chakra properly you'll fall."

"I'll manage."

"Just leave me already!"

"No."

"You'll break your neck."

"I didn't think you'd care."

"I don't!"

"Then don't distract me."

With the utmost concentration, the girl took another step, and another. She was only a few feet away from the boy now. She could vaguely hear the people on the street calling, but couldn't make out what they said. Her feet were cold. She stepped forward.

And then she slipped. Her feet fell away below her and she smacked full-length on the wet tiles, rolled over, tried to grab a hold of something, of anything, but her fingers kept sliding away. And then suddenly the roof was gone, and she was falling freely, and suddenly she noticed everything with perfect clarity; the raindrops that fell past her in slow-motion, the brick pattern of the wall next to her, the cold air in her lungs. Her face held a look of surprise as she tumbled down towards the ground, the hard, forbidding ground. She closed her eyes.

"Idiot! Stupid, stupid idiot!"

She opened her eyes again, looked into the boy's face, hardly visible through the thick, wet hair that was sticking to it. His eyes were half-grey and filled with angry menace. She felt his arms supporting her back and legs, just inches above the ground. Then he shook his head angrily, dropped her and ran down the alley. She didn't waste any time, but jumped to her feet and followed him. He was agile and quick, but she knew every square inch of this village off the back of her head. They raced through alleys and streets, their feet pounding on the wet cobbles, their vision blurred by the rain. Then the boy ducked into a shed, and the girl followed, but she was tripped up as she entered and smacked onto the floor. Behind her, the boy slammed the door shut, leaving her in total darkness.

She scrambled to her feet, and turned around. The boy was still in the shed with her. He was glowing, with a faint light that illuminated only himself. His eyes were the brightest, and they stared at her with unmasked rage. In two steps he reached her, and he grabbed her throat with both his hands, pushing her roughly against the wall.

"Why are you following me?!" he demanded. She tried to speak, but he held her too tight. She could barely breathe. She grabbed his wrists, but he was too strong.

"Why won't you leave me alone?!"

Specks of light danced through her vision as the need for air become more urgent. She flailed wildly with her arms, to no avail. For the second time within ten minutes she felt as if she was going to die... but then the boy suddenly came to his senses and released her. She fell to the ground, choking, coughing, breathing in fresh air. He stepped back, unsettled, then sank down on one knee and cautiously reached out for her.

"I – I'm sorry," he stammered. "I didn't mean to... but... why won't you just leave me be?"

She leaned with her back against the wall, breathing heavily, staring into his eyes. Then she smiled.

"You saved my life."

"Don't lie! You wouldn't leave me alone before that either. What do you want from me? Tell me!"

She observed him carefully. The light he radiated with was brighter now, and she could clearly see how dirty and worn-out his clothes were, and how scarred his arms. Even so, she estimated him to be several years younger than herself, if only because he was half a head shorter.

"Tell me," she said quietly. "Do you have anyone you really care about?"

"Myself."

"Well, I care about everyone in the Branch. And since yesterday, that includes you as well."

"So? Why follow me?"

"Because nobody should be alone," she said firmly.

"That's not your problem!"

"It is if you keep stealing and hurting others."

"That's just who I am."

"Then change."

"What, for you?"

"For me."

"Or else what? You can't force me."

"But that doesn't mean I can't try. And I will try. I will keep trying to change you. You can run away from me if you like, but I will find you again. Because even if you won't admit it, that is what you need. Someone who cares for you."

"I don't need anyone!"

"Not to survive, maybe."

"Then for what?"

"To live."

He stared at her blankly. She smiled encouragingly. She noticed that next to light he also seemed to radiate heat, which was just as strange but not at all uncomfortable, seeing as she was still soaked.

"You're a strange boy. Maybe you're a little young to understand what I mean."

"I'm not young! I'm eleven already!"

"You're powerful for your age."

"I know. And I like it."

"I can see that. But you don't need to abuse your powers here. We don't want to hurt you. We just want to help."

"I don't need help."

"Yes you do. You managed to surprise the people this time, but if you continue to try and steal and fight your way through life here they'll be prepared. And you can't take on all the villagers. I guess... you don't like to depend on others. But that's how it is down here. We all need each other. So you have to choose."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yep. You can either accept that I will care for you no matter what and save yourself a lot of trouble, or you can try to keep fighting and end up at the same place."

He examined her curiously.

"You're serious."

"Dead serious."

"You want to help me even though you don't know me."

"That's who I am."

He nodded thoughtfully.

"Fine then. You can help me if you really want to."

"Great," she said happily. "That's settled then."

She extended her hand.

"My name is Kiza."

He hesitated, then shook it.

"Ingou."

"Nice to meet you, Ingou."

"Whatever. Let's get out of here."

***

The silence was pure and unambiguously cold.

The streets of the village were now darkened, empty and quiet, so very quiet. The large fires had been extinguished, and only a small number of torches illuminated the streets. They provided light, but barely any heat, and so it was cold, very cold. Not that it was ever warm, not even during daytime, but with no sun or fire to warm the stones they might as well have been made of ice.

It was this cold that drove the people of the Hidden Branch inside at night, and if anyone would choose to roam the streets in spite of the poor temperatures they would be almost certain to go unnoticed.

For example, nobody saw the cloaked figure as it entered town, walked down the main street hurriedly and then started to navigate its way through the maze of alleys that was created by the uneven ground and the somewhat illogically placed buildings. A left here, a right there – without hesitation, the mysterious figure moved onwards, making no sound apart from that of muffled footsteps.

Then, the figure suddenly halted and turned around. Rays of moonlight that had perchance fallen through the holes in the cave ceiling revealed a young woman's face framed with blonde hair, and within it two large white eyes that stared suspiciously down the alley, checking for any sign of life.

There was none. And yet she felt ill at ease.

With a sigh, Kiza leaned against the alley wall to think for a moment, and to gather her courage. The stone was cold and damp, but her woollen cloak kept her warm. Steam wafted silently from a nearby vent, shrouding the ground in a white haze. The air held a tinge of tension to it, or perhaps that was just her impression, coloured by her own uncertainties. Sometimes she wasn't sure what it was she was supposed to do. Sometimes she felt as if she couldn't make all these choices. But tonight, there was no room for these doubts. Tonight she had a task to complete.

Her people needed her. They were worried, they were restless, they were frightened. It was so noticeable, and bore such a sharp contrast to the carefree mood that otherwise hung over the town. In spite of Rousoku's efforts to keep things quiet, the arrival of the Konoha shinobi had caused quite a stir. Rumours had spread around, and now everyone knew it: the Branch was in danger, and Rousoku was to blame.

The people of the Branch weren't generally the types to rise up against their leaders. They were pacifists, and their leaders didn't tend to give them much reason to complain. But Kiza had never before seen them so uncertain and agitated as they were now. They had to be guided, or they would act rashly and cause their own downfall in doing so.

Absent-mindedly, Kiza played with the cords of her cloak. She felt as if she was carrying a pair of scales on her shoulders, with on the one side her people and on the other side Hinata Hyuuga. Saving one of the two was not enough. She had to make sure both made it through, or the whole thing would collapse.

This is a test, she reminded herself. I have to prove that I can be a leader to my people. But Hinata – she and I are the same. I can feel it. Our fates are tied together. If I can't save her, then I can't save myself. And if I can't successfully stand up to my father to realise my dreams, then neither can she. And my dream... is to keep my clan safe. Tonight it begins.

Reinvigorated, she pushed herself away from the wall. She had a goal, and she wouldn't let any doubts stand in her way.

As she continued on her way, she gradually started moving up a large, rocky hill, the largest in the entire cave. The houses were further apart here, and as she lacked a proper hold she had to be very careful not to slip on the loose rocks and gravel. She also couldn't help but look over her shoulder now and then. The silence and the darkness didn't scare her, but now that she was turning against her own father she didn't feel completely safe anymore, as if she had taken over part of his paranoia.

If I'd just brought Ingou along, I wouldn't have had to worry about such things. But it would have ruined everything I want to achieve. He would just mess around with the villagers again, and we can't have that. I need their full attention.

She sighed, even though nobody was around to hear it.

It's not his fault, not really. Yes, he is a troublemaker, but if the others could just try to be friendly to him for a change then he might lighten up a bit as well. But all they do is tell me to keep him in check, and that he's my responsibility. And they're right, of course. Who else does he have to turn to?

Sure, over the years some of the other villagers had tried to get to know Ingou better, sometimes just because Kiza had asked them to, but Ingou simply refused to let anyone else get close to him.

With some luck, that will change as he grows older, but until that day it´s better to keep him away from these meetings.

The meeting. She had finally arrived where she needed to be. She halted, almost at the top of the hill now. In front of her stood a wooden house, no larger than most of the others in the village but less plain and simple. It was decorated here and there with beautiful carvings, and the way it was constructed was almost playful compared to most of the other buildings. It was as if all the people had decided to pour their creativity into building this one house and neglected the rest of them. Kiza smiled at that thought, because she knew there was some truth to it. Until recently this had been her own house, the place where she had lived the larger part of her life. The villagers had built it for her, seeing as her father didn´t care for her and they didn´t think it was fit for their heiress to have to sleep at a different house every day. It was not uncommon to see new houses being built, and they hadn´t told her it would be hers until it was finished, which was on her eighth birthday. The people had long ago seen that Kiza was no ordinary girl, and treated her in kind.

Now, nobody lived there anymore. Kiza had moved back into the main cave system when she had been promoted to medical officer, so that she could be close to the hospital at all times. It was necessary in case of medical emergencies, and she didn't regret it, but sometimes she missed this place, which had never belonged to anyone but her.

She walked over to the door, looked over her shoulder once more, and knocked.

Immediately the door was opened, revealing an old man with a wrinkled face that lit up when he saw who was standing before him.

"Little Kiza! It's been many months since I've last seen you," he said warmly. "Come in, enter! You're the last one, everyone is waiting for you."

"Everyone?" Kiza stepped in the small hallway and waited for the man to close the door. "How many people were invited, exactly?"

"Whoever wanted to come, and that's a lot of people. You know how it is, don't you? They want a plan, something they can do. Now that Rousoku turns against us, we are in need of a real leader." He laid his hand on her arm. "We put our faith in you, little Kiza."

"Don't worry. I have a plan," she promised, before opening the door on the other side of the small hall and marching into the living room. It was a large room, but it was crammed with people nonetheless. It was also warm and sultry. All the furniture had been moved to the walls to create more open space. The people were chatting, but in slightly hushed tones, as if they were afraid someone might actually hear them. When they noticed Kiza, they slowly fell quiet; she was the reason they had all gathered here. After a minute or so everyone was facing her, rather expectantly.

Kiza let her gaze wander through the room. The Branch had long ago grown too large for one person to know everyone, but she still recognised most of the people, even if it had been some time since she had last seen them. And they had all come here just for her, to listen to her words. She took a deep breath.

"I will try to make this quick," she started, "because we're short on time as it is. As you all know by now, Rousoku has betrayed us. His own clan. We all knew it would come to this someday; his obsession with revenge has finally put us all in danger. Even after so many centuries, he won't give up this pointless struggle, even though everyone else has long stopped caring. And so, without caring how many people will get hurt or be killed in the process, he has decided to confront the head family, abduct their heiress and try to gain control over them. He says he just wants to convince them to let us return, and let the separated parts of the Hyuuga clan live together in peace again. But I know my father – his words are just that; mere words. He wants revenge, and revenge only. He will force us to fight against Konoha, a fight we cannot possibly win. We are not warriors. We have no shinobi to fight for us. We don't know anything about waging war. A few of Konoha's jounin would be enough to wipe us out. Rousoku knows this, but he presses on nonetheless. He gambles with the lives that he is supposed to protect. I have found out what his plans are – listen, so that you yourselves may judge how ridiculous they are, how dangerous."

She paused, for effect as much as for anything. The people didn't break the silence. They stood motionless. Perhaps a fist was clenched somewhere in the crowd, or a curse uttered under someone's breath, but that was all. And on the inside, Kiza smiled. These were her people, the people she cared for, the people she would die to protect.

"Rousoku," she continued, "has brought to the Hidden Branch three ninja from Konoha. Guided by long-forgotten texts in ancient scrolls, he tries to instil a power in one of them, a power supposedly so great that it would convince the head family not to take up arms. The other two are victims of his scheming, like we all. Now, listen carefully, because there is only one way for everyone to make it through this in one piece."

She raised one finger.

"First and foremost, we have to make sure that the head family does not find out about the Branch. It is simply too dangerous. There's no telling how they would react. The problem is, of course, that some of them are already here. They know we exist. And before you ask, killing them or keeping them trapped here wouldn't solve anything. The head family won't just sit by idly if their heiress disappears, and with their tracking capabilities they would eventually find us and destroy us. So what options does that leave? Only one. Negotiation. That is to say, we have to somehow convince our guests not to tell about the Branch at home. That would be the ideal situation. But they have their codes of honour as we have ours. They cannot just lie to their leaders, their friends, their family for our sake. So, more realistically, we would have to ask them to try and convince the head family to leave us alone. And I won't lie to you – this is a big gamble. From what we know, Hyuuga Hiashi is a just, but also a strict man, who tolerates no threats to his family. He could decide either way, and there is nothing we can change about that. However-" she suddenly raised her voice, causing some people to stir, "this is all just assuming that we can prevent Rousoku from ever confronting the head family, because if he does, that will blow any chance on negotiation we might have had. Which brings us to..."

She raised a second finger.

"The second point. Stopping Rousoku from giving that boy Neji his powers. If you thought point one was a gamble, then you better brace yourself, because as much as I hate to admit it there's no easy way to solve this. The fact is that Neji gains his powers by draining those of the girl that was with him, but I'll have you know that if any imbecile tries to harm her, he'll not only cause Konoha to bring destruction down upon us but will also face my personal wrath in the form of a bone saw. I'm dead serious about this – she cannot be harmed! Which, I'm afraid, puts us in the same situation as point one. Neji is Rousoku's weapon, so the only way to stop him would be by convincing him that he is just being used, that he is in fact on the wrong side in this. Again, negotiation. He believes that what he does is for the best of his clan, but that is only because he doesn't know Rousoku like I do. Like we all do. Rousoku would never purposefully give someone else powers like that if he wasn't sure he could control them in some way. So what we need to do is convince Neji that he is just a tool for Rousoku, that Rousoku has plans with him he's not telling him about. Fortunately, I have that part of the plan covered; that is to say, I have people working on it, and they're very close to finding proof of Rousoku's bad intentions. So you don't have to worry about that."

For a moment, there was silence, as the villagers silently reconstructed Kiza's reasoning in their heads. Then the fastest thinker among them suddenly asked, "Are you saying that, for all of us, there isn't anything we can do to save our clan? That we can't contribute in any way? Because right now, it all seems to hang on getting that evidence you talked about, and you said we can't help with that!"

"That is how it is," Kiza admitted. "We are in a nasty spot. Brutal force won't do anything for us now. What I ask of you, as your heiress and friend, is perhaps the hardest thing a leader can ask from her people: to do nothing when they face their largest threat. But I would not ask this if it wasn't absolutely necessary. Any whimsical action, any wild attempt to heroically save the clan by yourself will fail, and then Rousoku will take extra measures, quite probably preventing us from ever finding the evidence we need. So, for the good of the entire clan, I beg you not to do anything. I beg you... to have faith."

What followed was silence, an uncertain kind of silence. The people looked at their neighbours for support, but nobody really seemed to know what to do.

They're not convinced, Kiza realised. Haven't I been clear enough? No... I stressed how important this is. Why are they so hesitant? Was I too direct? I would have wanted to give them more time, but we can't afford that. We have to decide now. But... if they don't have faith in me, then what? What else can I do if I can't stop them from acting on their own?

Suddenly, a hand was raised, somewhere in the back of the crowd. Kiza noticed it immediately.

"What is it?" she asked. The people turned around to look, and moved aside to allow Kiza to see who she was talking to. It was an older man, someone she did not know. Most of his dark hair had already turned grey. His eyes were blue behind the small glasses he was wearing, and his expression was unfriendly.

"Nice words. How long have you worked on that speech? No, don't tell me, I've heard enough senseless yapping already. Instead, tell me this: Who are you to decide what is best for our clan? You act as though Rousoku-sama is only doing this for selfish reasons. Don't you see he just wants the best for the clan as well? His ideas may be warped, but his motivation is still the clan itself. Why would your ideas of what is best for the clan be better than his?"

Kiza folded her arms. "Isn't it obvious? What Rousoku does puts the entire clan in danger. What I proposed will keep it safe."

"Safe?" The man shook his head. "You only look at the short term. Never in the known history of the Branch have the people rebelled against their leader. Never."

"Perhaps they have never been in such dire straits as we are now."

"That's beside the point. Don't you know history repeats itself? If you choose to stand up to Rousoku-sama now, you open a floodgate that can never be closed again. If you succeed, future generations will see how effective rebellion can be, and they will employ it for themselves. You think you're keeping the clan safe? You're ruining its peace, forever." He shook his head again. "If you make something part of the past, you make it part of the future."

A fierce, green-eyed woman next to him suddenly let out a humourless laugh. "Don't talk like an idiot, old man. I can tell you just what our future will be like - non-existent. If we let Rousoku-sama do his thing, we'll all be dead! So before you start muttering about Kiza-sama's idea, think of the alternative first, yeah? Crazy old git."

Several people nodded, some even yelled 'yeah!', but the man pointed an angry finger at the woman. "You call me crazy, but you're just too blind to see Rousoku-sama's good intentions. If he can work this out with the head family, we can all live in Konoha and be safe forever!"

"We already were safe until Rousoku brought those kids from Konoha here, you fool," she exclaimed, followed by more cheers from the crowd. "I'm not going to thank him for solving any problems he himself created!"

"Besides, we don't want to leave here," a tall, bearded man added before the old man could speak again. "This is our home. Konoha means nothing to us, it's just a name from the past."

"That's right!" said the woman again. "If we don't stand up for ourselves now it'll be our end for sure. So I'm going to do what Kiza-sama says! She already helped us more when she was a child than Rousoku-sama ever did as our leader." She looked around, raised her arms. "Who's with me then, huh? Who else dares to protect our clan instead of bowing to Rousoku-sama's petty ideas?"

A huge din arose as people suddenly cheered, threw up their arms and unleashed all their pent-up emotionis. A few of them started chanting 'Kiza! Kiza!' and soon everyone was calling out her name. The older man saw everyone was against him and angrily stalked off, slamming the door behind him. Kiza watched him go with suspicion in her eyes.

Then she sighed, shook her head, and looked at the cheering people with a smile on her face. No matter what would happen next, she had done well here. She had passed the first test. She wondered how much time she had left. Too little to do anything significant, she feared. There was just one thing left that she would rather get over with before it was too late, but if her instincts were correct and luck was on her side, that would announce itself soon enough. For now, she had achieved her goal.

One step closer to getting out of this situation. I am not alone.

***

Half an hour had passed. Slowly, carefully, Naruto stepped into the dark room, which was now empty safe for the young woman standing near the window, staring outside into the darkness of the night. She was standing very still, lost in thought, as if she was waiting for something she knew would come very soon. All the lights had been extinguished, except for one lantern that stood on the window sill next to her, and in the cover of the resulting darkness Naruto moved closer.

"Naruto?" the girl spoke suddenly.

Naruto froze. Had she heard him coming?

"How did you know...?"

"I figured you would show up sooner or later. Fortunately it was sooner rather than later."

Kiza turned around, lantern in her hand, and treated him to a strange smile that mixed both happiness and sadness, a smile not shaped by mere muscle movements, but by echoes reverberating from deep down inside, from the very core of her soul. It stirred something in Naruto.

"What's wrong?" he asked, rather impulsively.

"Wrong? What do you mean?"

"That look on your face. You're happy and yet you're not."

Kiza looked at him curiously, then sighed. She ran a hand through her hair absent-mindedly.

"Well, I guess that would about sum it up. With the uncertain future of my people I tend to feel a little sad sometimes. But I'm also happy, because everyone wants to help and solve our problems, even if that means going against the leader they always obeyed." She raised her eyebrows. "But you already know all this, right?"

Naruto folded his arms. "You knew I was listening in on you?"

"I don't believe it's a coincidence you walked in just moments after the last of the villagers left, if that's what you're asking. I'm glad you heard everything that was said, though. That saves a lot of explanation." She saw down on the window sill. "So, why are you here, Naruto?"

"Are you sure you don't already know that as well?"

She laughed. "I'm not psychic, don't worry. I'm just a confident guesser."

"Then, go ahead and guess."

"As much as I'd love to, it would really be easiest if you just told me what I can do for you," Kiza said quietly. She smiled, but Naruto detected a slight sense of urgency as well.

"Alright. I'll cut to the chase. What I want is the same as what you want. Proof that your dad isn't up to anything good. Hinata, she... she wants to go through with this. To help her clan. And she trusts Neji. But I think you're right, and that means her sacrifice - everything she has worked for - would be for nothing. And I can't let that happen! If I can find this evidence and show her the danger we're in, she'll know this is just a setup and then we can escape from here."

A worried look crossed over Kiza's face.

"You can't escape from here. Hasn't she told you about her illness?"

"That's the other reason I'm here. To keep her healthy until we reach Konoha, we need some of that medicine you have made for her."

"What? Naruto, that medicine only slows the progress of the disease down and suppresses its symptoms. It doesn't cure or heal anything. Even if she doesn't feel or show it, Hinata is very sick right now! It would be best if she didn't tire herself in any way, and running from here to Konoha is just out of the question. That could cost her her life."

"So then what?" Naruto said, slightly flustered. "We just sit here and wait until Neji extracts all of Hinata's powers? That will end her for sure! Then it's better to take our chances and run for it!"

"Escaping is pointless. Hinata doesn't have the energy to move fast right now."

"Then I'll carry her!"

"You won't be fast enough to stay ahead of Neji."

"I'll think of a way!"

Naruto clenched his fists with helpless anger. He knew Kiza was right. Of course Neji wouldn't just let them run off. No wonder they could walk around the Branch freely; there was no way they could escape. All day he had been searching for Kiza, hoping to find an ally in her, someone who could help him and Hinata escape, but it all seemed pathetic and pointless now. Wasted time, wasted effort. And all the while, the clock was ticking, slowly evaporating what little time they had left. He felt incredibly stupid.

But then, he suddenly felt Kiza's hand on his own. He looked up, saw the compassion in her eyes, knew how helpless he looked right there. But she smiled.

"We can make it through this, Naruto. All of us can. We just have to work together."

"What?"

"Trust me."

"Oh... yeah, okay. Sure."

Kiza walked over to the window and stared outside again, almost dreamily. Naruto looked at her, feeling strangely relieved. He couldn't describe it exactly, but something in the way she spoke told him that everything could still be alright.

"Is Hinata going to be alright?" he asked.

"I believe so. The medicine should buy us enough time to either develop a real cure or to get her back to Konoha. At least, under normal circumstances. Right now, we have to solve this Neji business first."

"I see what you're saying there. It's in our own best interest to help you, right?"

"Sweetie, I'm not just doing this for me. We're all in this together, and it is important to all of us to stop Rousoku."

"So, what do you think we should do then, if not escape?"

"You know what to do. You heard all I said, right? We have to find this evidence, about Rousoku's plans with Neji."

"But you said you had people working on that."

"Well... yeah. That would be you, actually. If you want to do it, of course."

"Me? Why me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you earlier! But I had to find a reason to keep the villagers quiet. They want to help, but if I let them search the library then my father will notice it and make it impossible for us to find what we're looking for."

"The library? Well, what makes you think I'll do better?"

"You're alone. It's not about who's looking, but about how many people. A crowd would attract attention, but one person wouldn't. And, well, I think you're the best choice to be that one person."

She smiled again, and Naruto nodded, not sure whether he should be grateful or not.

"This evidence then," he continued quickly, "do you know for sure it's in this library of yours? Anywhere else it could be hidden?"

"If it's not in the library, the only other place I think it might be is in Rousoku's office. I mean, technically it could be anywhere, but I doubt they would have hidden it somewhere secret if they didn't know we were looking for it."

"Eh, when you say Rousoku's office, you mean your dad's office, right?"

Kiza was silent for a moment.

"Yes."

"Then why don't you say-"

"Because that man is not a father to me."

The tone of her voice was suddenly very cold. Naruto looked away.

"I... I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Some bonds are best cut early."

Kiza turned around and looked at him pensively.

"You have been there, haven't you?"

"What, in his office?"

"Yes. Have you seen anything that looked like an old scroll or book?"

"Eh... I don't think so." Naruto frowned, trying to recall the images of the small room. The hearth, the desk... "No, definitely not," he decided. "There were scrolls, but none of them looked old. Are we looking for something like that?"

"Yes, we are. They must have gotten their information somewhere as well, and what better place to find information on ancient Hyuuga techniques than in ancient Hyuuga archives? Well, I guess that saves us the trouble of trying to break into his office, then. I prefer it that way, to be honest. You should know I tend to avoid that area - I haven't been there in at least ten years, I think. The less chance I have of running into Rousoku, the better." She rubbed her eyes tiredly. "I just hope we can all make it through-"

Suddenly she was cut off as someone knocked loudly on the front door. Panic flashed over her face momentarily, but she was quick thinker - she quickly grabbed Naruto and dragged him towards a large closet.

"Hey, what-" he protested, but she cut him off.

"Don't talk! Get in, quick, or we're all in trouble!"

He stepped in the closet hesitantly. "But who-"

"Doesn't matter, it's best if nobody sees you talking to me. I don't want you to make any noise-"

"Open up!" a voice came from the front door, followed by more knocking. "We know you're in there!"

"-no matter what, you stay here! Don't let them know you're here, you can't get caught up in this. You have to protect Hinata-"

"If you won't open up, we'll force our way in!"

"-make sure she doesn't tire herself. Take this-"

She pressed something into Naruto's hand, something small and hard; in the darkness, he couldn't quite indentify it. From the front door came no longer the sound of knocking, but of bashing, and that of splintering wood.

"-and go look for that evidence! It is the only way, you understand? Do it for Hinata-"

With a last protesting creak, the front door was busted off its hinges, and it hit the floor with a loud thump. Quick footsteps echoed in the hallway.

"-and good luck!"

Kiza shut the doors before Naruto could say anything else and stepped away from the closet just as three men entered the room. They were carrying lanterns, and Kiza immediately recognised the older man that had angrily walked away earlier that evening. The other two, who stood on either side of him, were strangers to her, but she suspected they were some of Rousoku's private 'guard'; a small group of Branch members that worked directly for her father and generally did what they were told to do out of loyalty, even if they themselves would disagree with the order.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kiza asked, trying to speak with arrogance befitting an heiress and almost succeeding. "What gives you the right to-"

"Rousoku-sama gives me the right," interrupted the older man.

Kiza raised an eyebrow. "And who might you be, anyway?"

The man smiled mischievously. Then he took off his glasses, removed his grey-haired wig, wiped the wrinkles from his face in a single movement and changed his stance. And suddenly, he had become a young man, with ash blonde hair and a self-satisfied look in his pale blue eyes.

Kiza's eyes narrowed.

"Modosu."

"Now you recognise me. Well, I won't bother you for too long. I am only here to take you into custody."

Kiza shook her head, confused. "That's ridiculous. On what grounds?"

"Not like you wouldn't know. Conspiring against our glorious leader, of course. I have to say, I'm saddened to see it had to come this far. You were always such a nice girl."

"Cut the crap! You were there, you heard what I said. I just want what's best for the clan. I mean Rousoku no harm. I'm his daughter for crying out loud!"

"Well, obviously. And I'm sure he will forgive you for your misguided ideals. But he is really busy these days, with everything going on, so it may take a few days before he finds the time to decide on your fate."

Kiza took a step back, shocked by sudden comprehension.

"A few days? That... that's all you want, isn't it? You just want to have me out of the way while you ruin this clan with your reckless plans!"

Modosu shrugged in a bored fashion. "So? What are you going to do against it? You can't resist us alone. You are powerless. Did you really think you stood a chance? All your power lies in words, and words are just wind. They may persuade people, but they won't break the door of your cell. By the time you get out, we'll have what we want and the Hidden Branch will be packing and moving to Konoha. And that's that."

"You won't get away with this!"

"It seems you don't quite understand. We'll get away with this no problem." His eyes glinted with satisfaction. "You're probably forgetting that you yourself just told all the villagers to do nothing, to sit by idly no matter what would happen! Don't you see the irony in that? You meant to keep the clan safe by that measure, but now it allows me to arrest you without any difficulty. So as much as I would like to take the credit for this, I really have only you to thank. And you only have yourself to blame."

Kiza staggered as if hit with a hammer, and had to lean against the wall to balance herself. "You... you had this all planned out?"

"Yes, quite." Modosu glanced at his watch. "Well, if that is all, I'd like to get moving. It's getting late. Anything else you want to say in your defense?"

"Would it matter?" Kiza asked quietly.

"No," he shrugged. "It won't." He gestured, and the two men walked over to Kiza and grabbed her arms and shoulders tightly. She didn't resist; all her strength seemed to have been drained. They fastened her cloak around her shoulders and then led her through the hallway, over the remains of the front door and outside, into the cold, cold night.

The air was clear and the view over the sleeping village, spotted with fragile torchlight here and there, was breathtaking, but Kiza didn't look up. Her hair hung in front of her face, and her posture was that of someone who had been broken, beaten. Behind her, Modosu stepped outside as well, and inhaled the fresh air vividly.

"A beautiful night, don't you think?" he asked her. She didn't respond. He smirked.

"Don't feel so bad about it," he added. "There is nothing you could have done to prevent this. You took a risk by making your little speech here tonight, but of course you couldn't have known we'd be watching you so closely. Don't feel bad. You'll have plenty of time for that later."

Kiza ignored him. But his words sparked something in her mind, reminded her of other words, a conversation...

A little speech?

"I have to do this."

"It's only a little speech!"

"For you, perhaps. For me, it happens to be a very important little speech."

"How can you stay so calm? Don't you see what this means?"

"I'm not stupid, thank you. I know what this means."

"Then you're not going, right?"

"..."

"Kiza, promise me you're not going!"

"I told you, this is something I have to do."

"Do it another time!"

"There is no time."

"Then let me come with you, to protect you!"

"I already said you're not coming. You know you would cause trouble."

"You can't stop me if I decide to go."

"But you won't."

"How can you just walk into their trap? After the trouble I've been through to get this information for you-"

"Don't say that. This information makes a great difference."

"Not if you're just going to get arrested anyway!"

"Walking into a trap you know everything about can turn it to your advantage."

"You're just saying that to shut me up. Admit it!"

"I wouldn't do that."

"Then tell me how."

"Look – I need to tell the people what is going on. They have to know. The existence of the entire Branch is at stake."

"Not my problem."

"Don't act like that. You're too old for that kind of behaviour."

"I'm telling it like it is."

"Well, I happen to care about my people, and if you care about me then let me do what I must do. I promise you they won't harm me."

"They'll lock you up."

"Only for a few days. It doesn't matter, as long as I can inform the people and convince them to stay calm. For their own safety. Besides, if Rousoku thinks he can win just by arresting me, that's all the better. I'll play my part, let them think they've won. That gives Hinata and her friend, Naruto, a chance to solve all this."

"You trust them?"

"I trust Hinata, and she trusts Naruto. So yes, I trust them. I just wish I could do more to help them."

"It's always about helping others! Think about yourself for once! How you can expect me to just stay put here knowing they're going to put you away?"

"Because that's what I choose to do. This clan means everything for me, and I'd be willing to give my life to save it if it ever came to that."

"..."

"What?"

"You're serious."

"Dead serious."

"Damn it! Fine, go get arrested then. See if I care."

"Thanks for understanding. I mean that."

"Whatever!"

Now Kiza raised her head, ever so slightly, and a faint smile crept over her face. Modosu was still talking to her, but his words meant nothing, just like the men holding her prisoner meant nothing. They were as insubstantial as the cold air, as the mist around her, and they could not truly harm her because they could never lock away her hopes, or her dreams.

Hinata, Naruto. It's up to you now. Please save yourself, because in saving yourself you will also save my clan. I have faith in you. I have done what I could, even though it was little, and now the real task is yours. Find out about my father's plans. Convince Neji. Then you can go back to Konoha in safety, and we can live on in peace. Don't forget the bond we share. Together, we stand strong.