The Point of Divergence

by EliadS

Sasuke died during the battle in the Land of the Waves and the Narutoverse is changed forever. But how radically will one divergence in fate effect the entire Shinobi world? Read and find out. AU, Slight NaruIno, Spoilers from the advanced mangaverse.

8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or gain or will gain any profit from using the franchise's chars, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

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Italics – Thoughts
Italics underline – second personalities talking/thinking
Bold Italics - Demons/monsters talking
Bold Italics underline – demon/monsters thinking
Bold - Demon influenced/curse-sealed person talking

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Japanese words Glossary:
Jinchuuriki "Power of human sacrifice": It is a manner in which the containers of the tailed beasts have been called by the ninja world.
Nuke-nin - Missing ninja
Taijutsu - Martial arts style/hand to hand style
Ninjutsu – Name for the offensive ninja techniques
Genjutsu – Name for illusionary ninja techniques
Kenjutsu - Name for Sword techniques/arts
Kumogakure – Hidden Cloud
Iwagakure - Hidden Stone
Youki - Demonic Chakra
Neiwandao - Ox-tail Dao
Boufoudoki - Nature Wrath
Kami - God
Yomi - Japanese underworld
Dokueki Kiba - Venom Fang
Zetsumei no Tacchi - Touch of Death
Bouji Assaiki Odori - Interception Crusher Dance
Sanseishuku Shibousha - Three Silent Deaths

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(The Following Morning)

"Alright, let's begin then, Naruto. Remember, hand to hand taijutsu only – though all forms of chakra manipulation are permitted," Kakashi instructed pleasantly; his visible eyes flickering briefly with warmth before melting into a calm and serious gleam. He observed his apprentice bend both knees, locking his waist into a tightly held position as he shifted his left foot forward; planting it firmly against the ground. His right leg stepped backwards and turned sideways, balancing Naruto's posture with its firm hold against the ground.

He then brought both hands forward, the left hand rising to face level; bent slightly at the elbow while Naruto's right hand remained at shoulder level; similarly bent slightly at the elbow. With his body poised in position Naruto's hands shifted into the unique tiger style stance; all five fingers curled like claws; fingers tightly locked.

Kakashi quirked his brow as he felt Naruto's chakra flare briefly and he smirked under his mask, deciding to taunt his pupil a bit to get him enthusiastic about the battle. "You're going to have to train on slipping into your stance, Naruto. In these several seconds I could've killed you in eight different ways…" he criticized mildly, "Or do you plan to bore me to death?"

Naruto's left eyebrow ticked slightly before smoothing out with visible effort. "Do you know how many hours it took me to just learn how to get into this stance!" he thought and grit his teeth angrily before biting down on his lip as he burst into motion. His footsteps weaved just as his mother instructed, even, long and powerful. Every kick off the ground catapulted him forth with impressive momentum, his velocity increasing quickly as he made a bee-line towards Kakashi.

The silver haired Jounin shifted sideways, stepping to the left as Naruto's left palm exploded forth, arm twisting in a whipping circular motion only to be deflected easily by the Kakashi's right wrist. The Jinchuuriki grinned and twisted his hand, using his fingertips to fist in the dog summoner's sleeve as he took a quick step forward, locking his body against the ground before pulling the silver haired ninja closer; thrusting his knee towards his sensei's groin.

Kakashi's strength was superior to Naruto's and after discerning his intentions he simply resisted bodily. Therefore, instead of being pulled by the genin, the jounin pushed Naruto off balance by shoving against his upper body with a hard heave of his right hand. The push resulted in genin losing his grip but due to his stance managed he recover quickly and immediately pushed onwards.

The blonde leaped forward while shifting sideways in midair, making all the preparations in order to send a thrusting side-kick towards Kakashi's midsection; a kick that was promptly parried by the Jounin's forearm. The genin kicked off his teacher's defensive move and flipped backwards.

The second he landed on his feet he pressed forcefully against the grass again, exploding forth again. "The Tiger always has its feet firmly against the ground; unlike the panther its speed isn't consistent. The tiger preserves its strength, closing in on its prey slowly and then pounces, unleashing its offensive power explosively in rapid bursts." Naruto reminded himself as he knew he was currently wasting chakra by acting outside the instructions his mother left him in her scroll.

"To embody the tiger, you must constantly keep your chakra coiled within the muscles of your feet, hands and arms. Unlike the other predators the tiger is the most ferocious beast in the wild; it has no fear or equals and thus it attacks its enemy with overwhelming barrages of fierce blows - a juggernaut of bestial fury" Naruto inwardly reminded himself and from that point onwards every time the pillows of his feet touched the grassy ground he kicked himself forward once more while unleashing a burst of chakra. This shift in his strategy thus propelled his speed exponentially, velocity growing considerably with every rapid step.

Kakashi's eye widened briefly as the constant bursts of inertia propelled Naruto at him at alarming speed for a genin "Tch, Kushina, your family style suits your son just fine an overwhelming maelstrom of offense," The copy ninja thought with a secret smile as briefly reminisced over his sensei's beloved. Meanwhile, Naruto's sprint came to a halt a foot or two in front of Kakashi and his accumulated speed all funneled itself into his offensive blow.

The blonde brought both his palms roaring forth in a mimic of a pounce-like motion, hoping to overwhelm the jounin. The sharingan wielder knew what to do and immediately shot off a kick at average speed, knowing at his regular jounin speed, he'd likely kill Naruto with any well placed blow and thus his intent was to deflect his attack and not actually shatter it as he so easily could.

The Uzumaki heir caught his sensei's retaliation and in response kicked off the ground, somersaulting upwards in a slanting motion while his body shifted sideways. As he soared above the Jounin's chopping side kick he spun his body fully around in a circular motion; releasing a whipping sidekick towards his sensei's face. The Fourth's protégé caught his student's ankle easily, locking a firm grip around the offending limb as he turned sideways. The jounin consequently hurled his student away forcefully and Naruto's eyes widened slightly as he approached a tree at bone crunching velocity.

Naruto hoped his clan's tactics would work as his mother had promised in her scroll and thus he thrust his chakra through his lower body, primarily the soles of his feet, his lower back and knees. He winced as his feet slammed into the tree forcefully, the impact rattling through his lower back and knees painfully. Incidentally the innocent tree's surface cracked visibly and it was the real victim of the collision.

"Shit! I forgot to expel the chakra from my feet. Damn that hurts! Stupid!" Naruto berated himself angrily. He allowed himself to land lightly against the grass, biting down the pain as he quickly slipped back into his stance. He took note in his perpetual vision that Kakashi was preparing to approach him offensively and Therefore quickly reached a decision: it was time to stop being afraid. It was time to test his elemental training for real and see what his sensei had to say about his progress.

With that cemented he clenched the muscles of his right hand, his hand trembling as he flooded it with chakra. He repeated the elemental manipulation process he had been testing and perfecting over and over with Kage Bushin for the last couple of days. Naruto had managed to seriously minimize the time it took for him to feel and infuse the air around with chakra over hours of meticulous and rigorous training according to both his mother's and Asuma's methods.

Nonetheless, Naruto was surprised at how quickly he managed to thin his chakra into a whining, swirling blade like construct. "No time to shift it into a discus, sorry mom. I'm not ready for that quite yet so I guess the regular version will have to do…" Despite his improvements He still couldn't wrap the wind chakra around each of his fingertip individually and thus create what the Uzumaki dubbed as the 'hurricane claws' from the 'rending winds' elemental manipulation. Currently, all he could manage was a somewhat wild, blade-like construct.

He could probably try harder and sharpen it for either stabbing or cutting power but he didn't think now was the time to experiment with the copy-ninja closing in on him at alarming speed. Also, due to the fact that it was a friendly spar and not a life-threatening situation he didn't want to possible injure his sensei with such a deadly technique; accidents happened after all and even Jounin could be caught by surprise - Zabuza was proof of that rule.

Naruto pushed the thoughts aside, remembering that chakra control wasn't quite there yet anyway and maintaining the wind chakra for extended periods of time was still a hassle that often ended explosively. So the genin knew he best get his act together and attack before he was plowed down by Kakashi or alternatively hurt himself by messing up his wind chakra manipulation. As Kakashi approached his student at low-chuunin speed the blonde cut his inner monologue completely and let his instincts and training guide his hand "Shit! Here goes nothing!"

Kakashi felt his student's chakra spike considerably but hadn't thought the life-force would wrap around his student's hand and twist and swirl so violently. A high pitched buzzing sound filtered through the dog summoner's sensitive ears and much to his surprise he had to propel himself with his own chakra to avoid the slashing motion of Naruto's visible blade of wind. The destructive force of nature extended three to four inches from his palm and nearly nicking Kakashi as he landed safely several feet away from his original position.

"Even with the Kage Bushin, the number of replications I allowed him to use has been limited. To think he's advanced this much in wind manipulation that he can actually grasp and shape the wind in only a couple of days. Kushina, Minato-sensei – your son truly has inherited your mutual affinity towards the wind with interest. I suppose I'll teach him some of the jutsu I've copied once he's fully mastered the techniques..." Kakashi thought with a shake of his head, allowing himself a small chuckle; Asuma was never going to believe him.

"That's a bastardized version of a Kaze no Yaiba and I bet he doesn't even realize it. Heh, you have to keep on proving you're still the #1 surprising ninja, don't you Naruto? It looks like you'll be ready for step two very soon…" Kakashi was impressed by his progress, even though there were obvious, glaring holes in his student's stance. Mainly the copy-ninja noticed that his pupil's attacking motions were too wide, not as precise or fast as they could and should be; it was still one hell of a start in anyone's book.

Naruto dispersed his wind chakra and took advantage of the Jounin's surprise, shifting back to offense as he expelled his chakra from both feet at once. The ground cracked slightly from the explosion of life-force as he pounced upon Kakashi, his body blurring forth as per his heightened speed. A grin touched his lips briefly as he soared, body rotating sideways as his foot shot forth in a slicing roundhouse kick.

Kakashi decided to humble his student once and for all as he noticed the genin's small grin and therefore his right hand shot upwards with lightning speed, catching his student's ankle. To his credit Naruto moved to kick with his free leg, but the jounin was far too experienced and agile to fall for that and he stepped forward.

He brought his left hand forth, fisting his fingers through the material of Naruto's jacket before his body unwound in one fluid motion. Then without warning or pause the Jounin pushed his ensnared pupil downwards and slammed him into the ground with extreme force; knocking the air out of the genin's lungs.

"Not bad, you've certainly made quite a ways since the bell test" Kakashi complimented with an eye-smile as he helped his breathless and slightly dazed student to his feet. Naruto panted slightly for a few seconds, adjusting his erratic breathing as he glared at Kakashi with slightly narrowed eyes. "Hey, don't look so angry, Naruto. Your stance still needs some work but you've managed to grasp the basics pretty well in an impressive amount of time. Also, I'm impressed you thought of incorporating the tree walking technique's concept into your taijutsu style like that, good job." Kakashi complimented and ruffled the blonde's hair.

Naruto smiled a bit but rubbed the back of his head "It wasn't exactly my idea. Mom left me a lot of training tips and pointers for both my taijutsu and wind manipulation training." Naruto admitted sheepishly and Kakashi nodded his head, now understanding how he managed to grasp the basics so quickly.

He wondered what secret tips Kushina and Minato left their son, he would have to ask the boy if he was willing to share them with him one day; Kakashi's personal ability with the wind element was good, but not nearly as great as fire or lightning and ironing the kinks in his style never hurt.

"Let's move onward with the analysis then. Due to all your physical training and the resistance seals you're wearing on your forearms and waist your muscle tone and body are quickly toughening up and your speed has definitely increased considerably." Kakashi then pointed at the black seals all over his belt and gloves to emphasize his point. They were Jiraiya's personal seal work which meant there were no higher quality seals in the whole fire country and perhaps the continent as well; it depended on who you asked.

Naruto was a bit cautious and suspicious of his sensei's claim as he barely felt his weights most of the time. They weren't what he expected and all he felt was a light, if perpetual tension pressing against his his entire body. It was a bit bothersome at first and it took him several minutes to screen it out when he tried to his chakra the first time he wore his new attire. But now his body moved almost normally despite the existence of the supposed resistance seals. "But I can barely feel these resistance seals, Kakashi-sensei. Are you sure they're working? I don't feel any different..." His voice trailed off in a slightly inquisitive manner as his eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

Kakashi smiled and wondered how long it would take Naruto to notice and was pleased he was getting accustomed to thinking things over and analyzing what was happening around him. The road was still long but Naruto's attentiveness and perception were definitely on the upward curve. "Jiraiya-sama's work is impeccable, Naruto. You have to understand those seals aren't what ninjas call 'gravity seals'. These are one of the Fourth's and Jiraiya's inventions called 'resistance seals'. They are more balanced form of gravity seal. Instead of placing immense pressure on your body, these seals absorb a fixed percent of chakra from every motion you make and reflect it back onto your muscles. By reflecting only the same percent of the chakra your body already expelled the damage to your bones and muscle tone is nearly none-existent and you're actually reaping the optimal benefit; if at a slower rate than the more dangerous and powerful gravity seals."

"But wouldn't using a greater weight make me stronger and faster much more quickly than this? I mean a lot of Jounin wear weights and seals and whatever; I've seen them on sale when I purchase my ninja gear" Naruto asked logically, his voice belying his confusion and curiosity.

"Normally, I'd be inclined to agree with you, but considering your rapid metabolism and cellular regeneration due to the Kyuubi it is more important in to keep a balanced weight against your body at all times so your natural chakra reacts and not the fox's youki. This way there is no danger for muscular damage and stunting of your growth like many taijutsu experts undergo if they wear gravity seals during puberty. Besides we agreed we'd minimize your dependency on the demon-fox, right?" Kakashi finished his lecture with a question to which Naruto nodded his head; though he still looked slightly confused, if accepting.

Kakashi sighed thoughtfully and tried again "Let me try explain then, Naruto. Jiraiya-sama theorizes that if you use the Kyuubi's chakra constantly you are actually shortening your lifespan and corroding your cells. The human body can only replace and regenerate cells at a fixed amount before the body starts slowing down. So in the long run your minimizing the need for Kyuubi's chakra to heal you and remember that for every benefit it has it is still toxic and destructive more so than any other tailed beast's youki"

"Also, the more you channel its Youki the more you increase the fox's taint in your body and wear down the Fourth's seal so its best to limit the use of the youki to great emergencies while constantly increasing your natural physical strength, spiritual strength and chakra reserves since those would actually strengthen the seal's hold on the Kyuubi as the seal corresponds directly with your body and chakra" Kakashi explained and Naruto's eyes widened with understanding this time.

"Moving on, I think you can be proud that you've managed to manipulate raw wind so quickly. You should know that that's no small feat for someone training for such a short amount of time, even with Kage Bushin" Kakashi pointed out and squeezed Naruto's shoulder lightly. He made it his business to give the blonde some praise to motivate him from time to time; it always was nice to see the blonde smile genuinely.

He smiled as his student's eyes squinted happily and his smile broke into a small grin; obviously pleased from the praise he was not used to receiving. "That doesn't mean you can slack off or overestimate yourself. We still have a lot of work to do, so don't get cocky," Kakashi taunted teasingly and flicked the boy's left ear with his index finger. The sudden pain made Naruto yelp and grab the offended organ, eying his sensei with mock rage.

"Why don't you make several clones to work on your taijutsu and perfecting what you've learned so far on the wind chakra before following me," Kakashi instructed and Naruto obliged wordlessly. He formed the necessary hand seal and summoned five clones before walking after Kakashi. He sent two of them to work on the basic kata and stances of the White wind tiger style, two to work on his the 'Rending Winds' while the final doppelganger worked on the 'Crushing winds' method which was much easier so it required less effort on the original's part.

Kakashi removed a long, animal-skin scroll from his flack jacket and placed it in front of the Uzumaki before reaching to a side pouch and removing a smaller scroll storage scroll. He flipped the smaller scroll open and bit down on his thumb before swabbing it across the seal construct. In a puff of smoke something that made Naruto's breath pause and eyes widen was revealed.

"This is Boufoudoki, your family blade, just as promised and that is the scroll Kushina instructed you receive along with the blade. I would think it has the history of the blade and even the secrets of the sword and its forging written down so keep that scroll much more carefully than her training scroll, it truly is a relic of an age long since gone." Kakashi whispered and watched as Naruto cautiously moved his hands towards the blade before gulping and stalling in order to pocket his mother's instruction scroll.

There on the grass lay a beautifully carved scabbard of midnight blue with colored leather with reinforced pieces of blackened chrome steel keeping it together. There, carved and colored upon the scabbard he saw for the first time what his family's emblem was apparently; a silvery blue serpentine dragon. It was the traditional depiction of the Rain dragon Zennyo Ryou, curled around itself with its head looking upwards in the center of the spiral; thus embodying both the spirit of their ancestry and country's whirlpool qualities.

Naruto's fingertips grazed over the symbol very lightly, afraid it might smudge or vanish if he did something wrong. He carefully reached from the hilt, a simple looking dark leather material around the pommel which was very short and slightly odd in shape. The moment his fingers curled around smooth material the edge of the pommel flickered with chakra and Naruto curiously turned it over and saw there was a bright blue gem embedded inside the metallic edge of the hilt and his eyes flickered curiously as he got up slowly.

He could feel his chakra pulsing through the length of the blade until a portion of it was constrained through its length, teeming beneath the surface of the steel. The ancient weapon seemingly automatically preparing itself for chakra intensive combat and it made Naruto wonder what it meant about the sword's abilities and origins; though he reasoned he should wait until he was alone to read over the blade's history and capabilities.

Kakashi watched Naruto's fascination with slight amusement and imagined his surprise and glee would grow greatly once he actually saw the blade. He still remembered watching Kushina run through the advanced kata of the kenjutsu style of the Uzumaki 'Wind Tiger' style called the 'Furious Tiger sneaking through the Clouds' and imagined that once Naruto mastered it, with his ability to channel monstrous amounts of chakra and innate wind abilities he would take the elemental side of the Uzumaki style to new levels of destructiveness.

Naruto gulped and shut his eyes briefly "Here goes, mom" he inwardly murmured her a thank you as he tugged the blade gently and slowly pulled it out of its sheathe. Naruto paused as he idly noticed there but a faint sliding sound when blade met sheathe and not the usual ringing of the Katana and Ninja-to which he noted would be good for stealth and surprise tactics. His eyes widened and his mouth gaped once he held the surprising light blade in his hand and carefully examined its contours and shape.

Its entire length was about thirty seven inches long of some dark colored metallic alloy that was obviously chakra conductive. There was one single intricately carved groove running through the length on each side of the weapon, it was exquisite beyond words. Naruto looked questioningly at Kakashi "Why is it shaped so oddly, sensei?"

Kakashi thought for a moment and then remembered a time Kushina answered Obito when they caught her training while they waited for Minato-sensei. "The blade is unique brand of blades that the Uzumaki clan invented and classified as the Niuweidao. It is a battle blade through and through Naruto, as it functions in three ways all at once," Kakashi entered his lecture mode and lifted his fist before lifting one finger.

"One, blade is curved and thus optimal for cutting and slicing." He lifted another finger, "Two, the tip of the blade is in a straight line with the hilt which gives it the strength and stability to be a stabbing weapon." He lifted a final third finger "Three, the uniqueness of the sword is its broad part of the blade that more solid and firm and thus allows chopping" he finished and smiled at the awestruck gaze in Naruto's eyes.

He was speechless but still felt he should contribute something, even if words could not fully describe the feeling of holding something so exquisite and unique and knowing it was his property, not by money or gifting; but by heritage – one of the only relics from a past he would never know or experience in anything but words echoing the past."It's perfect…"

He looked at Naruto beaming at the blade, a soft and happy expression on his usually hyperactive and grinning face adding several years to his youthful countenance and he could see the apparitions of the short red-headed woman standing on his left, smiling softly while placing a hand on his left shoulder and at the same the impressive form of his sensei, with wide grin placing as hand on his right shoulder.

"He's growing so fast, looks like your wish for his childhood to be normal was wistful thinking on your part. Heh, you would have been proud of him, sensei, Kushina." Kakashi thought and he felt an ease in his chest, a pride and warmth fill him as if somewhere the couple approved as he called him over to explain some of the basic mechanics of Kenjutsu to his apprentice.

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(Three days later)

Sakura walked through the dimly lit corridors cautiously, it was always best to be alert and ready when dealing with Mitarashi Anko. The woman was a walking bloodbath and liked to flaunt that fact apparently. Therefore when the red haired teen looked at her psychotic sensei, that was waiting for her patiently in an Indian style sitting position, her emerald eyes widened and her mouth gaped slightly open.

It was true that the violet haired woman was uncommonly calm and solemn looking as she stood up and flexed her arms but what was truly awe-striking was the change in the serpentine woman's attire. No more did she wear a hybrid of extreme eccentricity and sultry seduction, what she wore now was more practical and fitting attire for a kunoichi in Sakura's opinion and apparently Anko's as well.

The snake charmer was clad in the traditional Jounin outfit, except for several primary differences. The first was that her pants were slightly looser and black in color instead of dark blue. The second was that her upper uniform was a very dark violet with sleeves that were far longer than required, the loose cloth concealing her hands completely. The Third and final adjustment was that her flak jacket was also black, the dark color patterns quite morbid and intimidating to anyone that knew of the Jounin's bloody, serpentine style which seemed to be embodied by the color scheme of her uniform.

Sakura also noticed the Jounin had let her hair down; the long and spiky tresses now trimmed neatly on the front and her previously flamboyant hairstyle was no combed so it could be tied into a single, short pony tail, revealing the snake mistress' sharp and exquisite face properly; the contours usually hidden behind a veil of her hair.

"What the hell? Anko-sensei?" Sakura murmured questioningly and watched her taijutsu instructor level a cool glare at her before her eyes twinkled with mirth as the special Jounin's lips twitching into a full blown smirk. She nodded as she lifted her hand, the cloth sliding back to reveal that Anko was wearing a smooth black gloves with odd plate like contraptions placed slightly above each clothed fingernail as she motioned the red haired kunoichi to approach.

She then assumed a loose and calm stance, "In the flesh, Sakura" Anko answered bemusedly and quirked her brow. "Have you been practicing footing exercises and learning to water walking like I showed you last time? More importantly, have you been memorizing the four paths of the serpent?" her questions were rapid and crisp though her tone was deceptively soft and quiet; belying the deceptive ambiguity of her countenance. Sakura felt a twinge of panic, knowing the mercurial woman could shift from calm, rage and blood lust in a span of moments without warning so she managed to gulp and nodded very lightly.

"Good, today I will be showing you the three hand positions of the three snake styles. I will only allow you to choose one out of two of them, though I will also advise you what I would choose in your place. Now, I've limited you to picking one since I can honestly tell you there is little chance that you'll master even one of the styles in the near future. Also you'll probably never be able to master the 'Sanseishuku Shibousha' (Three Silent Deaths) Style that molds them all into one. So it'd be for the best if you focus and master one style completely since that is more manageable in the short time I've been given to train you. However, more importantly it'll suit you just fine because I said so - and my word is law! Or perhaps should I remind you what happens when you piss me off, Sakura?" The violet haired pariah intoned seriously at first and then in a sing song tone that send chills down Sakura's spine as she shook her head violently.

"Why is that, Anko-S-sensei?" Sakura stated fearfully before her skin tone paled and heart raced as she hurriedly remembered to add an honorific quickly and nervously. Sakura had learned the hard way in the last couple of training sessions that for every time she disrespected the special jounin she would pay dearly in blood, bone and tears; though the fact the Jounin had been using her first name and not any derogative term was surprising and just a bit suspicious; raising red flags in the genin's mind.

"I have only recently managed to work out the last quirks in the python style myself and fully blend all of the three styles like that bastard Orochimaru did before me. And just so you know I've been training in all three styles since I was ten, so that's eleven years now" Anko informed her student simply, hoping to burst her bubble earlier rather than later. Cool, glacier eyes dared Sakura to claim she was potentially better than Anko, the coiled tension in the woman's shoulders obvious, cautioning the young genin on the stupidity of broaching the subject any further.

Sakura exhaled shakily and wondered if was just a figment of her paranoid imagination for a second later it seemed to disperse as if it were never there as the special jounin pulled her right sleeve back and revealed her hand. "A-Anko Sensei? A-are you ok?" the girl couldn't help but asking, the changes in the jounin's act and attire simply terrifying when Sakura thought about how shifty and moody the older woman tended to be.

"I'm not letting you any where near me this time, psychotic bitch! Keep you charades for the freak show you came from!" her alter-ego supplied balefully as the pair of persona still remembered how Anko had stole their first kiss and then proceeded to beat them to an inch of their life. Sakura was a quick learner, she, no...THEY would not about to repeat that mistake. "You seem calm a-and well…you haven't hit or insulted me yet…"

The violet haired woman's grin spread, revealing pearly white teeth as dark brown eyes narrowed in a feral manner; her whole façade shifting to an intimidating and violent one. "Oh, so you want me to beat your sorry ass into the ground while I insult you to tears, Sakura-chan? Alright then, I'll oblige you out of the goodness of my heart" her voice murmured in a heavy and sultry manner layered with sarcasm as her eyes flickered challengingly.

Sakura's eyes widened and she backed away as the special jounin glided forth rapidly, knowing what was about to come and preparing mentally for pain in an abundant amounts. "Stupid! I told you should've just shut the hell up!" Inner-Sakura chided arrogantly before she took reign of the situation as her main persona faltered in fear and panic, wresting control of their shared body.

The situation was getting worse for Sakura. The more of Danzou's special pills she took the more the hormones and chemicals affected her psyche as well as the horrible physical symptoms. The constant flood of hormones, enzymes and cell reconstruction was causing her insane bouts of nausea, insomnia, vertigo and intense shifts in heat and cold sensations. The constant physical strain was wearing down on her mental state and the signs were beginning to show, in the growth of her pseudo persona's influence and intensity.

Where Inner Sakura used to be a small voice in the back of her head that assisted and commented at odd times but now everything was different. Her violent and often unstable alternative personality had become increasingly dominant and at times even wrested control against Sakura's own volition. At the same time the main persona was becoming more and more muddled, docile and blurred as both Sakura's grew more cohesive and symbiotic by the day.

Sakura guessed that it wouldn't be long before they had equal footing if things proceeded their course and Sakura wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Who was she in the first place? Was the original Sakura only a mask for the true persona which was hidden within or was it the other way around? Sakura couldn't remember clearly anymore as memories, desires and intentions all forcefully mixed into an amorphous construct of controlled madness that worked - for now.

"C'mon! At least give her a fight! We aren't pathetic like that! The formally passive persona screamed and assumed their shared body's motorial functions and performed the only thing they could do in the situation – attack. So with caution blown in the wind she thrust Sakura's hand forth, hoping to knock the Jounin away by some streak of odd luck.

Sakura gasped in preparation for pain, shutting her eyes tightly as the snake jounin's body twisted away from its original path, the deceptive, serpentine motions once more clearly projecting false intention and leaving her prey open for slaughter. "This is the hand position of the Viper style" Anko hissed and her killer intent washed over the poor genin, forcing her to slowly open her eyes and see that Anko had paused her attack an inch from Sakura's neck.

"The viper is not as venomous as the cobra, its strikes take time to wear its foe down so it will usually bite its foe and then constrict around it. This concept is translated into blows that strike arteries and veins." Anko's voice was calm and toneless as she stood up and showed the position of her hand, showing how only her middle and index finger were extended tightly while her thumb was curled beneath her hand to allow tension of the muscles.

"The viper style is called the 'Dokueki Kiba' as it's the primary style for those who have mastered the art of toxicology and anatomic knowledge. Its blows are all whipping and lightning fast and chakra fueled. These snapping jabs and thrusts are meant to tear skin and draw blood; thus intimidating your foe and his allies and making them easier prey while simultaneously injecting deadly doses of chakra or poison into a foes body" Anko explained calmly and Sakura gulped, nodding fearfully.

The violet hair woman smirked evilly and her grin widened "What's wrong, Sakura? I'm not hitting you or insulting you; why so fearful, girl?"Anko inquired smoothly at first before licking her lips and stepping forth, causing Sakura to take a fearful step back and stumble. "Get up! Stop being such a cowardly little bitch" Anko hissed and her hand shifted, her palm opening completely, though her thumb remained tightly curled.

Sakura stood up quickly and instinct took over as her sensei glided towards her rapidly, the red haired girl rolling sideways in time to hear an audible crunching and cracking sound. Anko stood with her fingers thrust forward, lightly pressed against the wall; their tips flaring with bright blue chakra. "Good instincts, there's hope for you yet, Sakura" Anko commented neutrally and the young teen gulped, panting heavily as she nodded fearfully. A mix of relief, panic and slight satisfaction all welled in an impossibly tight knot in her chest; making breathing somewhat difficult.

The Jounin turned around and showed her hand position "The cobra is the considered the king of snakes though it pales in size near the python and is not nearly as fast as the viper. Its body is large enough to be vulnerable to retaliating blows and so it must exercise caution. However, its venom is extremely lethal and all it needs is to manage one strike for its venom to kill in a manner of seconds. Thus, the cobra is known as the most patient and cautious of snakes, only striking out when it has maximum chances of succeeding. This concept is translated into a completely defensive style that has you abandon offense completely and merely reacting with singular, accurate blows that kill or maim instantly."

"The cobra style, also known as the 'Zetsumei no Tacchi' is the most difficult and complicated of the snake styles but also one of the most dangerous hand to hand styles in existence. It requires an incredibly intimate knowledge of the mapping of pressure points and internal organs and is considered one of the ultimate killing arts and therefore it is branded as a forbidden S-Rank skill you will NOT be learning. Also, believe me when I tell you that if you ever see someone standing in this stance before you're a high level Jounin; never attack him or her; you MUST escape or at the very least use long ranged attacks to stall and get help or you'll die," Anko cautioned in a deathly calm tone, the dangerous gleam in her eyes stressing the gravity of her words

Sakura wanted to argue she needed the best tools to become the best kunoichi she could; that she needed ammunition strong enough to battle Naruto but she held her tongue that was something better left for a conversation with Danzou that held leverage over the snake Jounin and could coerce her to obey him. "We'll show her, yes we will…we'll show everyone our power and prove our loyalty to Konoha and Sasuke-kun by breaking the spell the demon has weaved over them all"

The snake mistress would become extremely impatient and violent and tried to 'beat some sense' into Sakura any time she brought up such notions of treachery and murder. Anko had been adamant Konoha never turned on her own unless they crossed the line between loyalty and treachery and she concluded Sakura, despite her great conviction in her cause had no tangible proof to warrant Anko assisting her in planning or enacting any hostile actions against Naruto. Worst was the chilling fact that the snake mistress promised if she ever found out Sakura used the violet haired woman's arts against another leaf nin with killer intent, Danzou or not, she would kill Sakura and she would take it nice and slow; savoring every delicious moment.

Anko snapped her fingers to get Sakura's attention "I told you to stop living in your mind, Sakura" her voice snapped and the snake jounin had to visibly hold her hand from slapping the annoying teen senseless as she knew by the look in Sakura's emerald eyes, it was the same look she reflected whenever she was conversing with her inner persona, the shift in her the gleam in her eye invisible to all but the most perceptive of people and it was becoming an alarmingly common occurrence.

Sakura gulped and smiled shakily, nodding as Anko shot her a suspicious glare before shaking it off and shifting her visible hand into a different position. The upper part of her fingers curled and locking tightly as she continued. "The python is the largest and slowest of the snakes. It relies on dropping or lunging on its prey with deadly force. It mass is its weapon, heaving itself once with enough force can injure or knock the prey out and thus allowing the python to constrict around it and crush it. This concept is translated into a chakra intensive style that mixes a series of opening, lightning fast blows bursting with force and grappling motions mixed with killing blows. Every strike is precise and carries large masses of chakra that considerably strengthens impact, this either softens the prey and leaves it open for grappling and finishing moves or taunts it to retaliate in which you will dodge and entrap the prey with the same form of tactics,"

"The Python style is known as 'Bouju assaiki odori'. It requires lightning fast speed as all the other stances but also great physical strength to work the grappling moves and wrest control of your prey's body. I personally recommend you study the Viper style as it's easier to learn and you can use various toxins and chakra sensitive techniques to receive a wider scale of outcomes. Plus, I believe you have the potential to go far with this particular style." Anko concluded quietly in an almost soft tone which made Sakura pause.

"Really? Are you sure?" Sakura stuttered hesitantly. "What's up with her today? She's been so…docile? She's actually explaining without thrashing me mentally and physically? Is this another trick to lull me into another sense of security?" Sakura wondered and her pseudo twin answered "Take personal gestures with a grain of salt, Sakura-Chan. It's better if we learn all you can from the snake whore, she will not support our view on the monster, so if she's not an ally, she's an obstacle – if a useful obstacle…" the rationale made sense, but Sakura felt somewhat queasy and uneasy at trying to deceive the sharp eye Jounin and had a feeling it would haunt her in the future.

Anko's left eye twitched impatiently "I don't waste words of whiny little genin like you. So if I say something you take it as the word of Kami or I'll personally make you wish you were in Yomi." The snake mistress retorted with a shrug in chirping, sugary tone and shoved Sakura backwards lightly. Anko sighed at her trembling and cautious student before grabbing her bandaged hand, smoothing fingertips over the tightly wound bandages.

"I told you to strengthen your fingertips for a reason, while it not necessary for the snake styles purely physical aspect, you don't want your skin to rupture and burn the minute you begin training on chakra techniques which we will begin now. Pay attention because I'm only going to waste my breathe on you once, Sakura" Anko intoned coolly and reached for her weapon's pouch and removed a kunai.

"I want you take the concept of tree walking and take it one step further" Anko explained and flipped the kunai over, tossing it into the air. Anko reached out and brought her index finger forwards, gluing the sharp edge with her fingertip. The snake mistress turned her hand over, showing the kunai didn't as much as move, her blue life force having entrapped it fiercely.

"You will start with one finger and go up to five on each hand." Anko instructed and easily passed the Kunai from finger to finger, flipping it in the air and leveling it on each fingertip effortlessly. "Once you're done with this, we can begin teaching you the chakra sensory abilities required to intercept your prey before it realizes it and several chakra enhancement techniques to help speed your body up before we start practicing the more advanced Kata for the viper style" Anko mapped out her training schedule.

"C-Can't we use wooden Kunai…?" Sakura asked in a small voice, looking at her fingers warily, wondering how many cuts or lost fingers she would have by the end of the exercise and only caught the loud, boisterous laughter of her sensei whom threw her head back as body quaked with amusement, relishing on the irony of the situation as she had the same reaction a decade ago when Orochimaru taught her the training exercise.

"This will add some additional motivation for you to succeed quickly, I'm sure Danzou-teme can supply a medic nin, can't you?" Anko called out audibly and turned her head sideways, glaring straight at the lens of a video camera with a cheeky grin over her slightly sadistic façade. "

The skin around Danzou's visible eye tightened as observed the proceedings and Anko's exclaim from a live-feed video camera that was obviously not nearly concealed enough as he had originally thought. His lips twisted from thin neutrality to faint irritation as his eye narrowed. "Mitarashi Anko, I rejected your execution all those years ago by supporting Sarutobi so we could live to see if Orochimaru would come for you; perhaps in retrospect that was a mistake. Your usefulness is limited for someone of your deadly knowledge, I will have to press for you to start actually using the snake sannin's arts so the village can salvage something from your expensive recklessness," the old war-hawk pondered mentally as he took in her new attire and less violent deposition.

He analyzed her with every shift of her body language and tone, trying to break down the truth behind her actions but was frustrated by the mixed signals she kept on sending, the misleading body language and facial expression impossible to predict properly. "You taught your former apprentice well, Orochimaru. Now we will use her to train ourselves to slay you…you can be sure of that..." He concluded. He could only wonder what the council meeting Sarutobi had arranged for two weeks from then would revolve around. "Perhaps Hiruzen is finally ready to deal with that bitch and her attitude problem…"

He hoped it would be worth his time, many of silent acts to preserve Konoha's safety were, but at the same times some of his gambles ended up more damaging than good. The fact he was forced to push for the tracking seal to be tattooed on the woman's back was one such needless action had he not sided with Sarutobi in the first place.

Danzou sighed; it was too late to lament his past mistakes. He was certain of his path and never felt guilt or misery over the outcomes of his actions, as bloody or monumental as they were. This attitude often depicted him as evil, cold hearted and deceitful by the elder ninja population but that didn't prevent him from sleeping at night and even Sarutobi recognized Danzou as a necessary evil.

Despite disbanding roots formally, he and Sandaime had a silent agreement that was left unwritten, Danzou protected Konoha from the shadows, using every underhanded and inhumane method required with his limited manpower of elite operatives and Hiruzen turned a blind eye so he could protect it from the light, embodying the will of fire and inspiring its young ninjas – both making sacrifices for the village as long as the fragile balance was maintained.

Both men had an identical ambition and will to protect hidden leaf as they were ordered by the Senju Tobirama over forty years earlier, each chose his path, Danzou's ruthless coldness only balanced by Sarutobi's merciful warmth. Though he and Hiruzen bashed heads constantly, the war hawk was stomached to his political power amongst the older generation. In turn the secret-sharingan wielder stomached Sarutobi's weakness and softness due to the lack of alternative leadership with the death of Namikaze Minato and the two loyal Sannin dispersing through the four corners of the continent for various reasons.

Danzou himself knew as long as the Sandaime and his two pupils lived, he would never assume the mantle of Hokage. This derived from the fact that everyone, even the Daimyo, believed his crippled old body was hardly suitable to serve as a protector of a village. Those fools had no understanding of his true power and what ninja truly are.

So for now his main goal was to direct the leaf back towards the old ways of the ninja. He pushed that policy by constantly weakening Sarutobi's hold on the council at every turn. In the end, he aimed to manipulate things in the council to fit his ideals and perhaps in a long process of attrition make both Jounin and Daimyo of his own view on what Konoha should be.

For the time being he kept his abilities and merit hidden. Because until he was given enough leeway to assume his rightful place, as Konoha's formal protector, any other action would just paint a bullseye on his back and bring upon his untimely demise. So he stomached the 'Will of Fire' as he knew there was no plausible way for him to assume his rightful place as Hokage as long as the Jounin council believed in the illusionary concept and the Daimyo retained his riches and full coffers.

Sure, killing Sarutobi was always a possibility but he found it unproductive at the time as any coup would end up destroying the village and bringing the wrath of Sarutobi's supports upon him. So for now, he kept on waiting patiently in the shadows, the silent sentinel that kept the embers of war ready.

Danzou's latest ploy regarding Uchiha Sasuke's Sharingan was the most risky and hopefully beneficial of all his plans in the recent decade. It took luck, cunning, considerable money and political leverage to successfully infiltrate the ANBU guarded medical facility where Uchiha Sasuke's remains were contained. One of his agents in the medical corps, the ever sweet, lovable and 'innocent' Akita Suzume had after some serious 'persuasion' on his part been assigned to examine the body post mortem. She was tasked to make sure no organs were removed by spies or agents of the enemy during the trip back from the Wave country and right under ANBU's very nose Sasuke's dead Sharingan eyes were replaced by a pair of similarly shaded brown eyes,

A falsified medical report later and a quick and precise surgery leaf the ANBU none the wiser. Suzume's record was flawless and she wasn't even originally part of Danzou's forces, he had flipped her by helping procure a very rare medicine for her ill daughter from the lightning country, thus ensuring she owed him a favor, once she owed him a favor he had her in his pocket indefinitely.

Now Sarutobi was at lost. While he suspected Danzou had plans regarding the sharingan from he would never be able to prove it. There was no evidence otherwise and now that the body was cremated and his successful damage control in form of eliminating Suzume, no loose ends remained. Danzou would suffer no liabilities; no mistakes as there was too much was at stake.

Danzou knew that if he succeeded the leaf would triumph and greatly restore its fame and image even amongst its most bitter enemies, but if he failed? No, he could not, would not fail – failure was for children and weaklings and the last sharingan wielder in Konoha had long since peeled off both aspects of himself – now all he had to do was wait while things unfolded.

---

(Meanwhile, Sunagakure no Sato)

Orochimaru was quite amused, a very small smirk plastered on his lips as the sand chuunin led him through the sand caked streets of Sunagakure. He had ironed out the details of his invasion plan in his mind but he had several alternative routes planned out as well. The snake summoner knew Suna was a crucial part of his plan and here he was now, a sworn enemy of Konona sneaking in order to convene with Konoha's only ally amongst the great five.

But such words amused Orochimaru greatly as bonds of loyalty and kinship did not exist in this world of ninja. Such flowery notions were hollow words meant to cow the masses into obedience and convince them to protect the conglomerate of the ninja village. Alliances were nothing more than a front meant to give reprieve for rearmament between potential enemies.

Such was the way of the Shinobi world, all the villages from large to small all worked in these predictable patterns - except his deluded old sensei and his creed that somehow develop some neurotic disorder of an idea that bonds and loyalty can last and brave the tests of time and mutual benefit. The snake sannin had never bought those words, even though his time with Tsunade and Orochimaru were perhaps the only times he felt human or held any form of loyalty and kinship with others.

He had discarded all that with ease when his ambitions required it. Some would call him cruel, most would call him traitor but the snake sannin cared not – they would all call him master once he realized his ambitions and crushed them under his boot. But there would be time for that in the future. At the moment the snake-ninja was carrying the face of one of the wind country's daimyo's tax collector's face. Killing him and taking his place while they were on the road was child's play for a ninja of his level.

He had followed them for a day, studying his prey, memorizing his voice, little quirks, body language and tones. When he was satisfied he had enough data to impersonate his target he easily drugged the chuunin guard detail and then while they were sleeping eliminated the scrawny, elderly man and assumed his identity while commanding one of his medium sized snake summons to dispose of the body.

He knew genjutsu or henge no jutsu would be risky so he used the easier alternative that was guaranteed to achieve his goal, the 'Shoushagan no jutsu'. He literally stole the old man's face and glued it to his own and wore the man's garments, as cumbersome and unsuited they were for the harsh desert heat. One would think that a man of his reputation and infamy was insane to step into the sand capital with no guard detail of his own, but that was the beauty of it; the snake always prefers to sneak its way closest to its prey before devouring it whole. It was true that he would've normally taken Kabuto along with him but the medic-ninja had a very special assignment to fulfill and it wouldn't serve to ruin his own plans with unnecessary paranoia and fear.

Fear, that suffocating, paralyzing feeling that dominated one's senses to such extents it literally changed their lives. It had ruled the snake ninja for almost five years, ever since that accursed Uchiha Itachi had cut off his arm and humiliated him so thoroughly. The snake sannin had both yearned and feared a second confrontation for many years now and so he did all in his power to avoid his former associates and Itachi in particular. But things had changed recently with the death of Sasuke the cards were shuffled anew and his one-track plan to divinity had been derailed. Now he would have to get his hands dirty once more to accommodate the changes in reality.

While Sasuke's sharingan eyes would have much benefit for genetic experimentation and perhaps one day he would find a way to replicate them they weren't optimal. After all Orochimaru had tried to crack the genetic code of the Uchiha and Hyuuga blood on two separate occasions with no success closely before his defection with no success at hand.

Therefore, as possible as that outcome was it would take years at best so he the snake summoner would keep cultivating the option with a portion of his resources while planing an alternate path that had immediate results and more satisfaction for the ancient ninja. The snake sannin always liked to keep a card up his sleeve, years of playing poker with Tsunade and Jiraiya taught him the importance of a wild card that could turn the tables in his favor - a concept he embraced whole-heartedly.

Orochimaru seldom reminisced over those days as he knew there was no returning to those more pleasant times. Besides, peace and stability didn't suit him, he thrived in combat, blood and excitement. Be as that may, the snake ninja was no fool and like the serpent of his namesake he sought the path of least resistance, maximum efficiency and benefit.

Therefore he did the best thing. No, the only thing he could think of, he sat down and thought long and hard on what was to come next. He had mapped some small, secondary goals that he had to achieve to realize his master plan. He knew he had to concentrate on the first and foremost danger to his existence - Konoha and Sarutobi-sensei in particular.

While the decrepit old man was no longer a danger to his existence personally as long as he stood in the head of Konoha the will of fire would continue emboldening and deluding the hidden leaf to go to great extremes for their Hokage. Orochimaru knew from experience that there was no worst foe than zealous and self-confident foe – they never gave up, nothing could deter their resolve except the Shinigami's touch.

The yellow eyed prodigy had originally planned on observing his previous prey, Uchiha Sasuke in person. But now, it was redundant and dangerous to approach his old home without good reason as Kabuto could deal with his affairs in Orochimaru's stead.

Therefore the snake sannin decided he needed to adjust his plans in order to deal with two obstacles before he could eliminate the blemish that was Konoha off the face of the continent. Mainly his goal was to preserve his life long enough to achieve his goals and in order to do that he needed to deal with two immediate threats: one was the massive war machine that was Iwagure and the other the embodiment of lethal efficiency that was Itachi and his Mangekyo Sharingan.

It irked the snake sannin that somehow he had been implicated for the assassination of the Sandaime Tsuchikage, Kagome Hodaka. If they were going to tarnish his name and reputation further at least they should give him a chance to actually make it worth their while. Apparently the newly annoited Yondaime Tsuchikage, Hodaka's son Ishimaru was extremely upset with Orochimaru. He had even went as far as putting an extra 90 million ryou bounty on his head to add to the already 210 million ryou he had accumulated throughout the years.

Iwa was not known for its mercy and forgiveness but luckily it had only two routes to reach Orochimaru's latest rumored whereabouts in the rice field country. One was to cut through Takigakure which would thus incite Konoha or try to bypass the fire country through the sea and thus alarm Kumogakure.

None of the above shared a particular love for the Snake-sannin – one was a hidden village allied with Konoha and the other was a village that still carried a grudge with Orochimaru for his many feats during his days as part of the Konoha's elite. But neither trusted or cared for Ishimaru and his village as well, and he was the greater threat to their security than Orochimaru.

He would deal with Ishimaru and his zealous thirst for vengeance in good time. After all, those controlled by rage were often easiest to read and manipulate – that was why Jiraiya was so easy to fool back then. Speaking of his foolish old friend, Orochimaru needed to adjust his original plans to accommodate the news he had come to learn concerning Jiraiya being sighted n the fire country.

That meant he most likely caught wind of Orochimaru's intentions. Jiraiya was perhaps the only person in Konoha that was acquainted with Orochimaru's methodology and scheming mind enough to stop him. They had worked together for so long they were almost symbiotic when it came to battle tactics and despite Orochimaru's tendency to ridicule his old teammate the toad sannin was extremely powerful and resourceful and not someone to be taken lightly.

It would appear Sabaku no Nori; the Yondaime Kazekage would be spared after all, if only for the sake of having another Kage-level ninja to distract Sarutobi or Jiraiya while they battled. What a shame, the sniveling, insolent insect had always seemed mentally frail and weak in Orochimaru's eyes but there was no doubt regarding he carried Kage-level abilities, even though he paled in comparison to the Sandaime Kazekage whose power was enough to challenge even elderly Sarutobi-sensei at his prime.

The snake san-nin was led through the desolate city, the harsh weather making visibility and breathing difficult and Orochimaru played his part by holding a piece of cloth to his mouth as he forced himself to emulate the slow pace of an aged man until they finally reached the government complex of Sunagakure. As the 'old man' was lead towards the Kazekage chamber he crossed three children he recognized from his espionage reports as the children of Suna's leader.

As Orochimaru passed by the sand siblings Gaara paused in his stride slightly and turned his glance towards the elderly man and his green eyes narrowed confusedly and curiously at the seemingly harmless bureaucrat whom sent him back a small glance before being escorted into the room. "Gaara…" Kankuro called out hesitantly and Temari nervously took a step back as the red headed murderer seemed paralyzed and for a brief couple of seconds - human.

His eyes were widely open; breaths held tightly in an aching chest as he sensed an immense power suffocate him; something inhuman and extremely dangerous "Mother…what the hell was that man…?" the Jinchuuriki thought quietly. He was confused and distressed a the foreign sensations of his rushing heartbeat, trembling body and dry throat and lips; the emotion's name seemed familiar from somewhere in his past and had he seen himself in the mirror he'd have recognized it immediately as the desperate emotion all his victims shared - fear.

"Boy, stop stalling! That one is little of a concern to us; he's going to meet the old man. Go onwards to your mission…I want blood! Give me blood…so we can feel alive!! That one can wait until we're stronger…yes, when we're stronger we can spill his blood, but not now…" The high pitched tone in his head shifted between whispers and screams, the deranged monologue accompanied by the familiar and painful feel of the Bijuu's foreign chakra within him; its searing heat rushing through his shoulder in agonizing pulses originating from his seal. Whoever, whatever that man was even his mother wasn't eager for him to challenge it, so it would be best to prove his existence another day; one must crawl before he can jump.

As Orochimaru entered the room he noticed that the fourth Kazekage was reading a scroll intently. The man's eyes were narrowed thoughtfully and the build and size of the carrier bird implied that it was one of the high priority messages, intriguing.

"Raigaku-dono, it is a pleasure as always to meet with you. However, we have already paid our monthly tribute to Toshiro-sama last week…" The Kazekage leveled his point neutrally, his dark eyes flickering with brief annoyance, a very thin smile spread over his face. "More taxes? You greedy bastard…how much more must we pay while you funnel our money to those tree-hugging hypocrites?"

The old man smirked faintly, his murky old eyes narrowing bemusedly "Kazekage-dono, do not worry yourself. I am not here to empty more of your dwindling coffers" The elderly man reassured and sat down in front of the leader of hidden sand. His lips cracked lips twisted into an uncommonly wide grin, yellow teeth gleaming repulsively as wrinkled skin shifted into an eager expression "I am here to offer you a solution, to the cause of your economic decline…"

"Who are you…?" Nori asked, alarm filling him as he moved his hand to reach for the distress button only to discover that his hand was immobilized by a long and wet muscle, mainly the old man's pink tongue that had outstretched abnormally. The man's pasty old eyes had melted away were replaced by a pair of paralyzing yellow orbs of pure violence.

"I wouldn't do that if I were, Nori-dono. I don't like sudden motions. They invoke my serpentine killer instincts and we wouldn't want that, now would we?" The snake-sannin spoke with surprising little difficulty considering his situation before he released the man's hand. He tilted his head slightly at the solemn faced young man. "Besides, it's rude to dismiss a potential client when he has yet to make his offer…"

The Kazekage's eyes narrowed dangerously but he folded his arms together, his tense shoulders and tapping foot belying impatience "You have five minutes, Orochimaru. Make sure they're worth it or they'll be your last," he threatened icily and leaned back in his chair calmly. However, inwardly he was furious - how had that man, no! That thing... managed to bypass all his security and come within assassination range without alarming even a single soul?

The snake in elderly skin snorted derisively and folded his hands together as well. "In two and half months during the chuunin exams...I plan on destroying Konohagakure." Orochimaru declared boldly without a sliver of doubt. "I'm looking for an ally and you seem to be the one with the most to gain from the destruction of the leaf so you are the first leader I have approached."

Nori snorted rudely before he threw his head back and laughed audibly. Once he regained his composure he rubbed his eyes before sneering visibly at Orochimaru. "Pathetic little snakeling, you fear the wrath of Kagome Ishimaru so you come and seek my help? How stupid do you think I am? Give me one good reason I shouldn't detain you and hand you over to Konoha?" The fourth asked in a condescending tone and rolled his eyes dismissively.

The snake's smile widened as chakra gathered in his eyes and vocal cords. It was fortunate Nori was weaker in both will and body than the snake, otherwise the upcoming tactic would've been mute. "Vindication" Orochimaru replied smoothly and his eyes seemed to flicker in a mesmerizing manner with the reflection of the light as his head swayed gently from side to side with every one of his next words; the smooth quality of his voice almost hypnotic. "I will do you two favors you dare not accomplish on your own if you assist me" Orochimaru stated seductively and lifted one finger.

Nori was somewhat confused but didn't fight the lull of the snake charmer's charismatic tone, his vision blurred slightly and his head swayed along with Orochimaru's, the two moving almost in unison in a bizarre almost dance-like ritual. "Hebijutsu: Naishoubanashi Ranzatsu Koukyoukyouku" Orochimaru thought as he invoked the complex ninjutsu and genjutsu hybrid he had learned from Manda when the pair had been but young hatchlings nearly three decades ago.

He rarely used it anymore as fear often worked better than charm, but now was the perfect time to gain some leverage. The technique targeted the brain from two completely different angles in a pincher tactic that left most targets like putty in the snake summoner's hand. On one hand his eyes attacked the Cerebral cortex with an elaborate genjutsu, chakra invading the nerve endings through the ocular nerves and spreading through the entire upper brain, cutting off the nerve endings responsible for higher emotions like fear, anger and hate to temporarily.

That's where the ninjutsu portion made it perfect as his chakra reverberated through this vocal cords, releasing hypersonic waves that were inaudible to all by the most sensitive of ears effect the hind brain and mid brain and flooded the brain with serotonins and hormones that created a sense of calm, security and affection towards the snake while also subtly imprinting the memories through his mind; making the victim more predisposed into trusting the snake sannin's word.

"I would've preferred to kill you, pathetic creature, but I need a human shield for the invasion and you will fit the bill perfectly…" The snake-sannin lamented and continued "One, I will remove the main threat to your economy and thus restore the Daimyo's trust in your abilities that has weakened ever since the third ninja war." Nori nodded numbly "Two, we will inscribe your name in history forever. Sabaku no Nori, the Kazekage that managed to topple the might of the leaf. Think about it, where the likes of Hodaka and Hanzou have all faltered you will be victorious. No longer in the shadow of the Third Kazekage; no longer questioned and compared – You will become a legendary ninja on your own merit…" He promised

The Kazekage shook his head as the snake san-nin stepped back and cut of his technique, recovering his senses and rubbing his temples as his head throbbed. He rubbed slightly burning eyes and coughed into his hand, "Let's say I agree with your little plan? What's in it for me…?" the dark eyed man questioned his greed overcoming his caution as he listened to the charm of the serpent's soft; intoxicating promises.

"I have no need for territory, Kazekage-dono. All I want is the joy of killing Sarutobi with my own bare hands and the scroll of sealing. The rest of Konoha's riches and territory are yours;" Orochimaru offered in an oily, promising tone and Nori nodded faintly. The offer was too good to decline; especially with the Daimyo's latest edicts that further emptied his treasury and weakened his army.

Therefore there was only one choice to be made – a deal with the devil, or at least his serpentine servant. "A word of caution though, Kazekage-dono. I have many spies in Konoha and otherwise, if I catch wind that you directly or indirectly move to betray me – I will kill you - slowly..." the snake san-nin promised nonchalantly and bowed his head making his way outside, silently being escorted outside by 'his' aide. "Excellent…Soon all will come to fruition at long last..."

Once the door shut Nori slammed his hand against the desk "Arrogant bastard! How dare he waltz in here and make demands of me?!" Nori was furious, but he was no fool, he had heard of what happened to those that crossed the snake sannin directly, their fate was always tragic and blood chilling but he was no puppet or pawn, he would agree to Orochimaru's plan, but on his own terms.

Nori was sure that the destruction of Konoha would commence perfectly by Orochimaru's devices, he trusted the aged genius's renowned battle tactics but Nori would do the one thing he needed to do most as a leader, maintain leverage and assurances – which he sorrowfully lacked at the moment. He didn't trust the snake as far as he could throw him and would not become a scapegoat for his attempt should it fail, more so he would make sure it didn't fail - no matter what.

Blind faith was not an option for him, it had failed his before, in the form of the bloodthirsty monster his youngest had become, what a waste of resources and money that was – a tool too unstable to properly wield; it was a shame he couldn't kill him, nobody in Suna currently could defeat him once Shukaku began manifesting and his other two children had become pathetically attached to the thing; they too becoming a liability but they could live for now as they were no threat to him.

With that he took his quill pen and started writing on a blank scroll, pleased with this turn of events, Sunagakure would grow strong from this, he would make sure of that.

---

(Meanwhile, Back in Konoha)

Hyuuga Hinata was nervous; her body trembling and mind whirling as the words slipped out her cousin's mouth. She didn't catch the whole bit of veiled insults behind kind words but the soft-spoke Hyuuga's eyes widened a fraction and her breathing accelerating as she tried to grasp the reason for her father summoning her to his chambers.

Her hands clasped together tightly and she bowed her head, wishing she could fold into herself and disappear, nothing good ever came from her meetings with her father and she doubted this meeting would be any exception to that inexorable pattern. She blocked out the world, everything melting into a haze as the only thing she could focus on was the thundering beat of her heart thumping through her ears.

Ever since she was six years old her father had made it his business to constantly remind her of how much she was a waste of his blood and the Hyuuga talent. Yet, he seemed interested in her regardless in at least one facet, he kept on pushing her impossibly with some false hope she would somehow miraculously become talented by some Kami blessed occurrence due to his influence.

Hinata however knew she would forever be a failure and disappointment in Hiashi's eyes. No matter how much she put an effort into her training she couldn't seem to feel comfortable with the 'Hakke' style of the Jyuuken. It felt foreign to her body; she could never muster the firmness and strength for the advanced motions nor could her hands weave through the very close ranged palm strikes and finger thrusts as her build was too small and her arms not long enough.

Despite these facts she had memorized the motions and kept on trying to master the style in some desperately impossible wish for her father to at one point smile at her softly, just like he used to and tell her proud he is of her. She still remembered how her father had been in the days her uncle and mother were still alive; he was still cool and aloof but always reserved some hidden smiles, kind words and gentle hugs for Hinata whenever the two of them were alone or with her mother.

She desperately missed that man, her real father in contrast with the shell of ice and stone that coated him nowadays. The current Hyuuga Hiashi was nothing but an apparition in his image in Hinata's eyes, at least on a personal level. Ever since the debacle that cost him Hizashi and his mother's dire illness he had lost all the light in his eyes and the only time he showed even a margin of kindness and reason to anyone was when he dealt with the Branch family.

Against the common view of the Hyuuga as a family enslaving their own cruelty; Hiashi was uncommonly lenient and patient with those whom carried the caged bird seal. The elder Hyuuga had managed in the last seven years to repair the very shaky and bitter relationship pertaining between blood kin when Hizashi was sent in his stead and today the clan was balanced and stable with the glaring exception of Neji.

Her cousin was a disaster waiting to happen with his blatant hatred towards her and Hiashi and his constant disparaging and disrespect towards Hinata. His harsh and bitter words incited old emotions best left untouched and kept the family severed at the core, perpetuation the rift and discord amongst the Hyuuga clan. His influence was minimal in the political sense but he was the scion of the Hyuuga, the most talented of the young generation and Hizashi's only son, his heir and thus his word carried emotional impact that could not be ignored.

Many found Hinata's kindness and softness a welcome change that may one day truly heal the bad blood between both families whereas other, more traditional Hyuuga found her to be weak, useless and a liability to the clan's public face and internal stability and her father and Neji seemed to be prominent members of that crowd, at least to Hinata.

Hinata constantly tried to bridge the gaping chasm between her and Neji as despite everything he was like an older brother to her once and she cared for him. Even when he humiliated, insulted and otherwise dismissed her as useless; Hinata did not give up on him - 'family never turned their back on her own'. At times she hated him, but mostly she pitied him and felt sympathy towards him, his potential caged, his father stolen and everything he yearns forever dangled tauntingly before his eyes whenever he saw her unblemished forehead.

What stopped her from drowning in hatred was that fact that on her death bed her mother had softly imparted Hinata with the truth of the Hyuuga and the dangers she foresaw for the stability of the clan. She begged her small daughter to be strong and even when she's angry, even when she's hurt to try and understand and sympathize with the rest of the family, so they may one day heal – for it was not their fault that things were so bad, it was the heritage of a long line of narrow-sighted and pig-headed clan heads that refused to let go of the past.

The small child barely understood what her mother was asking but she knew one thing, she would do all in her power to make her mother's dream realized and would bring down the walls between the families, no matter the cost to herself. Hinata had at first thought of it as only a duty to her mother, as unfair of her mother to ask her for such a request when she barely knew anything of politics. But after years of seeing the hidden suffering and agony of the branch and the isolationist and arrogant disposition of many of the main family she had changed her original outlook on the mission and her logic took over.

It was now not something she needed to do, it was something she wanted to do. Konoha needed the Hyuuga and the Hyuuga needed change or they too would spiral down a path of blood and tragedy as the Uchiha had before them. Hinata's role model in that aspect was Hiashi himself for even though her father hid behind his grim and icy disposition she saw him desperately fight against the traditions and constraints of generations of clan heads before him.

He was considered the most revolutionary of clan heads by allowing Branch members to act in all manner of ninja duties and not only as ANBU and battle Jounin as was the tradition for such a prestigious clan. By allowing the branch some freedom to express themselves and not just serve as servants, bodyguards and sacrifices for the main branch he had broken some of the tension between them and today clan Hyuuga's power in both the political and military field had greatly grown since they lost some of their elitist views on the medical, illusionary and Jounin-instructor roles – it showed the clan was not broken off from the village but rather an important cog in the system, especially with the tragic destruction of the Uchiha.

Perhaps their cousin-clan's morbid fate had also pushed him into this position and enlightened him of the danger of isolation and arrogant indifference as his efforts seemed to redouble ever since that incident. It mattered not, Hinata despite personal misgivings and disappointment in her father's parental abilities she could not doubt his political shrewdness and help admire his efforts to heal the clan, as stealthy and slow as they were. She wanted to follow in his footsteps one day and finish the job Hiashi would no doubt not be able to finish in his own lifetime.

The announcement of their upcoming meeting had been given in the midst of her training with team eight via a verbal message and a sealed scroll handed to Kurenai by Neji. Hinata winced under the weight of her cousin's dismissive glare before he turned to Kurenai and asked if he could escort the heiress back to the clan compound personally as per clan tradition.

Kurenai had taken the request with a suspicious frown and examined the scroll closely before nodding tersely but Neji was sorrowfully disappointed when her sensei, which had noticed Hinata's physical signs of discomfort and distress, rejected the older Hyuuga's request and said she would escort Hinata personally as part of her duty as her sensei.

Neji's eyes narrowed briefly, his lips thin and reflecting his begrudging acceptance as he dared not cross a Jounin directly but he imagined Hiashi-sama would have some choice words regarding the red-eye illusionist's insolent refusal to abide clan protocol. "Hinata-sama, I advise you to make it your business to arrive promptly, Hyuuga-sama seemed quite insistent and I would imagine you wouldn't appreciate upsetting him"

His words were neutral enough on the surface but Hinata knew by the pointed gleam in his eyes and the slight twitch of scorn in his lips that what he left unsaid was equivalent of 'You're a disgrace as it is, don't make things worse by being late. Even though there is little room for further descent,' he then bowed humbly to Kurenai and departed, most likely heading to train with his teammates as he often did in the afternoon.

The Hyuuga heiress gulped miserably and slowly looked up to see Kiba glaring at the retreating Neji's back angrily and Shino body language reveal great tension and the skin around his eyes tighten with a glare. "That bastard! How dare that arrogant prick…why I should…" the Inuzuka started shouting when Hinata shook her head, the sadness and distress reflected in her body language making it hard to retain anger when she lifted her hand to stop him.

"N-Neji-nii-san h-has had a very difficult life, please don't be upset with him" the heiress argued softly and recovered her cool enough to look her team in the eyes for only a brief couple of moments before she shut her lavender eyes and slowly smiled at her comrades, though the expression was brittle as glass. Her body seemed suddenly heavy and cumbersome, as if her skin was a wet leather coat that awkward hung over her wiry skeleton - he usual grace weighed down by negative emotions.

"Hinata, your kindness is admirable and most refreshing for a ninja but you should not have to look for excuses for the coarseness of others; especially for those whom would not share the courtesy had the roles been reversed. Remember that neither Konoha nor does this team condone condescension of any kind, especially against you," Shino countered and pushed his glasses upwards.

Hinata blushed faintly and smiled shakily, thanking him softly and Kiba added his two cents "Shino's right, Hinata! If that bastard keeps on hurting you, tell us and we'll kick his ass all over his village!" his fiery exclaim was mirrored by a loud bark from Akamaru, causing Hinata to bow her head and murmur a soft thank you though she dared not encourage him to go down that path, her cousin would crush Kiba easily, his skill levels far outstripping the Inuzuka's.

Kurenai smiled softly and shook her head at Kiba "Shino, Kiba. I'm sure Hinata appreciates your concern, but Its best if I escort her on her way. We'll meet up tomorrow, same time at the Hokage Tower." The red-eyed Jounin commanded and started walking away. Hinata smiled at Shino and Kiba gratefully and greeted them farewell before following Kurenai and walking in tow with her, smiling private at Kiba and Shino's protectiveness and marking it to make it her business to show them how much she appreciated their care and warm acceptance of her.

"Hinata, you cannot allow Neji to treat you like that; not him or anyone else – we've talked about this before," the soft spoken woman chided gently and glanced sideways at Hinata once they were out of earshot.

"K-Kurenai-sensei, Neji-nii-san is rightfully upset at the main family. I must shoulder the burden of his hate…until a time comes when I can make him forgive me…" the young teen said quietly as they walked through the woodlands, towards urban Konoha.

"I do not agree, Hinata. Neji is needlessly projecting his bitterness and grief at you when he should be rightfully turning it towards Kumogakure and their deception." Kurenai insisted and her eyes flickered with cold calculation "You should not have to carry the burden of his anger; it is the clan head's duty to deal with his insubordinate clan members."

"No!" Hinata's exclaim came as a surprise, the sharpness and firmness of her tone uncommon as she gulped and looked determined "I-I am the heiress, my father will not rule Hyuuga forever. I-I must deal with my own problems and I won't let my father use the caged-bird seal on Neji" she insisted heatedly, for a moment burning like a beacon of authority and power before she dimmed and burned out like a dying candle, reduced to palish gray shadow.

Kurenai sighed softly "Hinata," her voice rose softly but Hinata shook her head "I'm very sorry, K-Kurenai-sensei. I know you mean well and I…I don't know how, how to express my gratitude. B-But this is internal clan business and I cannot get you, Kiba and Shino involved."

"Naruto-kun always faces his problems head on, if he can fight the fates and change – then maybe, maybe I can too. No! There is no place for maybe, I WILL become strong, and I won't go back on my word, mother. Besides, I cannot let my family shatter, suffer any longer. I won't let my children, Neji's children suffer like we did…this cycle must end…" Hinata thought with resolve.

The last couple of days were both dreamy and sobering. On one hand she and Naruto talked and met up four times so her silent ambition to approach him had finally been fulfilled and at first she was ecstatic. The thought of Naruto-kun giving her his undivided attention and seemed earnestly excited about getting to know her still sent heat to her cheeks and adrenaline through her veins.

But as time passed Hinata had been forced to accept a harsh reality, Naruto was not nearly as pristine and perfect in his neither resolve nor inner strength as she had been led to believe for all these years.

She could see the way his eyes flickered and shifted with nearly perfectly hidden emotion whenever one of the villages mistreated him or he was belittled. His ability to mask his distress was nearly perfect but few things escaped the Byakugan's reading capabilities and that was not one of them. While this came to a surprise to Hinata it didn't weaken her affections, rather it made her empathy grow towards him and increased her urge to comfort him.

However, the other quite profound factor had been that the more time they spent together the more overwhelmed Hinata had become. Naruto was a maelstrom of endless energy and enthusiasm and while Hinata thought she strived to embrace his courage and no-bullshit attitude she soon realized that observing Naruto from the sidelines was very different than braving the attentions of this new, observant and more astute Naruto.

The blonde had constantly questioned her, trying to engage her into the conversation. While that was flattering on one hand, it was also somewhat intimidating and difficult for someone as reserved as herself; though politeness and etiquette held her tongue from putting the exuberant blonde genin in his place. She imagined she would have to enlighten him on the glaring problems in his manners but now was not the time.

He also tried to joke with her, connect with her on a personal level and Hinata found out their worlds were completely different. Naruto was a down to earth person that enjoyed the small, basic necessities of life and was determined and to act, change, mold things with his own bare hands; constantly shifting and grinding the wheels of fate. It could be summarized as following: Naruto was a confrontational person – an unstoppable force that could not be denied.

Hinata was more of a subtle, listener whom was content by avoiding conflict instead of instigating it. She like most Hyuuga preferred to read the situation from as many angles as possible, analyzing and dissecting it and finding the path of least resistance and maximum benefit. The Hyuuga were not a clan of confrontation and resistance like wind or flame; they were considered to be like water; ever-flowing with the stream of fate while only making brief shifts and turns to adjust life to benefit them and their allies when possible.

The lavender eyed teen had never allowed herself to truly ponder the possibility of a relationship between them; Naruto was an unattainable symbol of strength she drew inspiration from but now that the force of nature turned upon her, she found that Naruto's beauty and quality were cohesive with immense danger and excitement and Hinata was a person that forever strove to seek peace and balance, the opposite of Naruto's own nature and life.

While romantic dreams had filled her dreams of youth she sat down last night, after returning home from yet another dinner date with Naruto and found that her pragmatism could not be denied, she and Naruto clashed violently and that was a reason for concern. She would have to think hard on the subject and see if and how she could bridge these gaps or any hopes for a relationship with him would be delusional at best and insanity at worst.

Kurenai and Hinata stopped when they reached the gates of the Hyuuga compound; the two branch members bowed their heads respectively at their heiress and moved to open the gates. Kurenai smiled at Hinata and squeezed her shoulder gently, "Good luck, Hinata. If you need anything, anything at all – I am always at your service; you know where to find me"

Hinata smiled shakily "Thank you, sensei." She uttered softly and watched with slight despair and fear as the bandage clad Jounin melted into the horizon, signaling that the time of reckoning had arrived. Hinata shut her eyes briefly and then gathered whatever courage she could and slowly walked into the compound. She removed her sandals and stepped on the parquet floor, slowly making her way towards her father's study.

Her heartbeat grew steadily faster and stronger with every footstep until she nearly hyperventilated upon reaching the threshold of his study. "Enter, Hinata." The clan head's cool voice commanded from behind the paper door. Hinata obeyed and slowly enter his chambers; sliding the door shut behind her and bowed respectively.

"Y-You summoned me, father?" she stammered in a trembling tone and Hiashi wordlessly nodded and motioned her to sit down on the tatami mat and the young teen obeyed swiftly.

"I have received reports of you publicly associating in a somewhat intimate social capacity that is liable to be perceived by many as a dating, with one Uzumaki Naruto. Is there any merit to these reports, daughter?" The elder Hyuuga drilled his daughter calmly and speared his daughter with an icily indifferent glare that brought a lump of fear and panic into the young teen's throat, her teeth gritting slightly as she nodded very cautiously.

"I see…" Hiashi murmured to himself and his silvery eyes shut briefly before examining his daughter's body language. Her body was tense and trembling but her lavender eyes were full of fire, full of emotion that brought life to her usual pale and docile disposition, she was truly angry and worried about the situation with Uzumaki, just as Hiashi expected.

"If you are concerned with my view on Uzumaki, you can relax daughter. I hold no ill towards him." He alleviated her concerns and Hinata's heart soared. "However, that doesn't mean I approve of him or find any merit in your choice" The clan intoned seriously and leaned forward, his presence somewhat oppressive as Hinata struggled to keep her gaze steady, no wanting to reflect more fear than she already was as her heart plummeted anew.

Hinata's eyes widened a fraction as she analyzed his words once again in her mind, filtering their meaning and not getting lost in her fear. She was sure the moment he brought the subject up he would verbally thrash her into a sobbing, broken emotional pulp before forbidding her to associate with the pariah but this was a curious development indeed and she found herself calming down a fraction, her knuckles that had been tightly gripping the straw-like mattress loosening a fraction.

"It is time we speak to you eye to eye, father to heir. This conversation has long since been overdue but I feel obliged to finally level your options in front of you" Hiashi declared, his indifferent and icy statement catching the young Hyuuga by complete surprise as she stifled a gasp and paranoia filled her again. She eyed her father and for the first time saw brief flickers of how emotionally tired the man was; the burden of his office and guilt apparent for only the slightest of moments in his colorless eyes before it melted away into the smooth, stone-like quality once more.

"Firstly, I understand the fact that you personally dislike and despise me. However, you must understand that I have been pushing you this hard all these years in hope that the harshness of my words and actions would help strengthen your personality in preparation for your unrelenting position as the future of this clan and as a kunoichi. I have spoken in the past about replacing you with Hanabi and the elders speak similar words, but in truth I see too much of my father in Hanabi." Hiashi revealed nuetrally.

Hinata's eyes widened as it was a known fact that Hiashi and her grandfather didn't see eye to eye, especially on the subjects of the relationships between main and branch families. That statement was equivalent to Hiashi having denounced Hanabi's worth as a human as he had often stated when asked over his father's criticism.

"You are the only one I can trust with the burden of leadership and yet you appear weak willed, impassive and brittle. I believed all was lost until I assigned your second degree cousin Aiko to observe you. Her reports painted a very different picture and I now realize I have made a very grave error years ago. There is too much of the kindness of your mother in your blood and the traditional Hyuuga upbringing does not suit you. I am responsible for your failures and misery and for that I can only hope I one day atone, daughter" the elder Hyuuga admitted and watched the shock and denial in his daughter's eyes, lifting his hand to cut her before she can deny it before he bowed lightly, eliciting a gasp and sniffle from Hinata.

"No, Father! I would ne-never…It's not your fault and I do love you! You've never…It was I-I was too weak" she stammered her denial to the high heavens and as Hiashi rose a small amused smile tickled his lips as he lifted his hand to cut into her words once more. The tears in Hinata's eyes made his visage somewhat blurry but for once he did not chide or insult her for her 'weakness' and patiently waited for her to regain her composure.

"Do not insult me by rejecting my apology, Hinata" Hiashi warned her simply and Hinata gulped and bowed lowly, silencing her tongue; not knowing how to grasp this situation fully but knowing that one must not kick a gift horse in the mouth and silently accepted her father's words. "Unfortunately for us, I no longer have the privilege of allowing you to live your life freely. I had hoped the council would leave you alone for several more years but alas I fear if things are left untouched for so long it will be too late to salvage our clan" Hiashi's grew weary and he bowed his head briefly.

"You have a choice that none other in your position has ever received in the past with Hanabi being untouched by the caged-bird seal," Hiashi exclaimed dramatically and looked at her seriously "If you will it, I will allow you to court the boy and even support you should you wish to marry as I personally find Uzumaki's potential for greatness growing every day." Hiashi offered and Hinata nearly fainted from the surprise, her head spinning, though inwardly she knew there had to be a catch as it was too good to be true.

"However you must consider two things before you ask me of this sacrifice." Hiashi cautioned and Hinata sat up straight, alert and attentive "If you and Uzumaki marry, he will NEVER become Hokage." Hiashi stated with firm conviction, causing his daughter to nearly faint and gasp audibly.

"The council of flame will never annoit a Hokage that is part of one of founding clans besides clan Senju itself. They may accept one of the newer clans, like the Kurama or Yamanaka families due to the fact they were not part of the original pact signed by Senju Harashima and hold not special privileges signed in holy edict." Hiashi explained to his daughter things she already gleaned from what she remembered from her history lessons in her youth and her understanding on the governing body of Konoha.

"Such an action would appear like favoritism and disrupt the fragile balance of power and stability that keeps our village running so smoothly. It is too great of a risk for creating a monarchy lineage like the one that runs Iwagakure or Kumogakure and that goes against the very ideals of the will of fire choosing the next appointed. They will never take that risk; no matter how qualified he may be in the future." Hiashi revealed the ugly truth to his daughter.

"Also, take in mind that if you marry Uzumaki-san, you will have to accept the caged-bird seal and relinquish your position as clan head forever; thus removing yourself from the clan's inner politics and decision-making." Hiashi laid the options before Hinata and the young Hyuuga heiress shut her eyes tightly, the crushing weight of her position landing on her shoulders and the bitter realization that there is no choice to accept except one.

"Oh, Naruto-kun…It seems like my doubts have been embraced by destiny as well. It appears I will never get to explore my options with you, I do hope we can still be friends, dearest Naruto for I will always care for you..." Hinata murmured mentally and reaching the only plausible choice for her, the hard one.

"I will give up on all of my romantic aspirations for Naruto-kun," she chose in the softest, most miserable tone and gulped, bowing her head to the point of touching the tatami mattress. "I could never selfishly steal Naruto-kun's dream, no matter how much I care for him and perhaps love him. I must let him go so he may be truly happy and find his own path in destiny," she admitted and her eyes filled with silent acceptance and sadness.

"F-Furthermore, I cannot abandon the clan; I will never willingly abandon my family. Not when there is so much to do, so many responsibilities and burdens to carry; Hanabi-chan should not carry them in my stead," Hinata explained, her voice trembling with emotion as she truly did not will the fate of all the political problems coming with the seat of power on anyone, especially not her younger sister.

Hiashi shut his eyes briefly and nodded his head in acceptance "I am sorry, daughter. In life there are often instances where fate places an impossible choice before us. Take some comfort in the knowledge you can still associate with him as a friend and one day in the future, support his ascension when you lead the clan…" Hiashi apologized quietly and much to Hinata's surprise smiled at her gently "Hinata, I am very proud of you. You've made the right, if difficult choice and I will not forget it."

"Thank you, father…" Hinata murmured softly and excused herself, pausing briefly in the doorway before she slipped outside of his study and into the hands of her own solitary destiny.

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Jutsu translation:
Kaze no Yaiba - Sword of Wind - Low level Wind element technique that creates a blade of wind that has immense cutting power.
Kage Bushin no Jutsu - Shadow clone technique
Hebijutsu: Naishoubanashi Ranzatsu Koukyokyouku - Snake Arts: Whispering Confusion Symphony - A ninjutsu/Genjutsu that mixes both ocular genjutsu to numb fear, anger and hatred and ninjutsu to cause the body to invoke serotonins to create happiness and joy. This hybrid technique is used for both interrogation and bartering in negotiations though a stronger user may be able to break out of it. The foe to be lulled into a sense of calm, serenity and security thus creating a predisposition of trust towards the user.
Shoushagan no Jutsu - Vanishing Facial Copy Technique - A technique used in canon by Orochimaru and his cohorts to assume the identities of Rain nin. The user removes the face of the person he wishes to impersonate (probably after death) and wears it over his own. Thus only concentrate on emulation of clothing, behavior and voice/speech.