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But really though, I want everyone to know two things, and keep them in mind, 1) I do a lot of research before I write anything and I try to keep my changes to canon believable yet original. I know a lot of people are confused as to why the Kyuubi is such a powerful influence to Naruto but it will be explained. Keep the faith in me, I promise it will be worth it. 2) This story is gonna have a happy ending.
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Hours passed since the initial attack of the invasion of Konoha. While the fight had been even most of the invasion, with the arrival of the Hokage and the Sannin Jiraiya, the playing field changed dramatically. The allied army was soon routed within hours, having to retreat or risk beyond catastrophic casualties.
Though they had the ability to, the Hokage refused to allow any pursuit. They had successfully defended the village and now needed to focus on saving all they could. Some districts of the village still burned, and there were hundreds of unaccounted for civilians and ninja alike. Not to mention the possibility of stragglers from the allied army stranded inside the village and would attempt escape by any means necessary.
The next day, early in the morning with the sun being covered by gray clouds, Sarutobi still felt as though he had just left the battle. As much as he tried to hide it under his hat and robes, it was plain to see by anyone that the old Hokage was exhausted. Age does not care if you are a lowly bandit or an honorable Kage, it affected all the same. It didn't help any that he had massive, upon massive piles of after-action reports, forms requesting aid, death and wounded counts, estimations of damages to the village and gods only know what else hiding within. It was enough to the point where his aides had brought in sealing scrolls which held the paperwork by category, and it still formed a menacing pile.
Looking down towards the pile, he saw one scroll in particular. It was red, meaning that it had within important information that had to be dealt with first. Unrolling the scroll, it summoned forth a small stack of papers. He was forced to retire early on in the night, having worked himself to the point of almost passing out, his body unable to take anymore. The fighting with Orochimaru and that enemy army had taken far too much out of him.
In large red ink was written over the title of the paper, The disappearance of Sasuke Uchiha and the events surrounding it. Frowning, Sarutobi began to read through the report.
XXXX
The Konoha hospital was in complete chaos. The last skirmish had ended and the hospital was full of wounded and dying. Medical ninja and civilian nurses were going full speed, running and screaming over the pained cries and frantic chatter of the shinobi coming in and out with more and more wounded. There were more patients than rooms, as such many had to be relocated to the hallways on stretchers or even just on the floor on a sheet. As there weren't enough Medics to treat every case as they came in, volunteers helped treat the lightly wounded and the medics tended to the most severe of cases.
Kakashi wove through the moving crowd of doctors and medical staff as he continued on his way towards Sasuke's room, hoping his students wouldn't be too angry with him for taking so long. He had went towards the wall in order to get a better idea of what exactly had been occurring, when he ran into a group of Suna ninja. From there, he had fought non-stop at the very front, helping secure the line and keeping some semblance of territorial lines as he intercepted any ninja that broke past the front line.
Kakashi couldn't help but feel memories of the past begin to prod at his mind, seeing the numerous wounded ninja lying around. It reminded him far too much of the Third Ninja War. As he turned the final corner that would take him to Sasuke's room, Kakashi felt a chill run down his spine and a wave of killing intent flooded the hallway.
"You son of a bitch!"
Kakashi looked over and saw Kiba's mother, Tsume Inuzuka ,charging up to him with her fists balled up, her hound Kuromaru looking just as ferocious as it followed behind her. He held up his hands slightly, trying to diffuse the infamous temper Tsume was known for. "Tsume, what happened? Why are you -" he started, before she got to him and she roughly interrupted him by grabbing fist fulls of his jonin vest and pulled him towards her.
Even though she was smaller than him, she was able to throw him around like it was quite the opposite. "Where the FUCK were you?!"
"Tsume-san, please calm down. I don't understand what you're talking about." Kakashi spoke again, furrowing his brow in confusion. Then it dawned on him, and he quietly asked, "Did something happen to Kiba?"
Tsume growled, flashing her fangs at the Copy-nin. Dragging him harshly by the neck of his vest, she pulled him to the room by Sasuke's. Kakashi visible eye widened as he saw Kiba laying in bed on his stomach, bandages wrapped around his midsection. Akamaru was lying next to his master, with similar bandages.
"What -?! Kiba!" Kakashi spoke, moving towards Kiba. Before he could get too far however Tsume grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back, almost throwing him behind her.
"Goddamn cyclops, don't you go near my son. You're the fucking reason he's like this!"
"Tsume I-"
"No!" Tsume yelled again, raising her fist. Then, a low bark from Kuromaru had her stop her attack. Shaking with rage, she ground her teeth and dropped Kakashi. Though he didn't fully understand what had just happened, Kakashi knew he had Kuromaru to thank for avoiding a beat down. Seeing the situation had calmed somewhat, Kakashi risked asking, "Does anyone know what happened to Kiba?"
Glaring, Tsume crossed her arms in an aggressive stance, "That fucking Uchiha brat, that's what happened."
"What -?! Sasuke? Why would he -"
"Because he's a goddamn traitor! My boy acted as a shield to protect him from the Oto ninja who came to abduct him! He gave himself a gigantic disadvantage by having Akamaru undo his bonds and when Sasuke was free he thanked Kiba by stabbing him in the back and leaving with the enemy!" Tsume's fists were bleeding from deep puncture wounds from her own nails, but if she felt it she made no indication.
Kakashi stared at Tsume, his mind blank as he tried to to understand what he was just told. "How do you know this? Why would Sasuke just defect like that, it makes absolutely no sense."
"My son was almost killed, and you worry about WHY Sasuke defected?!"
Kakashi raised his arms, ready to defend himself when a weak voice called out from inside the room, "Mom, cut Kakashi-sensei some slack will ya?"
"Kiba!" Both replied, with Tsume running into the room. Kiba tried to roll over onto his side, but hissed in pain as his body told him with no room for argument, no. Kuromaru walked up to the side of the bed, giving Kiba a lick on the side of his face, causing the boy to chuckle and reach out to pet him.
Then, with a slow motion, Kiba reached down and gently rubbed Akamaru's head, the small puppy not responding to the touch, still deep asleep.
"Did any of the doctors say if Akamaru was going to be okay?" Kiba asked quietly, his face clearly spelling out how devastated he was at his partner's injury. The puppy had been his best friend since he was young, and the two were inseparable.
Tsume nodded, "Yes, his injury was light and he only suffered a small concussion. He'll be just fine, he only needs rest." Reaching out, she pet Akamaru too. "I'm going to have to thank Akamaru properly when he wakes up. He's a fine ninja dog."
Kiba smiled, giving Akamaru a final, gentle pet before looking towards Kakashi, who was staring down at him with an indescribable look. "Kakashi-sensei, about Sasuke. He said he was leaving because he wanted more power, or something. He was going on about if he stayed here he would never attain real power."
Kakashi's visible eye closed, as he knew right away what he would have meant by that. "That idiot. . ." Kakashi muttered, feeling completely lost about how stupid his student was. He had no idea what Orochimaru had planned for him, but it wasn't going to be good. But Sasuke had gone too far and committed an unforgivable act. When they had first completed their bell exercise, Kakashi spoke the words that he had lived by since Obito's death. Those who break the rules are trash, but those who forsake their friends are even worse.
Sasuke had done both.
"Kiba, Tsume-san." Kakashi started as he looked towards them, "I failed as a sensei, and for that, there is no apology available to use to gain your forgiveness. But I swear, I will bring him back to answer for what he's done."
Kiba frowned, he didn't know what to feel exactly from all this. While he had tried to get closer to Sasuke as they were teammates, the boy had always given him the cold shoulder and acted like no one else mattered. And after all that, all the work he did to try and be friends with him, he litterally stabbed him in the back. Looking down towards Akamaru, he started to feel rage build in his chest, as he thought about how he almost killed his best friend. Fuck Sasuke. If I ever get my claws on him . . .
Tsume looked towards Kakashi, unconvinced of his words. "Actions speak louder than words Kakashi. But know that the Inuzuka clan is swearing a blood oath against him. We will find him and I will tear out his throat myself. No one can hide from an Inuzuka. No one."
Kakashi walked closer to Kiba's bed and knelt down, trying to ignore Tsume's glare. "Kiba, I know it has to hurt beyond understanding that someone you called friend betrayed you. But I want you to know you were beyond brave and proved to be a true warrior who risked his life to save another. I couldn't be more proud to call you my student."
Kiba blushed as he scratched on his cheek, "Aw c'mon Sensei, you can't just go saying stuff like that, gonna make a guy feel weird." True, it was a bit embarrassing to hear, but he loved it all the same.
Kakashi smiled under his mask and stood back up, "Get plenty of rest, I'm going to go find Sakura and let her know."
Kiba nodded, wondering just how the girl was going to take it. He couldn't help but wonder if she would come check in on him?
XXXX
Sarutobi reached the end of the report with a grimace, knowing that the mother of all shitstorms would be brewing from this and soon. After the last page detailing what had happened, there was a thick stack of requests stapled to the report, all search and destroy requests from the Inuzuka clan, all of them wanting to find and kill Sasuke Uchiha.
With a heavy sigh, Sarutobi set the report aside, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Deciding he needed a smoke, he grabbed his pipe and lit it, letting the rush of nicotine calm his nerves somewhat. Itachi. . . I don't think I'll be able to keep my promise. After Itachi had sacrificed everything to save Konoha, all he had asked for in return was the life of his little brother. Something that Sasuke had made it impossible to uphold.
Letting loose a long drag on his pipe, Sarutobi sat back and thought about what should be done next, and it would not be a choice made easily. Sasuke. . . Sarutobi thought, Where are you? Don't you understand what it is you've done?
XXXX
The previous day, before the invasion had been repelled. . .
Deep within Konoha forest, far from the front lines, Orochimaru dropped from his flight through the trees into a smaller clearing. The sounds of battle had faded, and all that remained was a quiet forest. A breeze gently wove through the trees, rustling numerous leaves and brought with it a smell of smoke and fire. The animals were quiet, as all had gone into hiding from the thunderous sounds of combat that had been going all day.
Orochimaru smiled, as he felt the presence of whom he stopped to meet. "Punctual as ever." Orochimaru spoke.
From somewhere within the sea of trees, a voice replied to him, "I see you have failed in your part of the mission."
Orochimaru scoffed, as he tilted his head towards where the voice had come from. "Perhaps if you had informed me of Jiraiya's presence here, things would have gone differently. And what of you? I heard that your ninja were able to successfully kill the Hyuuga Clan head."
"Did you now." the voice replied, not giving any indication if he confirmed or denied the question.
"But what troubles me, is that my little Sasuke-kun has gone missing. The ninja that had been sent to retrieve him never came back. You wouldn't know about that, now would you Danzo?"
The only answer he received was another breeze blowing through the trees.
"We had a deal, Danzo. You will uphold your end of it."
"And I shall, but not yet. I have uses for the boy."
Orochimaru growled, looking into the trees. "Damn you Danzo. You already have your own plaything, you would do well to not steal other's toys."
A small snort was heard, followed by, "The Kyuubi child has become unpredictable and hard to influence. I am going to need a new weapon to cultivate in case he fails me. You will have Sasuke, but not until I get what I need from him."
Orochimaru grit his teeth, knowing he didn't have enough time to continue the argument or try and steal Sasuke from where ever Danzo could of hid him. "This isn't over Danzo, I will have what is mine!" he spoke before jumping away, continuing to flee before any pursuers could find him.
Within the dark forest of trees, a small laugh could be heard.
XXXX
Sarutobi felt the smoke wither and die within his pipe, and knew he was out of time to think of what to do. With a heavy heart and sigh he sat forward. "Hawk." he spoke.
Appearing within a blink of an eye, an ANBU wearing a painted and shaped to resemble a hawk materialized from shadow beside the Hokage. "Hokage-sama."
"Find Tsume Inuzuka. Tell her that her requests are approved. If Sasuke refuses to return to the village for a proper sentencing, execute him. Have her report to me tomorrow at 0900 for proper briefing and for her to assemble a team of no less than ten ninja, she is free to choose whom she will."
With a quick 'ha' of understanding, Hawk disappeared.
Sarutobi closed his eyes, feeling his age catch up to him more than it had in a long time. I am sorry Itachi. But he has betrayed Konoha and has disregarded our safety by throwing himself to people who could use his sharingan for terrible deeds. It must be stopped.
Knowing he still had work to do, he pushed his regret from his mind and reached for the next report. Reading the title, Sarutobi let out a silent gasp, not knowing that they had lost someone of such importance to the village. Placing his pipe down, he flipped open the first page.
The Death of Hiashi Hyuuga.
XXXX
The Hyuuga Compound was silent. All sounds that would normally occupy the grounds were absent. The dojo was empty of ninja training. The guards were on edge and all were quiet. None of the servants spoke, the usual happy chatter and gossip vacant. Rain fell outside in a light sprinkle, seeming to set the mood even further on the day after the invasion.
Within the compound, was a room seldom used except for times of meetings and the such. Today, the room was full of the most prominent members of the Hyuuga Clan. Each of them had served the Hyuuga Clan with distinction in some area or another, or by birth had been within the upper echelons of the Clan. All were from the Main Family, except for two, one being the current representative of the Branch Family and the other Neji Hyuuga. Normally, they would be gathered to help advise and give council to the Hyuuga Head, with the exception of any Branch members in attendance, they were there only to bear witness to the Main Families will. Today however, they gathered due to Hiashi's death.
At the head of the room, sat Youta Hyuuga, Hiashi's father and previous Clan Head who passed control of the clan to his son years ago. Now old and graying, his appearance was of a frail old man, but the manner in which he carried himself spoke of an elegance and demand for respect only a Hyuuga Clan Head could have. To his left, sat Hinata and Hanabi, taking their place as family to the Clan Head.
Far in the back sat Neji and the Branch representative, with numerous other Main Family members seated in two rows to the left and right of Youta, seated in order of importance and postion within the Main Family. All in all they numbered thirteen, an ill omen.
The room was silent, none having spoken yet since they first all arrived minutes prior. All kept their eyes to the tatami mat below, as a sort of reverence for their fallen leader. Then, after another minute passed, one of the Main Family members, Keji Hyuuga, spoke. "It is a terrible tragedy, what has occurred. Hiashi-sama's death is a shock to us all and the Hyuuga Clan as a whole. Even nature mourns his passing with the rain that is falling." He gave a pause before continuing. "However, as prominent members of the Hyuuga Clan, we have a duty to preform in such times."
"The choosing of the next heir." Another, Haru Hyuuga, spoke, continuing the other's sentence.
Hanabi looked around silently, keeping her gaze from making eye contact from anyone, knowing that soon she and her sister would be the center of attention. It was something she did not want. All last night she had cried, having lost her father. She never knew her mother and now this, it was too much for her to bear. Feeling remnants of last night's tears come to her, she blinked her eyes in an attempt to stave them off. Glancing over, she looked towards her sister, wondering if she was in the same state. However, she could tell right away that Hinata's mind was anywhere but here.
Hinata was sitting in silence, staring still at the same spot she had been since she first came into the room. For the most part, she had accepted her father's death, having been there at the time of his passing. Though it still weighed heavily on her heart, what had happened yesterday with Naruto was of equal concern to her. So many questions she had, and yet she hadn't been able to talk to him about it yet.
After The Kyuubi had lost control of Naruto, he had passed out. After making sure she could retain some semblance of her modesty, she picked him up and carried him back into the village and was met by Sarutobi, who had gone looking for the boy after dispatching the wave of enemy ninja that had attacked the stadium. The Hokage had asked no questions, seeming as if he understood fully what had occurred. With no more than a simple explanation, he had escorted her and Naruto to the hospital, where he had been able to get both of them treated.
It hadn't been long after that when a group of bodyguards from the Main Family found her waiting inside Naruto's room, watching over the boy sleep and forced her to come back home where it was safer. There she had remained since, her mind still spinning with questions. She wanted to see him badly, to talk with him again, but so far she hadn't been able to leave. Hinata was then knocked out of her reverie by a raised voice, or what could be counted as one by Hyuuga standards, from across her.
"And why must it be that either of Hiashi's children take over as Clan head? Both are far too young, we should allow someone else older and more suited to the position." spoke a younger Hyuuga by the name of Jun Hyuuga.
"How dare you! You would use this time to attempt to gain the prestige of Clan Head? Shame on you!" Haru Hyuuga replied, glaring at Jun.
Jun's posture became tighter, as if to try and go beyond the refinement that the Hyuuga's carefully practiced seated position gave off, as if to defend himself from the accusation. "I do no such thing, but do we truly leave the clan in the hands of a young girl?!"
"That is enough! Both of you!" Youta spoke, seeing the two start to lock glares in a standoff that wouldn't end well. The two younger Hyuuga both turned their heads towards Youta, the voice of their elder quieting them. Youta looked down the row of clan members, his gaze reminding them that before Hiashi, he had been clan head, and he still would be treated with the respect due to a clan head. Jun and Haru both seemed to be ashamed of their actions, if only to quell the wrath of the previous Clan Head.
The room quieted down once more, allowing the sounds of rain falling upon the roof to gently echo within, a rolling sound of thunder booming far in the distance. Youta took a deep breath, folding his arms into the sleeves of his black kimono.
"There will be no infighting over the position of Clan Head while I and my direct blood are still alive." Youta began, the subtle tone in his voice making it clear that he would not forgive even the smallest of treacherous acts. "In times of need such as this, the Hyuuga must always remain strong and we must act as one. It is what has, and will always set us apart from the lesser clans." All the elders within the room nodded, silently agreeing with the words of wisdom their past clan head imparted upon them. "With that said, there is still a problem. My late son had previously chosen Hanabi to become clan head, after seeing that his first-born, Hinata, had been too weak and unfit for the position: a wise choice indeed. However, in light of recent events from the Chunin Exam and the failed invasion attempt two things have become clear."
All eyes and ears were upon Youta, as he gave a moment to articulate his next words. "First, Hinata proved herself a stronger fighter than previously shown, by defeating Sasuke Uchiha in combat. This was not only a victory but also proved our clan is superior to even the Uchiha."
Hinata looked towards her grandfather with some shock, not having expected such high praise from him. If her father had been cold to her, her grandfather had all but ignored her very existence, instead only ever speaking or even acknowledging Hanabi in any social manner. He would only ever speak or acknowledge her if the situation called for such, in terms of politeness at gatherings.
"However." Youta continued, closing his eyes. "Though she did in fact display a skilled aptitude for combat, it is obvious she does not take our clan's tradition and heritage seriously, nor with the respect due to it."
Hinata looked over to her grandfather, shock written on her face, she opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off. "Not only did she divert from the purity of the Jyuken style when fighting the Uchiha, she openly consorted with the Uzumaki child who is of the lower class and of ill-repute within Konoha. This behavior can be corrected however, and as such she need not be cast from your minds yet."
Hinata clenched her fist, pushing it into her knee from her kneeling position. She was having to try her best not to explode in anger at how her grandfather talked down to her in such a manner, treating all her achievements in the exam as if they were nothing due to not purely using the Jyuken. Not to mention that he had insulted Naruto, something that struck a raw nerve in her, especially after learning of the hardship he had been enduring his entire life due to something that was out of his control.
"Though Hanabi has yet to prove herself in true combat, she has proven more than capable of keeping within our clan's strictest training and her byakugan is strong. Her adherence to our rules and traditions thus far have been admirable. She may be young, but properly groomed she would make a fine clan head."
Hanabi fidgeted in her seat, feeling awkward at her grandfather's praise. Though she worked hard and enjoyed the kind words due to her, she could feel her older sister's anger, even if it wasn't directed towards her.
"The second, is that our clan shall never be safe from outsiders seeking our strength and dojutsu, thus placing a renewed importance upon our security. We must make further distinctions upon whom the Caged Bird Seal is placed upon."
Neji snapped his head down the line, having kept himself in a respectful manner as mandated by the Main Family, when a Branch member was in their presence. He could not ignore his grandfather's words however, as the implications could not bring about anything good. He opened his mouth to speak, but the Branch Family representative shot him a glare that told him to stifle his complaint. Neji ground his teeth, returning the look with ferocity.
"What do you mean Youta-sama?" Another Hyuuga member asked, his tone wary.
Looking towards the younger Hyuuga, Youta replied, "We have used the Caged Bird Seal in the past to protect our lineage. The Branch Family was created not only to serve and protect the Main Family, but to keep the byakugan secure by ensuring the weaker of our clan's eyes to be sealed upon death. However, we have only made the distinction between weak and strong by birth alone. That must change."
"Are you suggesting -"
"What I am saying," Youta interrupted, snapping his gaze towards another Hyuuga that began to speak, "Is that we must cull the weak from the Main Family. Hiashi had been far too lenient and has allowed all children of the Main Family to go unbranded. We must return to how it was when I was clan head. Only the first born shall be allowed to join the Main Family, but they must prove they are worthy still."
Hanabi looked towards her grandfather, horrified at the idea of what he was suggesting, if this were to pass, she would be branded and thus forced into the Branch Family.
"You can't be serious!" Neji roared, standing up, causing those around him to gasp silently.
Youta glared down the row of Hyuuga, demanding to see whom would speak to him in such a manner. Seeing it was his own grandson, one that he did not recognize as such due to his low birth and place, he frowned. "You will be silent Neji. You forget your place!"
Neji could take no more, stepping forward into the middle of the two rows of Hyuuga he clenched his fists. "The place you speak of is one of your choosing, honorable grandfather." Neji replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he spoke the title of his grandfather with ire, "The Caged Bird Seal is nothing more than a mistake brought on by our paranoia and deluded sense of exclusivity! We are all Hyuuga!"
"Enough!" Youta roared, as he formed the hand seal required to activate the Hyuuga families Juinjutsu.
Neji roared out in pain as his entire skull exploded in pain, the Caged Bird Seal faintly glowing behind his forehead protector. It felt as though someone had stuck a handful of caltrops within his skull and they bounced around, tearing and thrashing inside. Falling to his knees, he held his head and continued to scream as the unbearable agony assaulted him.
"Nii-san!" Hinata cried out, running to his side and kneeling next to him. "Grandfather, please stop! You'll kill him at this rate!"
Youta held the seal for a moment more before releasing it with a scoff. Neji's screams subsided, and he slumped over unconscious and fell into Hinata. She quickly checked his pulse, he was alive but just so. Looking at his face, she gasped, having never seen the after effects of the seal's activation. Small rivulets of saliva ran from both corners of Neji's mouth, and tears coated his face. Hinata turned and glared at her grandfather, who returned it with equal ferocity.
"You will turn those seething eyes away from me now granddaughter. Do not think that because we are directly related I shall show you any mercy for acting disrespectful, I am not the weak man your father was."
The Branch Representative quietly came to Hinata's side and took Neji from her, as she stared at her grandfather incredulously. The rest of the clan remained silent, not daring to speak out against the actions of the elder Hyuuga. Hinata however, would not remain silent. "My father was not weak. Don't you dare say that again." she violently whispered, as she thought of the brave man who sacrificed his life to protect her.
"He was a strong fighter and followed the traditions of the Hyuuga, that is to be commended. But he was far too lenient with you and your sister. Hanabi should have been branded when she had become old enough and if he had been far stricter with you like I had been to him you would not have turned out to be this way!"
Hinata stared at her grandfather as if he had become an entirely different person. She never had much interaction with him before, as he stayed in solitude and was known to be a man of less than agreeable disposition.
Youta's nostrils flared, as he let out a harsh breath, as if to try and calm himself. With another deep breath, he seemed to regain his composure, seeing that Hinata had fallen silent. "As of today by our tradition I am the regent Clan Head, due to being the previous Clan Head, until a decision is reached and the new Clan Head inaugurated." Youta spoke, his voice firm and unwavering.
Looking towards Hinata he continued, "Though your arrogance is great, it can still be tamed. By tradition you are the heir to the Main Family, and as second born Hanabi shall be branded and placed within the Branch Family."
Hanabi was paralyzed with fear, staring at her grandfather. She had never even considered the possibility of being branded. Now being faced with the real possibility of it, her world came crashing down.
"You. . ." Hinata started, staring Youta in the eyes. His soulless, steely gaze told her that anything further said by her would be foolish. But seeing the look of sheer terror on her sister's face, and the thought of her baby sister being branded was too much. With a deep breath, trying to calm herself, she stood and squared her shoulders. "I will not be subjugated by your depraved will, grandfather and I will never accept your decision!" Looking back behind her, she prayed to receive some form of support, even one other Main Family member who would join her in opposing her grandfather.
All eyes however, were downcast and their heads turned. It was a sign of being disregarded by her clan
Hinata's fist shook, as she could not believe the cowardice her clan displayed in the face of the all consuming tradition that they bowed and scraped to. Looking back towards her grandfather, she spoke.
"I refuse to allow this. I will not let you harm my little sister! Hanabi shall become clan head and I will take her place!"
The gathered Hyuuga members all gasped incredulously, staring at the Hyuuga Princess. Never had one of their own volunteered for such a thing. "Hinata-sama that-!" One began, holding his hand out.
"Silence!" Youta spoke, cutting off the Hyuuga member. Youta's glare was enough to cause the other to shrink away and turn his head back down. Youta looked back towards Hinata, who stared at her grandfather, her stance firm and tall. "You would willingly give up your claim by birth to ensure your sister will not be branded?"
Hinata nodded.
"Very well. In two weeks time you shall be branded and your sister officially named clan head, to be officially given the title when she turns sixteen. You shall serve her until either her or your own dying day."
The Hyuuga members present started with mouths agape at Hinata, who still stood strong and defiant against her grandfather's will.
"Nee-chan . . ." Hanabi whispered, pricks of tears forming at the corners of her eyes as she tried to fully process that her sister had just saved her from a fate most Hyuuga considered worse than death.
Looking down towards the rest of the gathered clan members, Youta spoke once more. "Do not think the rest of you shall be spared from this. From now on only the first born shall be allowed to remain within the Main Family! This is the only way we can preserve our clan integrity. I have spoken."
If any of the gathered Hyuuga had their complaints or grievances, none brought them to light.
XXXX
Sarutobi slowly sipped at the cup of tea his aide had brought him after he had finished a light lunch. He stood now at his window, staring over at the village and looking towards the Hyuuga compound. With the death of Hiashi, he knew that the clan would fall silent and none would see much of the elite clan until a decision was reached concerning internal affairs.
He could only wonder what was happening within the walls of the Hyuuga compound. It was an unofficial policy to allow clans the ability to settle disputes and their own matters so long as it didn't threaten the village as a whole. The last time Sarutobi had to influence clan matters the Uchiha had all been all but eradicated.
Sarutobi frowned, his tea now seeming to taste bitter. Setting it down, he looked towards the last stack of papers, and even having been within a sealed scroll, this one was covered in explosive tags, set to detonate if anyone tried to remove them with out first deactivating them in a special manner. He knew right away this report would concern Naruto. Slowly, Sarutobi began removing the tags in a certain manner, as it was a rather intricate and complex puzzle to remove them. Any document that contained an S-Class secret was handled as such.
Finally removing the last one, Sarutobi sat down and began to flip through the pages. For the most part, the report only contained an after action report. It was reported from eyewitness accounts and a thorough search, that Naruto had been escorting a group of fleeing villagers from one of the kill squads the allied army had sent into the village. At some point in the extraction attempt, Naruto broke away from the group to face the enemy head on, something that gave the old Hokage a brief smile. What followed next, was proof that the boy had not been slacking in the least in his training and was growing powerful in his own right. Counting the bodies that were marked by vicious blows from his zanbato, his kill count was estimated around thirty-two ninja in total, all of genin rank, roughly three full kill squads from the intel gathered during the invasion.
From there, Naruto encountered an enemy that seemed to be of 'unnatural' status, which would mean the transformed Ichibi Jinchuriki. After a long fight through the city, the Ichibi used a form of sand manipulation to create the flying platform and surface to draw his attack from that almost every ninja had seen inside the village. After displaying an impressive aerobatics skill to reach his enemy, they fell into one of the nearby training grounds where the fight was presumably finished by Naruto somehow crystallizing his enemy and shattering him.
Sarutobi paused, searching the vast information he had retained over the years for the possible reason for that. The only conclusion he could draw was that the sand armor that Gaara had shown during the preliminaries must have been something the Ichibi had bestowed upon him and Naruto had to neutralize it before he could finish off his opponent. However, any fire jutsu he could conjure would not burn hot enough to do that to sand. Only a skilled Jonin with powerful chakra could possibly pull that off. Meaning that he would of more than likely had to of draw upon the Kyuubi's chakra to make up for his own lack of power.
Frowning, Sarutobi thought of the state he had found Hinata in when she came emerging from the forest with Naruto unconscious on her back. He would like to imagine it had been the result of a battle, but something told him that hadn't been the case. It would be a more likely scenario that he had become influenced by the Kyuubi after drawing upon so much of it's power and having so much of the evil essence coursing through him, and may have committed something foul.
Sarutobi sighed, praying that Jiraiya would return soon with good news. He had asked his student to check the Hakke Fuin seal that kept The Kyuubi sealed within Naruto. If what Naruto had said was true when he came back from his ill-fated mission, then The Kyuubi managed to warp the seal somehow when Naruto had reached death's doorstep.
As if on cue, there was a light knock on the door. "Come in." Sarutobi replied to the courteous knock.
The door opened, revealing a rain-spotted Jiraiya, his face already telling the Hokage what the results of his examination were. "How is Naruto? Has he woken up yet?"
Jiraiya's face was hard and serious as he closed the door, ensuring the seal on the door activated correctly, enveloping the room in a light invisible chakra to block any sound from escaping. "No, not yet."
"And Naruto's seal?"
"It's not good. Minato's seal was definitely tampered with and altered. I don't know how the fox managed it, but the seal is now only functioning in a strictly holding seal."
Sarutobi frowned, "Explain that in more detail."
Jiraiya nodded, walking over towards the window, staring down at the village. His back was turned towards the Hokage, but his reflection was visible. "There are different sealing techniques used to seal away a Bijuu within a host. Minato created the Hakke no Fuin Shiki by essentially combining two Shisho Fuin. He designed the seal to be slightly open on two ends, allowing for Naruto to be able to call upon the chakra in times of need. While still dangerous, it would of helped him in tight situations. However, the Kyuubi altered the seal."
Turning around, leaning against the cold glass with his arms crossed, Jiraiya looked towards Sarutobi. "From what you told me, Naruto almost died during his mission in Wave. How exactly he survived the wound is beyond me, but what is clear is that Minato's seal reacted as it should have, but there was another variable within him."
"A variable?" Sarutobi asked, leaning forward.
Jiraiya nodded. "Even if Naruto came that close to death, and he was able to survive the wound, the best that could of happened was an overload of The Kyuubi's chakra thus allowing for it's natural regeneration to heal him. But something more than that happened, but I have no clear idea what could of allowed for it. The only theory I can speculate is that the seal had been tampered with before hand."
Sarutobi narrowed his eyes, staring at his student. "Are you saying his seal had been altered before he had almost died?"
Jiraiya nodded. "Who, why and how, I have no idea. But it's clear the tampering they caused allowed the Kyuubi enough free reign to further alter the seal. The only thing I can imagine is that due to the Kyuubi being kept by the Uzumaki clan as long as it had, must have picked up some Fuinjutsu knowledge over the years, and then when it possessed Naruto, it manually tampered with the seal."
Sarutobi lowered his head, hiding his face under his hat as he thought and ingested all the information he had received thus far. "So if what you say is correct, then someone disrupted the seal, and when Naruto almost died the Kyuubi took advantage of his weakened state and the tampered seal to further warp it and allow for Naruto to be in the state he is in now?"
Jiraiya nodded.
"Then how can we fix it?"
Jiraiya frowned, as he looked down towards the floor. "I can't. Not permanently."
"What?" Sarutobi replied, looking at his student.
Jiraiya mumbled to himself before looking back up towards his once sensei. "The way the Kyuubi tampered with the seal made it to where instead of segregating it's chakra, and only allowing a one way flow to give Naruto it's chakra, the flow works both ways and the Kyuubi's chakra has begun to merge with Naruto's own. It's easy to imagine that within a span of a few years the process will be fully completed and the Kyuubi will be fully merged within Naruto, and I have no idea on what will occur when that does happen."
"And you can't seal it back off or stifle the Kyuubi's chakra?"
"No. The current knowledge I posses of Fuinjutsu doesn't account for actual chakra merger. And I can make a type of seal that could, in theory, suppress the Kyuubi's chakra, it would also effect Naruto's chakra due to it being now tainted by the Kyuubi."
Sarutobi let out a frustrated sigh, leaning back into his chair. "Is there truly nothing we can do for the boy?" Sarutobi felt his heart ache, as he began to remember the promise he made to Kushina on her dying breath to ensure her son would be kept safe. Was he so powerless he could not keep even a single promise?! For all the power he had as a Kage, he was unable to fulfill his oath to Itachi and now it seemed as if the same would occur with Naruto.
"There may be hope yet." Jiraiya spoke, pushing off the wall. "Though it's a long shot, it may be our best bet."
Sarutobi looked up at him expectantly.
XXXX
Deep underneath Konoha, hidden behind a literal maze of tunnels and pathways rigged with traps and genjutsu to deter or kill anyone who did not know the correct route and way to traverse them, lie the headquarters of the Root.
Root, an organization that was officially disbanded long ago. However, the leader of the Root, Danzo Shimura had ignored the directive handed down by the Hokage and had been leading the corp of forbidden black ops ANBU. All of them were fiercely loyal to Danzo and Danzo alone. They all lived by the creed that they were the roots that lie in the secrecy of the dark to support the great tree that was Konoha. They served only the interests of Konoha and would undertake any method given to them by their leader to ensure Konoha's continued survival.
Within one of the rooms of the many that made up Root's headquarters lie a room that could be best described as a laboratory. The darkened room's illumination came only from a large tank in the middle of the room, filled with a luminescent green fluid. Inside the tank, floated Sasuke Uchiha, unconscious and connected to numerous tubes that gave his body the nutrients it would need to survive. A single seal was placed upon his forehead, to ensure he would remain unconscious.
In front of the tank stood a researcher dressed in a black cloak and wore a plain black ANBU mask, whom went by the nickname Kuroi. She stood in front of the tank, a clipboard held in her hands as she wrote down her observations of the unconscious Uchiha.
"How is he?"
Kuroi turned and knelt, greeting her leader, Danzo, who walked into the room behind her.
"His condition is stable and the seal is still strong. We shouldn't have to worry about him waking up anytime soon."
"Good." Danzo replied, walking closer to the tank. He looked up at the naked Uchiha, his face illuminated by the tank to take on an eerie hue. "You, Sasuke Uchiha, shall be the final instrument I require to fulfill my dreams and ensure the continued longevity of Konoha and see it to it's rightful spot as the strongest ninja village within the elemental lands." Turning back towards Kuroi, he spoke "Ensure that he remains stable and unconscious until he is too weak to break out himself. We will need him alive for quite sometime."
"Yes, Danzo-sama."
Danzo smiled, as he turned to walk out of the room. Finally, after so many years of careful planning, or ensuring that everything would be as it should, the stage was almost set for his rise to power. Only a few more things remained to be accomplished and then nothing would stand in his way.
XXXX
I said it before but it's rather interesting how little information has been created for the clans of Konoha. According to the numerous wiki's ive scouted out there isn't much about the Hyuuga clan's politcal system. Even Hiashi's father, the previous clan head wasn't given a name, so I have him the name Youta, in keeping with the pattern of naming that line of family after the sun. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter so far, the next one is coming out soon.
The wheel of fate is turning folks and there is more happening in the shadows than you may yet realize.
Till next time,
Shinobi no Ryu