A/N – ... 2

Insert Peggle 2 meme*

Everybody in the club waiting for lore say 'Ayo!'

Also, I wondered how to characterize Minato, given we know so little about him. Then I read in a fic, "[He] was a dangerous man who chose to be good." and that really stuck with me, especially since all we know of him is that he was a genius, soft-spoken, considered kind of feminine (at least by Kushina when they were younger) and killed a 1000 shinobi during a war. So that's what we're going with.

Minato rubbed his temples, trying to stave off a stress headache. It was not working as well as he would have liked it to.

'This is bad. This is so, so bad'

The Hyūga heiress had been abducted from her bed in the dead of night, and her father had killed the man responsible. Said man also happened to be Kumo's Head Ninja. Because of course he did.

Kumo insisted that they had no idea why their Head Ninja decided to abduct the heiress of one of the most influential clans in Konoha (definitely the Byakugan, Minato wasn't born yesterday), but demanded Hiashi's head as compensation for the loss, which they had very cleverly stipulated in their new treaty (Minato must've been exhausted out of his mind to not think that that clause was suspicious).

Minato had managed to placate the Kumo delegation somewhat, enough to send them back to their lodgings while they figured out what to do about this... situation.

"Hiashi," Minato began, trying to keep his temper. Being visibly angry around the Hyūga only led to them taking a 'holier-than-thou' attitude that pissed everyone off. He paused for a moment to put his thoughts into words, and then continued. "I understand, that your daughter was in danger... was capture not enough?"

If Hiashi was any less stuck up, he would have cringed. Hizashi, did, in fact, cringe, very conspicuously not looking at his brother (there was something going on there as well that Minato didn't have the bandwidth to get into at the moment. Not that Hiashi would say anything either. Clan business. Uggh), from where he was standing behind Hiashi. The Hyūga Elder Council, which had decided to park itself in his office despite him not asking for them, seemed entirely unrepentant (Very bad. For them. Minato was not happy).

"He abducted my daughter, Hokage-sama." Hiashi ground out from between his teeth. Minato was sure Hiashi would have struck him if he was sure he could get away with it.

At least he wasn't bringing up Naruto and his hypothetical abduction to make his point. Small mercies.

"And now Kumo is asking for your head." Minato shot back with little patience. "Is that a preferred outcome, Hiashi?"

Hiashi simply glared at him as respectfully as he could manage.

"Hokage-sama," an elder Minato could not be bothered to remember the name of at the moment spoke (Akira? Wait, no, that was his wife). "Perhaps we should focus on how to best counter this position we have found ourselves in."

Fancy way to not face the fact that their clan leader had fucked up. As a father, Minato sympathised and understood (if anything happened to Naruto he would bring Hell down on Earth, as would Kushina). As the Hokage, Minato wanted to strangle everyone, including himself, for this diplomatic nightmare.

Hiashi had the Byakugan. There were dozens of ways he could have incapacitated the kidnapper and he chose death. Idiot. Minato should have given the Head Ninja an escort to keep an eye on him, renegotiating treaty for friendlier relations or not. Moron.

Shikaku, looking miserably awake, chose to enter the conversation with a weary sigh. "At the moment, we are dragging this out by raising the fact that since Kumo's Head Ninja tried to steal a clan heiress, calls for compensation for his death should be rescinded. Kumo will keep arguing that they had no idea he was going to do that till they're blue in the face, but it will give us time to formulate a better response."

Everyone racked their brains as Shikaku lit a cigarette.

"If we refuse?" Another elder asked (Hiroku? Jirobu? Minato was sure he had known this one at least an hour ago).

"Kumo is threatening war."

There was a contemplative silence (which Minato was a little worried about. Nothing good came from clan scheming. He would have preferred a worried silence, instead).

"Very well."

Everyone's heads snapped to Hiashi, who bowed to the Hokage. "I admit that in my haste, I have made a mistake that has endangered the relations between Konoha and Kumo. As such, I will take responsibility."

"Not so fast." Minato said with a tired sigh as the peanut gallery started protesting. "Hiashi, we are not giving you up to Kumo. Other than you having a child at home to return to, you have an unsealed Byakugan that they have orchestrated this entire charade for. We cannot allow that."

"Hokage-sama," Hiashi said, seeming quite calm for a man advocating for his own death. "If it is the only way to prevent a war - "

"Hiashi, I will not allow this." Minato was sure his annoyance was showing. Today had been a very testing day. "Drop it."

"Hokage-sama," Hyūga Hirohito interjected, interrupting Hiashi's next words. "We could hand over Hyuuga Hizashi in lieu of Hiashi-sama. His seal would protect the secrets of the Byakugan and war would be averted."

"Absolutely not!" Hiashi exploded, turning to glare at Hirohito. "I refuse to entertain this lunacy!"

Minato held up a hand to quiet him. "The Will of Fire that burns within us as shinobi of Konoha does not allow giving up our own to enemies at the smallest threat." Not that the threat of war was small by any chance. "If war comes, we will see to it that Kumo regrets this play they have made. Dismissed."

The Hyūga hesitated, but saw that Minato would not entertain them any longer. They bowed, and left.

Shikaku, who was on his second cigarette, rubbed his neck tiredly. "Hokage-sama, how sure are you about this war?"

Minato sat back in his chair, taking a deep breath and looking at the ceiling for a moment. "As sure as you are, Shikaku."

Both sighed, then returned to brainstorming.

_

It had been a few hours, and there was no peaceful solution in sight. The Kumo dignitaries had returned, and made it clear that they wouldn't be leaving without Hiashi, and the prospect of war seemed imminent.

Minato was wondering if he should make the announcement, at least to the Village Council, when he heard a knock on his door.

"Enter." He tapped his fingers on his desk, nodding at Raidō when he entered.

"Hyūga Hizashi here to see you, Hokage-sama."

"Send him in."

Hizashi entered, looking every bit as proud as his brother in the Main family, and bowed. "Hokage-sama. I thank you for seeing me on such short notice."

Minato didn't say that he would have rather thought about the sewers than the impending war he might have to plunge Konoha into. "Think nothing of it. How can I help you, Hizashi?"

"I request that I be sent to Kumo in Hiashi-sama's stead."

Minato could feel his teeth grinding as he tried to stop his expression from turning into a scowl. "Hizashi – "

"Forgive me, Hokage-sama," Hizashi interrupted. "But Hiashi-sama cannot be given over to Kumo. He is the head of our clan, and, as you yourself previously stated, he has a child to look after."

"So do you, Hizashi."

He did seem pained, which Minato could very well understand, but it made his request even more suspicious. "I am aware, Hokage-sama. I believe Hiashi-sama will take care of Neji in my stead. Kindly allow me to do this for our village." Hizashi finished with another bow, waiting for Minato's answer.

Minato did scowl now. He was more than certain that something else was going on here. "Hizashi, at ease." Not that he would be. Minato decided to be direct. "Hizashi, are you being coerced or forced into this decision?"

"Hokage-sama – "

"Hizashi." The tone of voice Minato used reminded Hizashi that one did not become the Hokage merely by being amiable and well-liked. "If you want me to sign off on your suicide mission, you will tell me every reason you have to make this decision. Your Hokage commands it."

Hizashi closed his eyes, as if in great pain. "Hiashi-sama cannot be given to Kumo, Hokage-sama. He doesn't have the seal, which Kumo is counting on. I have the seal, and it will seal my eyes and destroy itself after my death. They will be none the wiser. I do not wish for Konoha to go to war, nor do I wish for my brother to die."

Hizashi paused, and wondered if he should go further. Minato gave no indication of being satisfied with his explanation. He decided to tell everything. He planned on leaving a letter to Neji, but someone else should also know of his motivations.

"Neji is a prodigy, Hokage-sama. He is only 4 and already showing so much promise. He is meant to achieve great things." He spoke with fatherly pride suffusing his voice. "If the fates had been kind, and our family was not the way it is, Neji would be the heir to the Hyūga and take the Hyūga to new heights. Yet it is his fate, to be deprived of this opportunity to put his genius to good use."

Minato softened his features a little in encouragement. He understood very well how Hizashi was feeling. Naruto was the apple of his eye, and the idea of him having to suffer something like the Caged Bird Seal was enraging. Although, what Hizashi said next turned his face back into stony displeasure.

"The Elder Council have assured me that Neji will be taught many of the jutsu only taught to the Main Family, and he will not be deprived of his opportunities by his duty as a Branch member." Hizashi sighed, relaxing in a distinctly un-Hyūga-like way. "And most of all, Hokage-sama, I wish to make a choice for myself. I have been bound to service for my entire life. This is a way for me to break free and choose my own fate."

Hizashi knelt and pressed his forehead to the ground, pleading, "I beg you, Hokage-sama. Allow me this."

Minato pressed his fingers to his temples as he ordered Hizashi to stand. "Hizashi..." He sighed. "What of Neji?"

"I will leave Neji a letter, explaining my reasoning." Hizashi said with a wistful smile. "I can only hope that he will understand and not fall to the hate and despair that I did."

Minato looked at him closely. Hizashi seemed sober and in possession of all his faculties. He was also saddened, just not enough to reconsider.

Minato nodded, heavy-hearted, and dismissed him.

The next day, Hiashi delivered his brother's body to the Village gates, his head covered with a forehead protector. And Hyūga Hizashi left with the Kumo delegation, averting war and guarding the secrets of the Byakugan in his death.

A/N – This might seem OOC, but, again, we don't know how Minato would have done this. Sarutobi allowed this because Konoha was weakened already by the Kyūbi attack, and before that, during the war with Iwa, he was considered weak by people because he called for a reconciliation to end the war.

Minato, for the purposes of this AU, is not a warmonger, and he'll do the best he can to avoid unnecessary conflict, but he won't shy away from the possibility either. My guy didn't become Hokage by being squeamish.

The reasons the Hyūga offered up Hizashi are twofold:

1. The Hyūga realised that one of their own sacrificing himself to stop a war would earn them a huge amount of political capital.

2. More importantly, the incident where Hizashi had to be punished for the Killing Intent he let out while Hiashi was training Hinata has already happened. So, the Hyūga Elder Council is thinking, 'If Hiashi dies, Hinata would be under the guardianship of Hizashi, who has already made it clear that he resents her'. So, (ostensibly) for her own protection, they throw Hizashi to the wolves.

Hiashi realizing how far the Council will go for 'the good of the clan' was one of the reasons Hiashi didn't protest much when Hinata was disowned. As much as he was disappointed in how she was turning out to be, he did love her and knew she would not thrive the way things were going. Man's trying his best. Unfortunately for him and his family, his best is fucking atrocious.

Hope you enjoyed it, and I hope even more that the characterisations made sense.