Hinata's seal is immediately found out.

Chapter 50: The future only happens once (maybe this is it)

Still wrapping her head around the image in the mirror, Hinata missed the raised voices outside her room. She didn't, however, miss the shoji being slammed open.

"Sir, you must sign in at the reception to visit a patient!" Fumiko was saying.

"Woman, do you know who you're speaking to?" came Hayate's outraged response.

The shoji slid shut muffling Fumiko's reaction on the other side.

Before Hinata could think of what to do, Hayate's face appeared in the mirror. With a shuddering gasp, she spun around to face him, hands flying to her temples to try to shield the seal from his sight, but it was too late. He'd already seen it.

"I didn't dare believe it, but it's true!" Hayate yanked Hinata out of the bathroom by her wrists. Across the room Shigeru and Wateru flanked the closed door.

When Hinata failed to answer, Hayate shook her. "What have you done to yourself?!"

"Hayate-san…let go!" Hinata futilely tried to pull away from Hayate.

"I've sent for Hiashi-sama and by my honour I will make sure you stay put until he arrives. We have all clearly underestimated your weakness," Hayate said.

Wincing as Hayate tightened his grip, Hinata looked away from his hateful expression and saw Shigeru and Wataru shift uncomfortably. Catching her gaze, Wataru averted his own to the floor.

Hinata shut her eyes, trying to center herself. Out of habit, she sought out the iron door in her mindscape, but came up empty. It was gone. Instead, Hinata could feel every drop of the tremendous reservoir of chakra in her body.

And there was no longer anything holding it back.

At that frightening realization, Hinata pulled more forcefully, not wanting to risk Hayate meeting the same fate as Genji.

The next few seconds passed too quickly for Hinata to process.

One moment she was trapped in Hayate's hold, the next she was free. Blinking open her eyes, Hinata was met with the sight of a broad back.

"Sasuke-kun…"

"Uchiha Sasuke, you will refrain from attacking my clan members," Hiashi said mildly as he entered the room quietly.

"Only if they keep their hands to themselves," Sasuke retorted, making no move to release Hayate from where he was holding the man by his collar.

Seeing impatience flash across her father's face, Hinata pressed her hand to Sasuke's back. Feeling his spine loosen under her touch, Hinata watched as he threw Hayate into Shigeru and Wataru, who barely managed to catch him.

"H-Hiashi-sama, you're here!" Hayate scrabbled to right himself, subtly straightening his clothes.

Hiashi aimed his unimpressed mien at the Hyuuga elders. "Yes. Upon your insistence."

"It is of grave importance, Hiashi-sama! Although we were all gladdened to hear Hinata-sama was recovered from her capture by a civilian, a disturbing rumour made its way to my ears and so I came to investigate it with haste. Now I have verified it with my own eyes," Hayate announced. "In her weakness, Hinata-sama has allowed herself to be sealed! Who knows what else was done to her during her captivity, what other secrets she unwittingly revealed."

Hiashi's face shuttered. "Sasuke-san, it is time you took your leave. This is a clan matter."

"No."

Hiashi's eye twitched. "That was not a request. Make no mistake, the only reason you were offered the chance to leave instead of being removed is out of courtesy for your help during the Ōtsutsuki ordeal."

Hinata dug her fingers into Sasuke's shirt in warning. A warning he didn't heed.

"Then you admit you owe me a life-debt?" Sasuke said brazenly.

Hiashi raised his brows. "You would use it for this?"

"To stay by Hinata's side," Sasuke confirmed.

A gasp caught in Hinata's throat. She gaped up at Sasuke and, as if feeling her gaze, he glanced down at her briefly, eyes softening.

Hiashi studied Sasuke's face with narrowed eyes, then inclined his head almost imperceptibly. "Very well." He turned to Hinata. "Explain."

Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, Hinata allowed herself to focus on the warmth of Sasuke under her palm for a moment. Then, she released him and stepped forward to face her father head on.

"Hayate-san was mostly incorrect, but he was right about one thing," Hinata declared. Maintaining eye contact with her father, she once more pushed her hair away from where it had fallen back around her face, exposing the indigo patterns on the skin of her temples. "I have been sealed. I did it myself."

"Y-You —?" Hayate spluttered.

"I did what I had to in order to safeguard the byakugan," Hinata continued. "And that's exactly what my seal did. The moment that man tried to touch my eyes, his fate was set. I'm not arrogant enough to believe that it's perfect, but I know my seal is better than the Kago no Tori no Juin. Because protection is not just its primary purpose, protection is its only purpose."

Hiashi's lips were pressed into a flat line as he examined her. "…You realize by doing this, you have removed yourself from the line of succession."

Hinata raised her chin, uncowed. "I don't believe that I have."

"Idiot child, you are marked. How could you still be heir?" Hayate interjected.

"The clan bylaws don't require that the heir should be without a seal. Only that they must be the Sōke closest in bloodline to the original clan head and that they are of sound mind," Hinata stated.

"Because some things are so obvious there is no need to write them!" Hayate hissed. "It is known that the heir should be unmarked."

"Could Hinata-sama still be considered Sōke when she is…like this?" Wataru questioned unsurely.

"Precisely!" Hayate crowed. "And the 'of sound mind' clause is debatable."

"Sōke Hyuuga are defined by their blood purity, the strength of their direct lineage. As for Bunke Hyuuga, the bylaws are very specific: they are those marked with not just any seal, but the Kago no Tori no Juin," Hinata said. She looked each of the Hyuuga elders in the eye before settling her gaze back on her father.

Hiashi's face was an unreadable mask.

"However you try to twist the semantics of the clan bylaws, you have overplayed your hand, Hinata-sama. You are not the only eligible heir. There is a spare more than capable of taking your place, stronger and better suited to the role," Hayate said triumphantly.

Before he had even finished speaking, the shoji door slid open in a sharp movement.

"I refuse!" Hanabi stormed into the room, a mutinous expression on her face. "Abdicate. Step down. Whatever you want to call it." Following closely behind her was Neji and trailing sedately behind him was their grandfather, Hyuuga Hiroto.

"Hanabi," Hiashi said reproachfully.

"You can't refuse!" Hayate cried.

Hanabi only huffed. "Says who? What are you going to do? Force me? Threaten to seal me? No need." For the first time since entering she looked at Hinata, eyes alight with fury. Despite this, she said unflinchingly, "If it's onee-sama's seal, I'll take it willingly."

"Hanabi," Hiashi said again, this time there was an edge of heat to his tone.

Hanabi bravely faced her father. "No, chichiue. All my life I've been told how precious our kekkei genkai is. How indispensable it is to Konoha and how coveted it is by outsiders. How it must be protected at all costs. But as the only person in this room who has actually had their eyes stolen…" Hanabi's voice wavered here, but she kept going, "I have the right to say that we've been doing a shit job of protecting it. And my opinion should hold more weight than a bunch of stuffed shirts past their prime or an ancient book written in a different era."

Seeing the slight trembling of Hanabi's lips, Hinata ached to take her younger sister into her arms. She stopped herself only because she could tell it would be unwelcome.

"I left the village for the first time yesterday. I was so excited to go on my first C-rank mission. But the moment we passed the gates…I was terrified," Hanabi admitted, shame colouring her voice. "Because the only other time I'd been away from Konoha, I almost lost my sight forever. Because these eyes that make me a member of the strongest clan in Konoha…they also make me a target. Knowing I'd have onee-sama's protection anywhere I went…it's the only way I'd feel safe the way I used to…before."

Silence enveloped the room at Hanabi's heartfelt speech.

Feeling the stinging of oncoming tears, Hinata tore her eyes away from Hanabi to stare at her father. Finally some emotion had cracked through his usually icy exterior as he regarded his youngest.

The sound of Hayate clearing his throat was jarring. "Hem. Well. Be that as it may, Hanabi-sama taking the seal would not make Hinata any more eligible. No matter, there are other unsealed Sōke. Certainly of lesser blood purity, but good candidates nonetheless, all things considered."

Hyuuga Hiroto's chest rumbled with a deep sound of disgust. "Hiashi, is this how you pick your council members? Undoubtedly diplomacy was your wife's strength, but I had hoped I raised you to be more discerning than this." He swept critical eyes up and down Hayate's frame. "Running through the halls making such a public production, half the hospital will be gossiping about this. Managing to antagonize all the potential heirs as well as one of the most powerful ninja in the village." Hiroto gave Sasuke a cursory glance. "Tell me, are you really so incapable of reading the room?" he asked Hayate, who turned puce in response. Then, to Hiashi, Hiroto said, "I hope you haven't permitted him to join any peace-making delegations. I shudder to imagine the many ways he might insult our allies."

Hiashi pursed his lips, looking shamefaced yet obstinate in the face of a public dressing down by his father. "What would you have me do?"

Hiroto shook his head, folding his hands behind his back. "We must be the branch that bends with the wind, not the one that breaks. There comes a time when you must put aside your own feelings and adjust to the changing of the times. Look at these children," he said, gesturing to Hinata, Hanabi and Neji. "They are united. You can continue to try pitting them against each other, but to what end? How will you guide them in troubled times if you only sow resentment and hatred? They will not hear you. It is clear you failed to control this situation. Now, if the Hyuuga are to remain prosperous, you are left with little choice."

Eyes narrowing, Hiashi stared at his father for a long moment while Hinata held her breath. Then he turned his body towards Hinata. "Three days from now we will discuss the use of your seal. You will explain the design, answer any questions and, if necessary, make requested modifications. Only once the design is finalized will we begin discussions on how to move forward with actualizing the change."

Hinata swallowed down a gasp of surprise. Analyzing the offer, she quickly countered, "Any modifications need to be reasonable and agreed upon. And Neji-niisan and Hanabi must be present and allowed equal input on the final decision." She felt both Neji and Hanabi's eyes on her, but kept her own locked with her father's.

After some consideration, Hiashi nodded. "We will let you rest," he said decisively, moving to leave. "And you will keep that seal hidden until we are ready to make an announcement to the clan."

"Chichiue," Hinata called out before he was completely out the door. Hiashi stopped, hovering in the doorway. "We will also discuss restructuring the council," she said.

Hayate made an indignant sound, but quickly quieted after sending a wary look to Hiroto.

"One thing at a time, Hinata," was all Hiashi said before leaving.

It wasn't a no. And by the looks on the elders' faces as they scurried after him, they had noticed as well.

Hinata started to relax only to realize her grandfather was still in the room when he addressed her.

"Hinata, this thing that you have set into motion…I hope you are prepared to see it through," he said. Despite the years that had gone by, her grandfather's gaze was as penetrating as ever. Hinata was brought back to her childhood, fingers resisting the temptation to push together by fumbling in the fabric of her pants.

"If you don't know her nindo by now, then you haven't been paying attention." A feeling of warmth encompassed Hinata as Sasuke stepped up behind her.

Fingers untensing, Hinata lay her hands flat along her thighs. Bolstered by Sasuke's faith in her, she told her grandfather, "I don't go back on my word. Because that's my nindo."

Hiroto hummed in concession, though he didn't appear fully convinced. "I had expected my retirement to be uneventful, but you have surprised me, Hinata. We shall see if you continue to be surprising." Overlooking Neji entirely, he patted Hanabi on the shoulder. "Come for tea later and tell me about your mission." As he made his way out of the room, Hiroto said, deliberately loud enough for his words to carry, "Not the Uchiha I had in mind…but it's interesting how things turn out."

Too concerned about Hanabi, Hinata couldn't even begin to dissect that.

"Hanabi…" Hinata reached out, only for the younger girl to jerk away angrily.

"You lied to me!" Hanabi cried. "If ojii-san hadn't come to get me as soon as I got back, would you ever have told me about any of this?"

Brows drawing together, Hinata's lips curled downwards in distress. "Hanabi, I'm sorry."

"Hanabi, perhaps this can wait until Hinata-sama has fully recovered," Neji suggested and Hanabi looked stricken, as if just remembering where they were and the reason why.

"Onee-sama…"

This time when Hinata reached for her, Hanabi let her, making only a half-hearted show of protest before burying herself into Hinata's embrace.

"I'm sorry," Hinata whispered into Hanabi's hair. "I did plan to tell you about this, but…things got out of hand."

Hanabi sniffled discreetly. "At least there's no longer any competition over the most kidnapped one. You're winning by a landslide."

Neji grimaced while Sasuke snorted.

Hinata allowed an amused smile to cross her face. "You know, this time you saved me, Hanabi."

"What do you mean?" Hanabi asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"With the elders," Hinata clarified. "Like grandfather said, if we weren't united, it wouldn't have worked." She caught Neji's eyes over Hanabi's head and saw his expression grow sentimental. "I couldn't have done it alone." The words were directed not only to Hanabi, but to Neji as well.

"I'm still kind of mad at you," Hanabi grumbled, though it was obvious she was appeased by the idea of having saved Hinata. "But even then, I'm always on your side."

Holding her sister tighter, Hinata pressed a kiss onto the top of her head.

After her failure at arguing about the seal with the Hyuuga elders, Hinata decided to just go ahead and seal herself without their approval to force their hand. Fortunately, Hanabi and Neji (and Sasuke!) had her back.

Thanks as always to everyone who continues to read and leave comments

MVH