Enter." Came a tried voice after his knock was heard. Some startled snorting was heard as he opened the door, finding Chōza, Shikaku and Denbe trying to blink the sleep from their eyes. Most of the others looked to be half asleep, leaving only a few to seem to be actually somewhat attentive.
Putting on his biggest smile Naruto addressed the, less than alert, members of the council. "Greetings everyone, and how are we all on this wonderful morning?"
"Brat...how in the hell can you be so hyper at two in the morning?" Tsunade grumbled with a yawn.
"Well when one has to sprint to across the village in less than five minutes, one tends to get their blood flowing." He grinned back at her.
"F-five minutes? We sent those messengers out over half an hour ago. What the hell were you doing the rest of the time?"
"I suppose I just didn't hear them when they first made their presence known." He rolled his eyes, expecting the glares from those that hated him. Obviously they were counting on him being late so they could blow the whole thing off.
"Anyways, you're here now so what was so damned important that I had to send someone to the hospital for waking me up so early?" The slug princess grumbled.
"I believe that would be the hearing for the supposed actions someone of my clan has attempted to take against another ninja, Tsunade-sama." Hiashi just oozed pleasantry as he tried to make himself look innocent of anything. "Hyūga Shoyo was detained four days ago for accused treasonous actions. Actions of which he supposedly has proof of. I have called this meeting to see said proof and to get my clansman out of prison as well as seek damages for these accusations."
Tsunade looked between the Hyūga head and the target of his harsh glare a few times before settling on Naruto. "Well...?"
"Would you like the evidence or the description of the events first?"
"We will see this so called evidence first, that way if you cannot prove what you have to say we won't have wasted time listening to your useless drivel." Denbe growled out. Obviously he was not too happy after having his beauty sleep interrupted.
"Understand that, should you not be able to produce adequate evidence, there will be repercussions for making us all come here for no reason."
"I understand, Utatane-san, so long as Hyūga-san understands that he will be under the same stipulations."
Naruto ignored the backlash of his disrespect as he fished out the scroll that Shoyo had been hiding in the missions hall."This is my main piece of evidence. This scroll is a signed mission from someone in the Hyūga clan for the person who accepts to incapacitate them and bring them to a previously discussed location in order to apply the Hyūga Sōke no Juinjutsu to a non-Hyūga ninja of this village. In this case, Hinata."
"Hinata? As in Hyūga Hinata, the clan heir? While it's a bit distasteful for him to do such a thing as a father, it's hardly outside of his rights Naruto..." Tsunade may have been a little behind the times, but she at least knew a bit about the politics of the village.
"That would be true Tsunade-sama, but Hiashi decided to disown Hinata awhile ago and kicked her out of the clan. She is no longer a Hyūga, legally, and as such is out of his jurisdiction." Shikaku droned out to fill her in on some recent events.
Tsunade glared at the Hyūga head. "You disowned and exiled your own daughter. Hiashi, your wife would be skinning you alive if she were still alive."
"Then it's a good thing she isn't. Now I suggest we get back on topic. Let me see this so called evidence boy." The coldness in his voice shocked Tsunade a bit. He had not been like that when she had still been in the village.
"I think not Hiashi. Give me the scroll Naruto. I'll check its validity." Jiraiya announced from his place at the wall, making a couple people, who forgot he was there, jump in surprise. "I promise to handle it with the utmost care. We wouldn't want anything to happen to it before we find anything useful now would we?" He shrugged off the glare from the Hyūga head as he took the scroll from Naruto. The others watched as he scanned the document, scowl deepening the further he got.
"So, is it authentic Jiraiya?"
"...Hai Tsunade. Whether the mission is real or not, it was written by someone other than Shoyo and it was signed by him. There are no other names on the scroll though, so it would be impossible to tell who wrote the 'mission' without a comparison and confession. All I can say at the moment is that it doesn't belong to anyone in this room." He looked pointedly at Hiashi, who easily held his gaze.
"Well isn't that...unfortunate. I guess we'll just have to punish..."
"But, I can narrow it down to being someone in the Hyūga main branch."
Hiashi glared at the man now. He knew it had to be true. The seal was only known to those in the upper status positions in the main branch of the Hyūga. There were few who would have authorized such a thing. "It will be looked into I assure you. However, Shoyo's punishment is our topic at them moment I believe."
"Agreed. Even if he wasn't the one to place the order he did accept to follow through with it." Tsume agreed.
"I propose that he be given a three month sentence and six months of probation. Even if he did accept the mission, due to Naruto-san's involvement...he was never able to complete his mission. We should allow him time to reconsider his actions. There is always the chance that he was persuaded into this action." Junzo grinned after giving his own input, sneering a moment later when he noticed the disbelieving looks he was getting from some of the ninja as well as a few of those on his own side of the table.
"I don't think you understand the severity of the seal Shiratori-san. The Hyūga Sōke no Juinjutsu basically turns the target into a glorified slave. They can still act on their own, but if the person who knows how to activate the seal chooses to do so, they can cause the target anything from pain...to death. Inoichi chose to enlighten the man of what exactly they were dealing with. "Furthermore, as it has already been pointed out, Hinata is no longer a Hyūga. They can do it to their own do to clan laws, but if they start doing it to those they no longer see as clansmen...what's to stop them from doing it to regular civilians, or us as well?"
Hiashi tightened his grip on the arms of his chair. "How dare you even suggest that we would do such a thing! We are loyal to Konoha and as such we would never even consider such a thing."
"Be that as it may, Yamanaka-san is correct. This has opened up that possibility and Shoyo must be made an example of, as well as the person who wrote the order if we should be able to find them." The normally jovial Chōza was in no mood to be lenient this early in the morning."I call for imprisonment for an indeterminate amount of time as well as well as interrogation until the source of this offense is found."
"Um, I think you're all forgetting a small part of the hearing?" Naruto's calm voice seemed rather quiet after the previous shouting and growling, but it still accomplished it's task of bringing the attention to himself. "Don't we need to hear a statement from Shoyo-san?" The sound of crickets could be heard as the council members realized that they hadn't thought of the boy's presence, or lack thereof.
"Did anyone think to notify the ANBU that Hyūga Shoyo would need to be present for this hearing?" Tsunade rose an irritated eyebrow.
"Uh..."
Tsunade marched over to the door and told one of the guards outside to retrieve Shoyo for them. After a brief argument about the necessary paperwork and the current time, the ANBU leapt off towards the prison complex to complete his newly assigned task. As she sat back down, Tsunade took in those gathered in front of her. "Since we have at least a few minutes I'd like to get at least one thing straight. If anyone calls a meeting at this hour of the day again about something that is not an emergency, they will find themselves having a stay in prison for putting the village in danger. I don't care if you're a civilian or clan head. Forcing someone to wake this early and expecting them to function properly later in the day is irresponsible and dangerous. Is that understood?" Nods of agreement bobbed around the table, some hesitantly.
"Wow Tsunade, you're sounding like a Kage already. Practicing?" The glare the woman sent Jiraiya made him shrink back into his chair a bit as he gave a nervous laugh. Even so, he noticed that he piqued the interest of some of those present. 'Heh, they'll bring it up before too much longer. Sorry Tsunade, but there's no way in hell I'm taking the job.'
She was saved any questions as a knock came to the door. Rising once more, she walked to the door and had a short conversation with the returned guard before scowling and making her way back to her seat. "Well it seems we won't have to figure out a punishment for Shoyo's crimes or interrogating him to find out who gave him the order."
A couple of the councilors gave a sigh of relief. "So he's already confessed then. Well that's a relief, so who was..."
"Hyūga Shoyo is dead." Tsunade announced, turning relieve faces to shock.
Surprisingly, Hiashi even looked the part. "How unfortunate. I was considering him as a possible match for my daughter once she came of age. He was a promising Hyūga. He would have made an adequate match for Hanabi."
Due to the sincerity in his voice, there was some pity for the man. "I'm sorry for your loss Hiashi, but we will still need to investigate the source of this scroll."
"I will...get samples of writing from those who could be involved. You will have them later today Jiraiya-sama. If you'll excuse me, I have some work to do." Hiashi walked out of the room, looking slightly older than before. Once he left there was a moment of uncomfortable silence in the room.
"I don't really get why he was so upset." Naruto commented to Jiraiya, not meaning to be rude but genuinely curious.
"Hiashi prides himself as a judge of character. Seeing Hinata go to you, whom he didn't approve of, and Shoyo, whom he did approve of for Hanabi, accepting orders from someone other than him that could put his clan in danger has probably threw that ideal of his into question. He'll be going through some thinking for a bit I believe. Let's just hope he comes out of it for the better." Jiraiya whispered back to him.
"Well if that's all we have, I'm going back to bed. Since we're no longer in need of rushing things, not that we ever were to start with, we can discuss what our next step in this matter is after Hiashi gets us something to work with." Tsunade yawned as she got out of her chair and headed for the door. "Night."
As she left, others took her lead until, once again, Naruto was left in the room with someone who wanted to speak to him. In this case it was a man he had already had some conversation with. "What can I do for you Yamanaka-san?"
"Naruto...when you get some time, I need to talk to you. Something came up during our 'talks' with Haruno Isako and I need it confirmed." Inoichi wasn't one of Konoha's top interrogators for nothing. He could already tell from the flash of emotion across the young teen's face that his suspicions were correct.
"Let me ask you this Yamanaka-san: If I confirm your thoughts, will I get any say in her punishment?"
The man winced a bit at the dead tone in Naruto's voice. He wasn't sure what the kid had in mind, but it was definitely something that wasn't going to be pleasant for the victim...or any onlookers. "You might be given a say in the matter, but if the punishment seems too severe for the crime then we will not be able to allow it."
"And how severe of a punishment does assault, rape, torture, and forced sterilization condone?" Again his voice was icy as he hid his eyes from his fellow blonde by looking down.
Inoichi winced at each charge, especially the final one. "I was under the impression that your...equipment...survived the event. The doctors said..."
"Whether something is intact or not isn't the issue here. It's the fact that it was done regardless of it being healed or not. The pain was real, the blood was real, everything she did to me that night was real!" Rage burned in his eyes as he finally lifted them for the Yamanaka head to see. The killing intent that he was unconsciously leak out was enough to make the man take a step back.
"N-Naruto-san, calm down! I wasn't trying to play down your injuries, I just wanted to confirm that you were still...intact."
"Well I guess that depends on your definition of 'intact'. Physically, yes, I'm still functioning. Mentally, well let's just say I wish I could hug a girl without my hands starting to shake from the fear. All I can do is hope that it'll go away someday and that someone will have the patience to wait that long for me. I...I'm sorry Yamanaka-san, I have to go." Naruto turned and opened the door to exit.
"Naruto...I'll see what I can do." Inoichi's only response was a slight pause before the young blond disappeared into the hall. 'I don't think any of us can even imagine...even want to imagine. If he were Ino I would be baying for the person's blood already. I can't really blame him for wanting some bit of revenge for this. Normally that is something I've been taught to frown upon, but maybe...maybe some closure would help him in the end.' He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I'll have to sleep on it. There's no point in coming to a decision when my brain is still halfway to the mattress."
Instead of heading back to his bed where Hinata was no doubt still asleep, Naruto went straight to his meditation area and sat down. It took him over half an hour just to be able to calm himself down enough to even keep his eyes closed. After another fifteen minutes he manages to control his breathing enough to slip into his meditation. The last time he had been anywhere close to this out of balance, he had sat there for hours an woke up to find a concerned Hinata and Haku. This time though was far, far worse, and he already knew going into it that he would be questioned once he finally came back to awareness.
Despite his yearning to be alone at this time, he found that he delved a little too deep into himself. The dripping of water could be heard around him and he immediately cursed himself for slipping so far. 'This is not what I needed right now. I need to clear my head, not talk to a giant furry carnivore. Argh, I guess there's no point in staying here. Can't exactly clear my head when I'm inside it.' Silently he trudged forward until he reached the familiar cavern that held the massive beast at bay.
The steady breathing was the only sign that there was something there initially. After a minute an eye cracked open and stared at its visitor, considering the reason he may be there. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of your company boy?"
Despite himself and the fact that it was a bijū he was addressing, Naruto couldn't help but feel a little angry. "Don't call me a boy you damned fox! I get that shit enough as it is, I don't need to hear it inside my own head too."
"...Fine, Namikaze."
"..."
"Why are you here?"
"I didn't want to be. I was trying to meditate and I went a little too deep."
"Bring me up to speed. I was sleeping for awhile there."
"They found...her. Well, at least Inoichi knows who it is..."
The fox's eyes widened a bit. "Well that's good isn't it? If they found out without your involvement then there isn't much she can do to get out of it."
"Yeah, but at the same time it may not allow me to have any say in her punishment. Since she's a civilian council member and I was a civilian at the time..I just don't see it as ending in my favor at all." His fists tightened to the point where his fingernails began to dig into his palms.
"I...see. In that case, you'll just have to exact your revenge after she's released, if they release her. If not, well, you may have to go back to your fake dream of becoming Hokage if you want to get access to her fate."
Despite his rage, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Yeah, I'll be Hokage of this place when there is nothing left but corpses to rule over. It'll never happen, but there are...other ways I suppose."
"What are you planning ki…Namikaze...?"
"Something that would probably take just about as big of a miracle as me becoming Hokage, but the likelihood of happening is about a hundred times greater."
"Do tell." The great Kyūbi, strongest of the tailed beasts, leaned down on his front paws with the closest thing to a grin it could manage, plastered on his face. He knew the sound of a prank when he heard it all too well. His suspicions were only confirmed when Naruto looked up at him with an absolutely sinister grin of his own.
"Well, like I said, it's a shot in the dark but if they were too..." Their conversation went on seemingly for hours before they finished the planning of possible scenarios. By the time they were finished, both had given input and each came up with ideas and shot others down. They already had a long list of 'what ifs' and even though there was a chance that none of it would come to pass, Naruto kept his hopes up that he would be granted this one little...well ok big...concession in life.
"Thanks...Kyūbi...It's nice to have someone to talk to at times like this. I just don't think the girls would understand. Hell as much as I hate to admit it, I think the only person who comes close is...Sasuke. At least I won't hurt others that don't deserve it to get what I want though. I suppose I've been in here long enough. At least I feel a bit better after all that."
"Not a problem Namikaze. We shall talk again in the future, but for now I believe it would be best for you to get back. Try not to kill anyone that might land you in prison though. I may know many things, but I've never had the pleasure of being locked in a human prison cell, let alone had the time to figure out how to get out."
Naruto nodded shakily as he faded from view. "I'll see you soon Kyūbi, though hopefully not too soon."
Naruto opened his eyes to a late afternoon sun. He expected to see at least three faces watching him, those of Hinata, Haku and Kin. What he didn't expect to see was the group of people standing just beyond the edge of the meditation area having what looked like a picnic. Kurenai and Asuma were there, along with their teams. Kakashi was there as well, though Kiba remained vacant, thankfully. Team Gai was noticeably absent, most likely on a mission. A small tick appeared on his forehead as he watched them talking and eating. They seemed so carefree, at least until someone spotted him.
"He's awake!" Ino shouted as she jumped up and ran over to him, followed quickly by the others.
As soon as Naruto went to stand up, he was bowled over by Haku before Hinata, Kin and Ino piled on as well, all looking up at his face with concerned eyes. He suddenly felt a little guilty about not telling any of them where he was going before entering his trance. "Umm...hey?"
"Naruto-kun, we couldn't wake you up again...are you ok?"
"I'm fine Hinata. I just had a lot on my mind."
"Kin told us that you left this morning, care to explain?" Asuma asked, receiving a glare from a few of the prone females who knew Naruto had to be in a foul mood to have gone into such deep meditation.
"Not that it's much of your business Asuma-san, but I was summoned to a council meeting."
"A council meeting...at that hour? You expect us to believe that? Why would they hold a council meeting that early?"
Naruto grunted a bit from the stiffness in his legs as he got up from the ground. "Believe it or not, I don't care either way. If you want you can go ask one of the council members and see for yourself. So before you start making accusations, make sure you have all the facts." His glare at the Asuma clearly showed that his meditation time was not enough to completely release his anger. Considering the amount of time he was out, some of they fairly accurately concluded that this was one of the worst moods he must have ever been in.
However it was Kurenai's hand on his chest that told Asuma not to pursue the matter. He looked at her questioningly, to which she simply shook her head. Amazingly enough the man nodded and turned back towards the previously abandoned food. "I apologize on his behalf, Uzumaki-san. He may be a strong ninja, but his social skills could use some work."
"I heard that!" Came the shouted reply across the yard. Kurenai simply rolled her eyes.
"Naruto-san, there has been quite a bit of food prepared in your...absence. If you have been unresponsive as long as they say, perhaps you should replenish your energy."
"Thank you Shino-san. I think I'll do that." Naruto allowed himself to be lead over to the assortment of dishes, but upon attempting to get himself some food, he was forced to sit down.
"We'll get you something. You just sit there and relax." Haku told him before heading towards the food and grabbing a plate from the stack.
"Heh, telling me to sit when that's all I've been doing for, how many hours?"
"Just do it and don't complain." Kin scolded him as she filled a cup with water and brought it over to him.
"Thank you, Kin-chan. So, anyone mind telling me why everyone is here today, and having a picnic in my back yard?" He saw a few people wince and scratch their heads in embarrassment.
"Ano, most of us, err, didn't have a strenuous mission today so we thought we'd see what was up here." Harume grinned a little too widely. Shino was only too ready to elaborate.
"We failed our morning mission when Harume decided to motivate the children we were babysitting with her jutte...before the parents even left the house." He was rewarded with an elbow to the ribs and a glare, which didn't seem to phase him much.
"Ouch..."
Chōji grinned. "We had to stock the wood for the Bar-B-Que pit in town."
"He was told that if we finished early he would get a free, all you can eat, meal. I don't think I've ever seen grown man cry like that before." Shikamaru shook his head a the memory.
Naruto looked over towards the newly reformed team seven. He was still uncomfortable with the makeup, but they hadn't come back with any horror stories...yet. Kakashi was the first to speak up for their group. "They told me about your state when I came to pick them up for missions, since they didn't show up at the appointed time." The girls had the decency to bow their heads a little in shame. "After hearing why though, I decided it might be best to call o missions for today. Instead we did some light training in your yard, though Kiba opted not to join us. In fact, when I asked if he was coming in he turned kind of pale and yelped before making an excuse to go home."
"Probably one of the smartest things he's done in his life..." Naruto mumbled under his breath.
"Here you go Naruto-kun." Haku placed a plate, stacked with different food items in front of him.
"What? You're not going to feed it too me?" He laughed a bit as Haku blushed. Not one to be outdone though, she did just that. Taking some of the sushi from the plate with the chopsticks, she brought it to his mouth where he happily took a bite and smiled at her after swallowing. "Delicious, must be the atmosphere." She blushed deeper and kissed him on the cheek before going back to her own, previously abandoned, plate.
"Isn't that sweet." Kurenai smiled softly at the scene. Before noticing Asuma looking at her expectantly. She blushed at his gaze, but snorted a bit. "Keep dreaming Asuma."
Asuma mock-grabbed his heart. "You wound me Kurenai-chan. How can you be so cold."
"To you, easily."
Meanwhile, Harume had taken a page out of Haku's book and was feeding a slightly blushing Shino, who in turn had his coat open slightly to allow access to his mouth. A habit he got into after finding out that Harume liked to kiss.
• • •
Nighttime came around quickly for Naruto. Not much of a surprise considering how he spent most of the day. He was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling when his door cracked open. "Come in Hinata-chan." This was already become a ritual to them to the point where he almost considered telling her to just move her stuff in permanently, but he wasn't sure that he could handle them watching each other dress.
The sound of footsteps made their way to his bed, followed by the shift of his mattress indicating that the girl had just sat down. He looked over and his eyes widened a bit at seeing that Haku was the one who his room. "N-Naruto-kun? May I...join you?"
"Ha-Haku-chan? Where's Hinata?" He immediately regretted his words when he saw her eyes turn slightly downcast. "N-not that I don't like you being here, it's just that normally Hinata sleeps with me...I just assumed..."
"It's ok Naruto-kun. We...talked and decided that it would be best if you got used to more than just her being near you. She's sleeping in my room tonight. I...hoped you wouldn't mind."
Naruto blinked a bit before reaching over and lifting the covers slightly, causing Haku to grin before shooting underneath and snuggling up to him. "If I shake a little I apologize. I still get a little...unomfortable sometimes."
"That's fine, but I've been instructed to make you a little more uncomfortable."
He was about to ask what she meant when he saw movement under the sheets just before she pulled her nightshirt out from under the sheets and threw it on the floor. He began to panic immediately. "No Haku...I-I'm not ready for that yet...please."
Haku looked at him with concern, but put a finger on his lips. "Don't worry Naruto-kun. We're just sleeping, nothing more. I still have my underwear on so don't let your imagination go too wild." To prove her point she grabbed his hand an put it on the strap of her bra. His hand shot away quickly and he blushed as the realization of what he was touching hit him. "See. Still clothed. Just think of it as a bikini."
Naruto took a few deep breaths to calm himself. To her disappointment he turned away from him, but that was slightly waved off as he pulled her arm with him and wrapped it around himself. She lifted herself slightly off the bed and leaned over him to kiss him on the cheek. "Good night Naruto-kun. I love you."
"...I...love you too, Haku-chan."
His voice made her heart flutter a bit as she snuggled closer and tightened the lifeline he allowed her to have around him.
• • •
The next couple days were rather dull as they all managed their missions. The three girls had managed to set up a bit of a schedule of who would sleep with him when. Of course this was modified to work depending on who had missions when. This issue came up quickly as Haku and Kin got called away on a week long C-rank, but not before Kin had her turn to stay a night with Naruto. That had been an interesting ordeal. The problem was that They were all adamant in sleeping in nothing but their underwear with him. Kin, unlike the other two, was too used to sleeping without her bra though so when her turn came up she didn't even think about that fact when she hopped into his bed. Luckily, for that night, Naruto had already been turned away from her as she joined him. Unluckily, the next day, the covers had shifted and he was face to face with her 'assets' when he woke up. The resulting scream was loud enough to wake up his neighbors, two houses down. Quite a feat considering the spacing between the estates.
After the two girls had left on their mission he was back to sleeping with the familiar for of Hinata curled up with him, and her familiar weight on his chest when he got up. It was during one of these mornings that he was woken by the, far too jubilant, yelling of Lee outside his gate. 'Can't a guy just have one normal week of rest?' He begrudgingly got out of be and slid on some pants as he headed out to his front yard. Rubbing his eyes, he growled a bit as he saw who all was there. "Is there a particular reason that your whole team is here to be my alarm this morning?"
Lee looked at him eagerly. "Greetings Naruto-kun. We came to ask a favor of you. Our youthful Gai-sensei has managed to get a cold and has shut himself in his home until his youthfulness has returned. We have been looking for a captain in order to get our mission this morning."
Naruto looked from Lee to Tenten. "You normally do missions this early? And what about other chūnin and jōnin? There has to be someone with more experience available."
To his surprise it was Neji who answered through gritted teeth. "Yes, we do start our training and missions this early. Normally we are the first in the mission hall, or Gai-sensei has already acquired a mission for us the previous day. To answer you second question, Lee's reputation is...well known. Many of the available higher ranking ninja made up excuses to get out of such a duty. Others simply refused. Tenten suggested, despite arguments against it, to seek your aide. Being as you are a chūnin and we are not, you do have the authority to lead a mission."
Tenten cut in front of the Hyūga, bowing slightly. "Sorry about that Naruto-kun." She glared back at her teammate before continuing. "Neji has been a little irritable lately. We just need someone to get us a mission because some of us can't afford to just do nothing until our sensei is better."
He sighed and ran a hand through is hair, trying to will himself awake. "Alright, just...give me some time to get ready. As you can see, I'm not exactly prepared for a mission let alone roaming the streets." The three genin took in his attire as he said that and Tenten managed to hold back most of her blush as he walked away. "I'll be back in ten or so. You can wait for me here or at the mission hall, your choice." He called over his shoulder.
"See, I told you he'd accept."
"I never said he wouldn't. I just said I would rather have a more capable leader for a mission." Neji said with obvious disdain.
"He kicked you ass didn't he? And I know for a fact that he's already lead a couple of mission. Believe it or not I do talk to more people than just you two." She felt a light triumph in his scowl and the silence afterward, at least until Lee shattered it yet again.
"I am going to see what exciting missions they have for us today. Let us go find out together!" The spandex clad genin grabbed their arms and started to walk until he realized that he wasn't moving anywhere.
"Lee..."
"Lee if you don't let go of my hand right now I'm going to put some new holes in your favorite set of clothing. Not that it wouldn't be an improvement."
"Ah! Right, you should move of your own power so that you can get the maximum amount of strain from walking. In that case let us go!" Once again he moved forward with one set of footsteps following him.
"I'm going to stay here and walk there with Naruto-kun. You two go ahead and pick us out a good mission." Tenten waved them off. Her efforts earned her a sneer from Neji, but Lee gave her a smile.
"Understood Tenten. It would be most unyouthful to allow Naruto-san to walk to the mission hall alone. Excellent forethought. Neji and I shall make sure to pick out a most glorious mission during you absence." Tenten just rolled her eyes as she leaned against the wall of Naruto's estate.
As he said, it only took him about ten minutes to come back out, fully prepared for a mission. "Sorry, I had to tell Hinata-chan when I was going. I'll send a clone back later with a note when we find out what mission we got. I see Lee-san and Neji left already. No real surprise there."
"I swear you two are married already." She giggled as Naruto blushed.
"What? I just don't want her to wake up alone with no idea where I am."
"I know, it's just...cute. Well anyhow, let's go. Lee's probably already made the poor chūnin's hears bleed." She sighed a bit wondering if Naruto, or any boy for that matter, would someday treat her with as much respect as he gave to the three that lived with him.
"You know, it's strange sometimes." He saw her confused look as expected and elaborated. "Less than a year ago I was still in the academy and no one wanted anything to do with me. Of course I was still faking my life at the time, but it still hurt the way I was ignored and such...but now I have the affection of more people than I know how to deal with. Some say that it's every man's dream to have multiple women after them but the reality seems a lot different, and I'm not just talking about those monthly issues that arise." It was his turn to chuckle at Tenten's blush after realizing what he meant.
"Aside from that you think you have problems having multiple girls? I think the male half of Konoha, no, the world would call you crazy."
"Maybe, but considering all the trouble I've had dealing with the council and the general population of Konoha, I just feel that it isn't all that fair to you girls, to be getting the treatment you're getting when I'm not around. I've heard about the trip to the market. Then there's the issues with the Hyūga and the ninja that still hate me..."
Tenten was slightly taken aback when he included her as one of his girls. Sure she had given that impression, and even argued the point to her father, but to hear him say it was entirely different. Once again she found herself blushing. Sure she had considered Neji for awhile, but that Hyūga idealism of intra-clan marriage kept her from ever pursuing him. Hearing that Naruto might consider her one of his girlfriends sent butterflies through her stomach. For the first time in her life she felt as though some of her feelings were being reciprocated in more than a fatherly way and less than a hormonal way. "...Why do they hate you so much?" As soon as the question left her mouth, Naruto stopped and she knew she hit a nerve. "Naruto...?
He sighed in response and kept walking, staying silent for awhile as she followed. "Tenten...please don't ask me that. It's...not something I'm ready to share."
"Naruto-kun, I already know what happened with...It can't be that bad." Again he tensed.
"Just do me this favor and don't ask about it. I'll tell you when I'm ready...if I'm ready." He said softly.
"I...understand. I won't ask again."
"Thank you. We're here." He walked ahead and opened the door to the mission hall for her, waiting until she entered to disappear into the building behind her.
Tenten would have been right about the chūnin on duty, had the woman not been used to dealing with this team in particular. She had a wad of cotton in each ear, successfully drowning out the loud exclamations that Lee was throwing around as he suggested, and was denied, missions to Neji. She clearly sighed in relief as she saw Naruto. It seemed that she already knew of his promotions, and his presence most likely meant her rescue from the exuberant genin and his stoic counterpart. "Ah Naruto-san. I'm guessing you are taking temporary lead of this team?" At his nod she breathed another sigh of relief. "If you don't mind could you please select a mission for your team then so that we can get you processed and on your way."
Naruto gave her another nod and a look of understanding and sympathy as he made his way over to the stack of mission scrolls. Ignoring Lee's suggestions and Neji's looks of disdain, he picked out a mission he thought they could handle and handed it over to the woman in order for her to mark it down. Since they were a little more experienced than most of the other genin teams he had picked out a slightly higher C-ranked mission. A bodyguard mission in Eastern Hi no Kuni near the bridge to Nami no Kuni. Some minor lord was seeking protection during a vital document signing for his area in regards to trade relations with Nami. The negotiations and signing were taking longer than anticipated and the team that was currently stationed there was asking for replacements due to lack of preparation on account of the lengthened time.
"Alright. Pack for a two week long mission and meet me at the main gate at eight. We'll get lunch once we arrive and find out where we'll be staying. We'll probably just take the same hotel rooms that the other team are vacating. If there are no questions, go get ready." The four left the building and Naruto made a clone to deliver his mission specifics to Hinata while he went for some quick food at Ichiraku's.
It seemed like his visits to the stand were becoming less frequent now that he was an actually ninja, but despite that the small stand was thriving. Without his constant presence, more people were showing up than normal thinking that the stand was closer to 'demon free' and was now a safer place to eat. This early though there was always a slight slump in business, and he was thankful to see the stand empty when he sat down.
"Oi,old man. Two bowls of miso!"
The man behind the counter smiled as he turned to greet his customer. "Naruto-kun! It's been awhile since you stopped by. I was starting to think you didn't like ramen anymore. Ayame will be upset that you decided to visit while she was away."
"Heh, sorry. You'll say hello to her for me won't you?" Naruto got a happy nod in return as Teuchi turned back to the stove to prepare his order. "Besides, it looks like you're doing alright, even without my contributions."
Teuchi sighed as he finished preparing the first bowl and set it in front of the teen, slapping his towel over his shoulder as he leaned on the counter. "It's true that we get more customers Naruto, I won't deny it, but the atmosphere's been missing since you stopped coming by. Now people just stop in, eat and leave. No one takes much time to talk and trade gossip anymore."
"Gossip? What are you, an old hen now?" His comment earned him a slap across the head from a cleaning towel as the old man smirked.
"Keep that up and I might have to boot you out of here for good."
"What, and lose my excellent company? Anyhow, I hope you're both doing alright. Are you giving Ayame-nēchan enough breaks? You know she needs time for herself too."
"Who are you, her father?" Naruto snickered a little. "Yes, she's getting her time. I'm even thinking about hiring another helper since we have a little more income now. If you know anyone that's a good worker I promise to give them a fair chance."
"Sorry Teuchi-ojisan, I don't exactly socialize with the civilians much. We don't exactly see eye to eye if you get me."
Seeing the boy was almost done with his first bowl of noodles, Teuchi turned back to the stove to ready the next one. "Yes, I understand. Anyway, what's got you out here this early. Don't you normally have breakfast with your women?" He turned his head to the side and gave Naruto a bit of a wink. It was no secret anymore that Naruto had multiple females living with him, let alone dating him.
Scratching the back of his head in mild embarrassment as his second bowl was placed in front of him, Naruto met the tease head on. "Yeah, well I have to lead a mission today and I just came from the mission hall so I didn't want to wake up Hinata-chan by going back home. I send a clone with a message for her instead."
"Oh, well I hope it's nothing dangerous. Even if you don't stop by as much you're still a customer, and a friend Naruto. Don't go getting yourself hurt or worse."
Naruto waved off his concern casually. "Don't worry ojisan. I know my limitations. Besides, it's just bodyguard duty for some minor treaty negotiations. We should be back in a week or so. Hell, we aren't even leaving Hi no Kuni."
"Even so, just be careful." Teuchi replied as he took the two empty bowls from the counter. "When do you leave?" When no answer came he turned around to see the counter empty save for a stack of bills easily twice the amount that was needed for the ramen. '...You're still too kind for your own good Naruto-kun.' Shaking his head he fixed his smile just in time as a small group of patrons came into the stand and sat down. "Good morning! What can I get for you all this morning?"
The three genin and new chūnin sped off through the trees on their way towards Nami. Neji was at point and scouting while the other three follow him with three of Naruto's clones bringing up the rear, keeping their distance to allow for enough warning should anyone try to sneak up on them. The trip was all together uneventful, save for the glares Naruto could feel he was getting from Neji while Lee, Tenten and himself managed their boredom by talking about nothing in general.
It was almost noon when the walls of the small coastal village came into view and Naruto called for them to drop down to the road so as not to startle anyone. There was a small stream of people milling about the streets as they went about their lunch time errands, some being in such a hurry that they had to weave in and out of the crowd in their rush. The lone hotel was rather easy to spot as it was the only building in the town that was taller than one story, so it was only a couple minutes of travel before they found themselves at the front door.
"The Seacrest Inn?. Really, they couldn't come up with something even remotely original?"
"They chose the name that they felt would fit their location the best. We should not judge others on their heartfelt decisions Tenten."
"Whatever Lee."
The four walked into the lobby of the hotel where the three genin decided to occupy the available seats and relax for a bit while Naruto went to the front desk to take care of their rooms for their stay. "Hello, we are from Konoha and looking for a couple of rooms to stay in while we're in town."
"Sure, how many will be staying?"
"Four."
"Ok...let's see. I have two rooms with double beds that are scheduled to be available this afternoon. It seems four of your fellow villagers are just finishing up their stay. If you are alright with those accommodations then I can file the paperwork now. If you're not though then you will have to find another place to stay as we are booked solid due to the negotiations taking place here."
Naruto turned to his blissfully unaware team and got slightly nervous. Three males and one female didn't exactly make for an even split and he really didn't fancy spending a week or possibly more in one double bed with two other guys. He looked anxiously at Tenten and prayed that she would be understanding before turning back to the clerk. "Well with such a limited selection I suppose we're left with little choice. We'll take those two rooms."
"Alright. If you'll just sign here and give me the down payment I'll get this filed and you can check in this evening."
"Thank you." He bowed slightly and received one in turn before heading back to his team. "Alright, we're set for rooms so let's go find some food. Any suggestions?" Three different answers hit him as soon as he asked, causing him to grimace slightly before changing his approach. "How about this: We'll go into town and look for a place to eat. If we don't find one we all agree on in an hour then we eat at the next place we see, agreed?"
"I believe we are all hungry enough to settle for a half hour Uzumaki-san." Neji answered a bit less hostile than normal.
"I agree. I think I could eat my food off the floor by this point. If I have to wait a full hour I might just wither away." Neji smirked and Naruto chuckled as Tenten daintily held the back of her hand to her forhead and dramatically collapsed into the chair she was sitting in.
"Right, well let's get outta here. We'll come back later to officially check in after we meet our clients."
It only took them about ten minutes to find a restaurant that would cater to most of their wants. Despite the town only having one hotel, there seemed to be an abundance of places to eat and shop due to the fact that the town was so close to the bridge linking to Nami and it's major port centers. This was the first sign to Naruto that the town he helped save their was beginning to make a comeback as many of the goods came from across the bridge to be transported through this town and across the continent from their. Such a thing made this town an excellent stop for travelers to relax a bit before continuing on their journeys.
"Naruto-san, you seem to be a little nervous." Lee observed as Naruto stirred his food on his plate a bit.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. Just thinking a bit that's all."
"About anything in particular?" Neji inquired, genuinely curious as to what could make the young chūnin even slightly nervous. This boy that was younger than himself had taken on ninja from genin to jōnin, and if rumors were true he had even tangled with demon during the exams. That last bit was of course just rumors, but every rumor held some bit of truth.
"...Our sleeping arrangements."
"...and pray tell, why would our sleeping arrangements make you nervous?" Neji's eyebrow began to tick a bit at the possibilities of Naruto's thought process.
"We get two rooms. Each room has one double bed."
"Hotel beds are notoriously narrower than normal measurements. A double bed in such an establishment will be guaranteed to only fit two people. I can see where your hesitation would come into play."
Tenten just laughed at them. "Don't worry so much about it Naruto. It's not like we haven't all slept in the same tent with another ninja before. Sleeping in the same bed isn't any different." Her tomboyish attitude had obviously skipped over the fact that they wouldn't be in separate sleeping bags apparently.
During the entire conversation, Lee had been scarfing down his meal with such intensity that they had all figured that he was not listening. "The simplest, and most appropriate, solution would be for Tenten to choose who she wants to bunk with." The three turned to Lee who stared back at them with unblinking eyes. It was a bit creepy, but he had a point.
Tenten soon found herself to be the target of two rather intense pairs of eyes as Lee went back to eating. On one hand there was Neji. She had been his teammate for so long now and she had to admit that she had a crush on him for awhile. On the other hand Naruto was more fun to be around and held her in a much higher regard than most other shinobi did on account of her being female. The larger issue at hand though was, who would she condemn do bunk with Lee, her over exuberant teammate. She certainly wasn't going to do it.
"Look, don't beat yourself up over it right now. We'll worry about it after we meet the clients and get back to the hotel." Naruto waved off the issue for now so as not to put the girl under too much pressure.
The negotiations building was nothing more than the central governing building of the town. A small complex in which the tallest building was the two story guest house where foreign dignitaries would stay during their visits. Currently it was housing the representatives from Nami along with their personal guard. The quartet dismissed the structure though as they were heading to the main offices in order to meet with the Lord of the town. He was a tall, regal looking man with looks befitting his station. Slightly graying hair, glasses and eyes like a hawk met them as they walked into the small meeting room.
"Greetings ninja of Konoha. I don't want to keep you here longer than necessary as I am sure we both have things to prepare for. I will merely enlighten you to your full duties and you will then leave me to mine."
"Understood, Takashita-dono." Naruto surprised his group with the respect he gave the man, who in turn gave him a curt nod.
"You are to guard my person as well as the persons of my council during the negotiations. While it is highly unlikely that anything could happen during this signing, we never take these events lightly. People tend to not always see the good in everything we agree to do." He waited for the ninja to nod in understanding before he allowed himself to continue. "The negotiations will happen in the main meeting hall, the largest one-story structure on the premises. These will take place in the mornings from ten until noon when we will break for lunch. They will resume at two and go until five when we will break for supper and relax as we all see fit. You job will be to guard the outside of the meeting hall while the negotiations and the signing take place from the time we begin until we leave for supper. You will unfortunately have to skip your lunch so I would suggest coming prepared. Once we break for supper you are free to go about your own business. Are there any questions?"
"Why are we only guarding you during the meetings? Why not a full-time guard and why not inside the meeting building instead of outside?" Tenten asked the man.
"Our guard has to make its rounds of the town during the day in order to keep the peace. After the meetings they will resume their normal duties of protecting this property. While we still have a limited guard around during these times, we felt it would be prudent to have some extra security during this time. As for your second question, we would prefer any confrontations to happen outside of the building and kept as quiet as possible. It wouldn't do to be interrupted on account of flying bodies and whatnot, so if you can manage to avoid a breech it would be greatly appreciated. These negotiations have gone on quite long enough without disturbances."
"Then with your permission we will take our leave and get settled in." The man gave them a dismissive wave to let them know he was finished.
Once outside, Neji decided to speak. "This seems more like a chore than a C-rank mission. As far as I can see they've had no troubles during their meetings even though said dealings have gone on longer than expected."
"That may be Neji, but they are being prepared for anything. One must not grow lax just because one is in a place that is considered safe."
"Lee's right Neji. Beside, they're still negotiating, that means the agreements are constantly changing. There is always the chance that they will change something that someone doesn't like. Normally treaties like this are what's best for all parties involved but that doesn't always apply to those who are not directly involved in the discussions."
"In other words, they could sign for something that benefits them but it'll be the common people that pay for it." Tenten said with a scowl.
She was followed up by Neji. "You imply something like land ownership change or an arranged marriage I assume?"
"Among other things, but you get the idea."
"You seem to know an awful lot about treaties and their workings Uzumaki."
"Hokage-ojiisan used to let me stay in his office when he did some minor treaties. I was, at the time, still adopting my ignorant persona so no one really minded. I was tossed out for more important dealings, but I got the gist of treaties from that."
By the time they made it back to the hotel, they sun was halfway through its decent. They managed to meet the previous team on there way through town, and were able to get away from the older group with little more then some sneers and low growling. Either they didn't like the fact that they were being replaced by young teens, or they didn't like the sight of Naruto being there. Either way they weren't too bothered by it and simply passed by without a backward glance.
Now it was time for Tenten to make her decision and she was clearly still in debates with herself. Naruto or Neji, Neji or Naruto.
"Tenten. It isn't that difficult of a decision. We have shared tents before and it would be no different for us to share a bed in a hotel. Uzumaki on the other hand has not had the pleasure of sleeping with anyone other than himself and as such may not be trusted in sleeping with a member of the opposite sex without consequence." Neji reasoned.
The girl looked from the Hyūga to the blond beside him.
Naruto looked rather amused before breaking into his prankster's smile. "Well I have never slept in a hotel with a female, I'll admit to that. In my own home though...I have shared a bed with Kin, Haku and your cousin Hinata." Tenten covered her mouth in shock, Lee's eyes went wide and Neji...Neji looked furious.
"How dare you!"
"How dare I what Hyūga? Find comfort in the arms of someone I love and who loves me back? Allow someone to get closer than I've ever allowed anyone to get? Or are you just upset that it's a Hyūga that is free to do as she pleases that is doing just that?"
Neji was fuming and took a step towards him. "You have no right to bed Hinata or any other girl for that matter! This is exactly why Tenten shouldn't allow you anywhere near her. You would take her chastity in a heartbeat!"
Now it was Naruto's turn to take on a stance of mock hurt. "You wound me Neji. You make so many accusations without supplying proof."
"Without proof? You said yourself that..."
"That I shared a bed with them, not that I had any type of physical contact with them that was anything more than a hug or kiss. In all honesty I couldn't even if I wanted to for reasons that you need not know about. No, I believe out of the three of us, I would be the safest choice." His prankster's smile had softened a bit by this point into a mirthless smile. "However, I leave that choice up to Tenten and if she still can't decide then I will sleep outside and forget about the issue all together."
Something about his confession of not being able to do more intimate forms of contact made Neji suddenly uncomfortable and even Lee seemed a bit less excited. Tenten on the other hand had reached her decision. "I'm sorry Neji, but Naruto's telling the truth. The girls and I talk, I know that he's slept in the same bed with each of them and I also know exactly how far they've gone with him. At this point I would have to trust him more than either of you, since all those times in the tent were the three of us, so nothing could happen without the other person waking up." Even though she knew it was the best decision, she could see the hurt in the eyes of her teammates and it stung.
Naruto saw the emotions play and sighed to himself. "Tenten has made her choice, so let's not dwell on it. Neji, Lee take the room on the right. Tenten take the room on the left. I'll, find a spot out in the yard somewhere."
Neji expected a lot from Naruto at this point. Laughing, jeering, screams of victory. A resigned compromise was not high on his list. Tenten had not expected those reactions, but she did expect him to follow along with her decision. Lee on the other hand didn't know how to handle the quickly changing emotions that were going across everyone's faces. Before anyone could make a move to accept or oppose the decision, Naruto jumped down the stairs and disappeared from sight.
With a little regret, Tenten hung her head and went into her designated room while Neji and Lee followed suit. While they could have argued the situation until the next day, in the end their assigned leader made a decision and they would follow it.
Supper was a quiet affair for the team as an uncomfortable silence filled the air despite Lee's attempts to break it. Even the walk back to the hotel was silent. They parted ways at the front door as the three genin watched Naruto walk into the darkness around the side of the building. Heads bowed a bit, the trio made their way to their floor. Lee entered his room and was being followed by Neji, but the latter was stopped as he heard a slight chuckle from his side. Tenten was standing there with her hand on the doorknob and her forehead against the door. He closed the door and waited for a minute do see if she would move.
"Tenten?"
"You know it's kind of funny. I used to have a crush on you, but you never really showed any interest at all." Neji was a bit taken aback by the admission, but did his best to school his features. "Now I find a guy who is the closest thing to a Prince Charming you can get and he can't even touch a girl without shaking."
"What do you mean?" Neji was honestly confused. Why wouldn't Naruto be able to touch a female?
"I don't know the details, but I've seen it already. When he's hugged by one of the girl he shakes. When he's kissed his lips quiver. He doesn't know that I know, but Haku told me that she, Hinata, Kin and Ino tried to make advances on him one night and he went into shock. I...can't help but wonder what could have caused it and now here we are making him sleep outside just because someone questioned his intentions."
"He did that voluntarily."
Tenten shot him a glare and he withered slightly. "That's because he's a gentleman. Something you and your family can't seem to understand. None of you have even bothered to take the time to get to know him except for Hinata. Everyone else just sees him as a stain on the backdrop that is Konoha. I'm not deaf you know. I hear the things they call him. I see the glares and hate. Don't you ever wonder why he gets that. Don't you wonder what he could have done to warrant that kind of attention?"
"..."
"You've been so caught up in your fate bullshit for so many years Neji that you can't see past your own pain anymore. You've gone from being dignified to being one of the cruelest Hyūga that I know. The only ones worse that I can think of are the Hyūga council and Hiashi himself. Even Hanabi isn't as cold as you are. At least she showed some emotion of regret when she found out her sister wasn't coming home anymore."
"...I did."
"You did what?"
"I...did regret it. She was...the nicest Hyūga, but to be Hyūga is not to show weakness. She showed it constantly and that is why she was ridiculed. If she'd only shown some backbone and stood up for herself once in a while..."
"Kindness is not weakness Neji. Hinata is stronger than any of you know, and I think she proved that at the preliminaries."
"I beat her at the preliminaries."
"I know, I was there, but I also know that you struggled more than you thought you were going to. I know your expressions Neji and I could see how many times you second guessed yourself. You didn't think she would land a single blow. You think that strength nurtures strength but have you seen how powerful she's gotten since she's left you clan? Naruto has taken her farther in the little time she's been with him than she got in her entire life at that compound."
Neji tightened his fist that he hadn't even realized he'd formed. "Even if she is stronger now, it makes no difference. She is no longer a Hyūga and no longer of my concern."
"It's odd though that you should say that she should show more of a backbone, considering the one time that she did she got thrown out of the clan."
Neji hadn't known the particulars of that little event, all he was told was that Hinata was banished from the clan because of her weakness in the exams. He narrowed his eyes at the thought of Tenten knowing more about his clan's actions than he himself did. "What do you mean?"
"No one told you the story? I guess I'm not surprised. They'd probably deny the whole thing if word got out. Fortunately I heard it right from the source, or sources rather. Hiashi found out that Hinata had been seeing Naruto and while she was in the hospital recovering from a poison attack, the illustrious Hyūga council and Hiashi himself paid her a visit. They told her that she was to stop seeing Naruto-kun and if she didn't there would be punishment."
Neji stood stock still as he listened. It wasn't often that Hyūga dirty laundry surfaced, other than the seal on his own forehead, he didn't hear about any major grievances. Even if this was just a word of mouth rumor he wasn't about to pass up the chance of hearing it.
"She refused of course and you've seen one of the results, but there was supposed to be another. When she refused to stop seeing Naruto they attempted to apply a version of your seal to her. They stripped her right there in the hospital and began the procedure but two things happened that they didn't thing to consider. First was that Haku was in the room as well for the same reasons as Hinata, and she was able to get them both out by locking the Hyūga in ice temporarily. The second was figured out after they talked it over with Naruto. Hiashi disowned and banished Hinata right before the seal was finalized. You see Neji, it wasn't because she was in some way special that she doesn't have the seal right now like you do. It was because of Hiashi's own arrogance."
He put a hand on the wall to brace himself, afraid that he might collapse if he didn't. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Hiashi had made a mistake and because of that Hinata was spared his fate. It began to make sense as to why Hiashi was so determined to get her back now. It had to be, all of it, every single... "You said altered." He realized as he went back over the revelation in his head for the third time.
"Hm?"
"You said they were giving her an altered seal. How was it altered?" He narrowed his eyes again, thinking that maybe it would just seal off her eyes if she died. There was still a small voice in the back of his head though that knew that couldn't be the case.
"I don't know. That's all they told me was that it was an altered seal. Even Hinata didn't know what it was at the time, though she did know at the time they told me if her shiver was anything to go by. I would bet Naruto knows too, but I'm not sure that he would be willing to share that information either."
"...One way or another I plan to find out. I have to find out." He moved back to his door and reached for the knob.
"Neji...please don't push the matter too far. I know that Naruto doesn't like to see anyone in too much stress and he could lash out if you are too aggressive. I don't want to see you get hurt."
Neji snorted before finally disappearing into his room. He wouldn't show her his weakness even though it felt nice to have her worry about him. He silently wondered if she worried the same about Lee,or Naruto.
• • •
The entire mission could be summed up in one word. Boring. Naruto placed each of them at the corners of the meeting hall, on the roof to allow maximum coverage. Their radios would have to be enough to keep them in touch for now. A line of clones surrounded the perimeter of the property as well in order to give them advanced warning. They thought it was overkill, but Naruto wasn't about to take any chances. The lord was right and anything could go wrong at any time. By the third day they were all tired of seeing the same scenery every day. The fourth day gave them a minor reprieve as Naruto allowed them to play word games over their headsets in order to keep them attentive.
Thankfully for the team, the delegation decided that the treaty was strong enough to warrant a signing on the fifth day with little problems appearing. The sole incident during their stay had been a drunken burglar who decided to try his luck with the nobles' possessions while they were meeting. It only took one punch from one of Naruto's clones to knock him out and get him to the authorities. The team hadn't even known it happened until Naruto mentioned it when they brought up how little action was going on.
With their mission scroll signed and their gear packed, the four ninja began their trek back home. They were slightly more animated than their previous trip, as even Neji joined in at points in their conversation. He was still constantly throwing glares at Naruto, but they weren't backed by any killing intent anymore at least. True to his word, Naruto had spent the entire trip sleeping in a tent outside, even when Neji relented and told him he was allowed to sleep in Tenten's room should he so desire. Naruto replied that, out of respect for the Hyūga's conscience, he would stick with his earlier decision.
Their scroll was handed in without issues and team Gai left while Naruto wrote out his report, not that it would be very long. To his surprise though, Neji was leaning against the wall outside the mission hall when he left the building. The setting sun made the young Hyūga glow orange in against the red side of the structure. His position shifted as he pushed off and headed for the blond.
"What can I do for you Neji?" Naruto was guarded, but still curious as to what he was after.
"I need to ask you a question. Can we talk? ...Somewhere private."
Now Naruto was really on guard. He nodded and signaled for Neji to follow him, but kept his distance. They traveled away from the buildings and to the closest training ground before Naruto abruptly stopped and rounded on him. "Ok, this is as private as we get. What do you want Neji?"
Understanding the tenseness Naruto showed, Neji stopped at a respectable distance in order to keep the discussion friendly, for now. "Tenten told me about the particulars of Hinata's exile from the clan. The only parts she didn't have information on was the details of Hinata's sanctuary at your estate in regards to council matters and the seal that the elders attempted to place on Hinata. I understand that the council matters are beyond my rights to know, but I think that knowing the effect of this, supposedly altered seal, would have had on a person should it have been successfully applied."
Naruto stood there and stared at him for what seemed an eternity before he spoke. "Neji, what do you know about the effects of the Hyūga Sōke no Juinjutsu?" He watched the teen stiffen a bit, obviously uncomfortable about talking about his dishonor.
"With a seal and an influx of chakra it can cause pain in the barer, or if the one activating so chooses, death. Though the latter would take a toll on the one using the seal the threat is still there and we are reminded of it...often."
"You are more or less correct. The pain is a reaction of foreign chakra entering your system through the seal, dive deep enough and they can overload your system causing death. That takes a lot more chakra then a normal main branch Hyūga has and so the method is only taught to those who are deemed strong enough to handle it. Thus why the younger generation doesn't know how."
"So that's why Hinata never used the seal on me..."
"No, I highly doubt she would have used it even if she knew how. She's far too kind for that and abhors the use of the seal all together."
"...What about this other seal?"
"The seal they wanted to apply to Hinata, and by they I mean your council as Hiashi did not have enough knowledge about seals at the time to know that it was modified, was an abomination of the original. Even more so than your own."
Neji was getting frustrated. It seemed that with every statement Naruto made, another question came up that he needed answered. "What do you mean? There was another seal besides the seal meant for Hinata and this?" He pointed to his own forehead for emphasis.
"What? You think I got my hands on a breakdown of the seal and didn't study it? Even if it was modified, I could still tear it down to its basic principles. Hinata's seal is a modification to yours, which in turn was a modification to the original. When the seal was first made it was nothing more than a method to protect the byakugan. It was a small seal that would have been able to be placed anywhere on the head and still have the desired effect. I would be willing to bet that some of the main branch members still have that seal though I know Hinata does not as I have checked. You clan has grown arrogant in recent years, to the point where they believe themselves to be near invincible. Of course the number of active duty main branch members is small, and of those, the number that actively go on dangerous missions is even smaller still."
"So they modified the seal to create slaves. But why make the seal so noticeable?"
"To put it simply, cruelty. Having the seal so noticeable serves as a constant reminder for the cadet branch of exactly where they stand. The pain inducing effects were put into place in order to make sure that orders would be followed. No doubt it was added when a branch member decided to question his station."
"You talk about station as if we are beneath even you."
"I'm merely pointing out the facts. I believe myself to be above no one. I've already learned that lesson many times, a couple of those being quite recent. Anyhow, back to the topic at hand. Hinata's seal was a modification of your, as I said. In addition to the pain and threat of death with an infusion of chakra. Hinata's seal would have rendered her incompetent, with no chakra and as a fail safe there was a seal that would cause instant death when activated."
Neji stood there shocked yet again. Even the worst criminals in Hyūga history had not been given such disrespect. To place threat o death on someone was one thing, but to give them absolutely no hope of ever becoming strong was an entirely different matter. Even he, as a cadet branch member, was given the chance to advance his rank in the village. "Why the instant death seal? If her seal had all the effects of mine then she would have had that anyway."
"Neji, it takes more chakra to activate a seal depending on the distance correct?" Neji nodded, already knowing this to be true. "With the seal they put on her they wouldn't have to worry about the strain of distance, or even the strain of pushing the seal that hard to cause death. With a very small push of chakra, one that even a new academy student could manage, they could activate that seal so long as she was in their line of sight." Naruto's eyes narrowed as he watched the information sink into the Hyūga's brain. He wasn't disappointed by the reaction.
Neji, arrogant and stoic since the day his father died, was on his knees with the former contents of his stomach decorating the ground. Once he was finished, he rose up but found that he couldn't meet Naruto's eyes. "Thank you...for telling me. I would...I would like you to allow me to talk to Hinata."
"That isn't my choice to make. I don't control her, just like I don't control you."
"Then would you...ask her to talk to me, as a...favor." Neji bowed his head slightly. The act of asking a favor of anyone seemed so below him not that long ago, but now it all seemed so insignificant.
"I'll pass on your message. Stop by sometime when she's around and I'm sure she would be happy to talk to you." Naruto gave him a gentle smile and as he walked past, patted him slightly on the shoulder. "Your father would be proud Neji, if you stick to this path, I have no doubt." He left his fellow ninja standing in the training ground, ignoring the slight sobs out of respect as he made his way home. After all, even statues are allowed to cry when the rain lets them.