บท 68: 67. Hiashi's Gambit

Naruto left the Hokage's Office in a bad mood. He hurried out into the streets of Konoha and began to walk forward, his hands in his pocket. He took in a deep breath, mentally trying to calm himself down.

'Kabuto has Mito's body. I have no clue what he's going to do with it. The Uzumaki clan doesn't necessarily have a bloodline, we do have an inherent talent for fūinjutsu that people say run through our blood. Can Kabuto actually obtain skill in fūinjutsu just through Mito's DNA?' He wondered. 'I have to assume he can. Ugh… he needs to be tracked down and killed. I know Masakado-jī-san will be pissed when he hears about all of this…'

"Ughhh…" He groaned, shaking his head. "I'll stress about this later. There's nothing I can do about all this right now."

With a deep sigh, Naruto tried to push away his thoughts on Kabuto as he continued to walk through Konoha.

It took him ten minutes to arrive at his destination – the Hyūga Clan Estate. After greeting the Hyūga Branch family members at the entrance, he walked onto the estate. At first, the blonde was heading towards the Main Branch Family's building, but he stopped when he saw a figure in his peripheral vision. He turned his head, facing the clan's garden, and saw Hanabi lying down in the grass. He saw Hebihiro was coiled up next to her, almost asleep. A smirk developed on his face as he walked towards her.

"So the first thing you do when you get back home from a mission is to just lay in the grass?" Naruto questioned her. "How… interesting, I guess?"

Hanabi immediately sat up in surprise at the voice. The snake uncoiled itself and looked over at Naruto as well.

"It's not the first thing I did! I said hi to my family and had a good meal, just saying." Hanabi stated, crossing her arms. "I'm just resting down now."

'You had time to say hi to everyone and eat? Jesus, how long was I talking to Ero-sennin? Naruto shook his head before eyeing the snake. "Feel good to be back in Konoha?"

"Yes." The snake replied with a smile as he laid his head back down. "The grass feels a lot nicer than the coarse sand of Suna. Plus, there's less people here."

"Hmm, that's fair." The jōnin nodded his head in understanding. The little snake spoke very little during their time in Suna. He was a rather shy creature, and being surrounded by plenty of unknown shinobi, many of whom that were incredibly strong, must have been intimidating. "Well, at least we're back home now. We all can rest easy!"

"Exactly!" Hanabi nodded her head in agreement. A playful smile then developed on her lips as she looked at her jōnin-sensei. "So, I think I know why you're here. Trying to find my sister?"

"Yup." Naruto replied, rubbing the back of his head. "She's in her room, yeah?"

"No." Naruto's eyes widened at the sound of Hinata's voice. "I'm right behind you."

Before he could say anything, he felt arms surround his chest, pulling him back slightly. A large smile developed on his face as he turned around to see Hinata standing there, with an equally large smile. He quickly returned her hug and kissed her passionately, which she was eager to return.

It took a couple of seconds before they broke apart. "It's good to see you again, Hinata-chan."

"It's great to see you too, Naruto-kun!" Hinata replied.

"Alright, you two should go get a room. Hebihiro and I were here first!" Hanabi said.

A small blush developed on both jōnin's faces as they chuckled in response to her teasing. Naruto was about to say something else, but he then noticed something different about Hinata. The Hyūga usually wore her forehead protector over her neck, but today, she wore it over her forehead. He gave the girl a quizzical look.

"You're wearing your forehead protector different." He noticed. "I haven't seen you ever wear it like that."

"She said that she was just trying something different when I asked her." Hanabi stated.

"I did tell you that, Hanabi. However, I must admit, I lied." Hinata said sheepishly. The smile seemingly widened on her face as her hands moved to the forehead protector and adjusted it. "Now that Naruto-kun's here, though, I can show you what has happened!"

"Huh?" Naruto blinked in confusion. "What do you mean 'what has happened'?"

Hinata did not verbally reply to Naruto's question. Instead, she reached to the back of her head and untied the forehead protector. She proceeded to hold onto it with her left hand. Her right hand then moved upwards, holding up her bangs and showing off her forehead for Naruto and Hanabi to see. Both stared at her in surprise.

Displayed nicely on her forehead was a blue-colored seal that depicted a closed eye that was enclosed in a fire.

"Hinata-nee-san… is that…" Hanabi was unable to finish her sentence. She simply looked at the seal, her hands placed over her mouth in shock.

"Yes. It is." She replied, smiling. "The seal was finished. Masakado-san finished the seal yesterday."

A large smile developed on Naruto's lips as he looked at in approval: "It's official, then. You're that much closer to your dream, then! It's finally happening!"

"Well, I still got a few more things left to do." Hinata admitted, her smile dropping ever-so slightly. "Neji-nii-san and I still have to-"

"I know you all have to do all that political crap with your clan still, but you've got the most important part done already!" Naruto interrupted her, grinning. "The part you couldn't really control is finished. Now, all that's left for you to do is convince your clan. And I know you can do that!"

"I hope! It's what I'm going to try and do, even if it kills me." She replied.

"You're going to accomplish it." Her boyfriend continued to say, still grinning. "I'm so happy for you! Come on; let's go celebrate!"

Before Hinata could even speak, Naruto had grabbed her hand and was already leading her out of the estate.

"N-Naruto-kun!" She nearly tripped from his sudden jerking of her. She proceeded to catch herself, however, and followed him at her own, natural pace, giggling at his antics. "I missed you."

"And I missed you too!" He said cheerfully.

Hanabi waved goodbye to the two as they headed out of the estate. When both jōnin were long gone, she proceeded to lay back down in the grass. Her eyes went to the clouds, but her mind was preoccupied.

"Hanabi?" Hebihiro called her name. She didn't immediately recognize that the snake had even said something, at first.

'So, the new seal is ready. I should probably get marked with it too, then.' She realized. A confused look etched onto the younger Hyūga's face. 'So… what's going to happen now, though? Will the elders be okay with all of this?'

Hanabi was not going to bother her sister right away – she knew that she deserved her moment with Naruto. However, she had a lot of questions for her, Neji, and her father and she was hoping the answers would not scare her too much.

"So, how did your students take being outside of the village, Naruto?" Shikamaru questioned the blonde.

While Naruto and Hinata did want to spend time to themselves – and they did go out to eat alone – Naruto did want to see both Shikamaru and Dosu as well. Therefore, when they finished, the two met up with their other two friends at Dosu's apartment.

The apartment was rather neat, clean, and stylish. Dosu styled his living room and kitchen with various antiques that he found – a nice katana from Tetsu no Kuni that allegedly had been owned by a famous samurai, kabuki masks from various villages and countries displayed and labeled nearly on a shelf, and a large bookcase made of finely crafted wood that was filled with books and scrolls, amongst other things. Naruto, Hinata, and Shikamaru were sitting on a couch in the living room while Dosu prepared tea for the group.

"They seemed to enjoy it. It was their first time being away from Konoha, obviously, so it was a big deal to them. They really enjoyed meeting the Kazekage." Naruto said with a chuckle.

"I am still surprised to hear that Gaara actually became Kazekage!" Hinata noted. "I am really proud of him!"

"It was a surprise for me, believe me. But he deserves it. He's gonna do that village proud." The Uzumaki declared as he crossed his arms. "And he better damn well believe I'm following his footsteps as we speak!"

"I was about to say. With someone our age already become a Kage, it almost suggests you're slacking." Shikamaru commented as he smirked at Naruto. "Better step up your game there, Naruto."

"You're the last one who should talk to me about slacking!" Naruto shot back, smirking as well.

At that point, Dosu walked over to the group with a silver plate and four teacups. Naruto, Hinata, and Shikamaru all took a cup, thanking their friend. Dosu then set the plate down, grabbing his cup, and joining the trio on his couch. Naruto's eyes moved to the former Oto shinobi and frowned.

"Not to… dampen the mood, cause I really don't want to think much about the subject, but I do owe it to you to say it." Naruto spoke with a frown. He took a sip of his tea before he continued to speak: "Yakushi Kabuto was in Suna."

Dosu, who was about to take a sip of the tea, immediately stopped. He set the tea down and looked over at Naruto, with no visible emotion on his face: "Oh?"

"Yeah." Naruto nodded his head. "He… well… 'complicated' the mission, I guess I could say." A frown developed on his face. "Apparently he's been busy doing some experiments, acquiring kekkei genkai of deceased shinobi by mixing their DNA with his own."

"Is that even possible?" Hinata spoke-up, a horrified look developing on her face. "I-I know that there are cases of someone taking the Byakugan, for example, by literally stealing the eyes from my Main Branch family users, but taking bloodline abilities from the DNA itself?"

"That wasn't some claim he made up. He showed it to me in battle." The Uzumaki admitted. "He has that Shikotsumyaku ability you said that one guy who worked for Orochimaru had."

"He has Kimimaro's Dead Bone Pulse, hmm?" Dosu closed his eye, as he began to envision the thought. "… That's so blatantly disrespectful. That's even disrespectful to Orochimaru. I believe that he was simply just going to let Kimimaro die in peace, from what I had heard. For Kabuto to do such experimentations on his dead body is abhorrent."

"I'm assuming you already told Jiraiya, yes?" Shikamaru questioned. Naruto nodded his head. "Good. Both he and Gaara can spread word. When info like this spreads, all shinobi villages should be taking extra precaution of guarding burial grounds or even potentially disposing of bodies, period."

"That would be wise." Dosu nodded his head in agreement. "Perhaps you could also spread this news as well. When was the last time you wrote to Kurotsuchi?"

"A little bit ago. I'm awaiting her response." Shikamaru stated, frowning slightly at the thought of his lover. "I'll definitely let her know, but I'm hoping that this is something that can be handled well in Iwa. That village has its own problems going on right now."

Naruto looked at his friend in confusion: "Oh?"

"Apparently, the last living Kamizuru clan members, descendants of the Shodai Tsuchikage, arrived back in the village after some personal quest or something. And they're not too happy about the alliance between Konoha and Iwa." The Nara frowned. "Nothing violent is going on or anything, but they're commonly speaking out against the alliance and any support for Konoha, in general. Nothing's happened, but it's creating some bad blood in Iwa."

"Iwa doesn't need any shinobi trying to recreate that bad blood between villages." Hinata shook her head. "But Ōnoki-sama is a strong Tsuchikage and he should be able to fight back!"

"Yeah, I figure. And Kurotsuchi will help. As will Han and the rest of those guys. But it's still… troublesome, dealing with them. It's all political crap." Shikamaru sighed.

"Iwa will be fine. I know it will." Naruto stated sharply. "Just cause some guys returned who can't get over the past doesn't mean anything overall. Iwa has changed, and for the better. Everything will be fine there." A small smirk developed on his fast as he pumped his fists. "Just as we'll be fine with the Kabuto situation!"

"You know, Naruto, you are the single most optimistic person I know." Dosu stated with a chuckle. "That's definitely a good thing, though. The positivity is reassuring."

"Damn right it is!" Naruto exclaimed, smiling. "Anyway, sorry to derail the mood like that. Let's get back to something else." He took a sip of tea before continuing to speak. "Other than Hinata's new seal, did anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

The four proceeded to share stories of the different event that occurred in the past week while enjoying Dosu's tea. It was a very relaxed conversation for a relaxed environment – something that was long needed, especially for Naruto. Outside factors around the world may have caused the group stress, but just for even a moment, they were able to relax.

"WHAT?!" Masakado screamed.

Naruto winced as he took in a deep breath, feeling intimidated by the amount of killing intent and pure rage leaking out of Masakado. It reminded him of the first time that he had met the elder Uzumaki back in the temple at Uzushiogakure. Naruto's eyes then moved towards Hiruzen. The former Hokage's eyes were shut, as he was seemingly in deep thought and even deeper sorrow at the news.

From a strictly conflict-avoidant perspective, it might have been wiser to have spoken to Masakado and Hiruzen separately about the incident. However, Naruto knew that he was going to have to talk to both shinobi. He also knew that Masakado, upon learning about Mito's corpse, would have immediately confronted Hiruzen. It made sense to just talk to them both together and allow Masakado to get out his rage immediately. This was Naruto's motivation for inviting Hiruzen over to discuss things with Masakado.

Despite it make sense in his mind, Naruto was already regretting the decision.

"Hiruzen, you couldn't keep her corpse? Isn't she your Shodai's wife? Isn't she the representation of the bond between Konoha and Uzushio?" Masakado questioned, eyes narrowing at the man his age. "How could you let this happen?"

"… This is not a defense. This is just an explanation." Hiruzen spoke softly as he opened his eyes. "Kabuto acquired her corpse of the aftermath of the Suna-Oto invasion. In the resulting chaos, he was able to slip away with it. It was a moment of weakness he capitalized on."

"Moment of weakness my ass! This 'Kabuto' person has the fucking corpse of Uzumaki Mito! He has no right to experiment on it, let alone acquire his DNA!" Masakado snarled. "HOW DARE YOU LET HIM ACCOMPLISH THAT! HOW FUCKING-"

"Masakado. Stop." Naruto spoke-up. The elder Uzumaki turned his head towards Naruto, his anger changing targets. The younger Uzumaki gulped slightly before shaking his head, frowning. "You need to control your anger, Masakado-jī-san. You know that it would have been possible for him to get away with it in the aftermath of the invasion. It's horrible that it happened, but don't just simply yell at the Old Man because of it."

Masakado's glare started to subside. He took in a deep breath and was quiet for roughly a few seconds. Finally, the killing intent across the room started to fade. The man sighed before he was able to finally speak.

"I'll save my anger, then. I'm still pissed. I want this Kabuto's head. I want him dead if it's the last thing I do." Masakado stated sharply.

"Naruto, you have already spoken with Jiraiya about Kabuto's actions, yes?" Hiruzen questioned. The blonde nodded his head. "Good. Kabuto should be becoming a higher priority on target in the Bingo Book. He will be hunted down and killed."

"Damn right he will." The red-headed shinobi crossed his arms. "And I'll be the one to fucking end him.

"Masakado-san, rest assured; you will have your way with him." The Sandaime Hokage said. "I… I understand your anger. It was under my watch this happened. You're holding back your anger because of Naruto, but I fully understand it and you do not need to forgive me. I don't deserve your forgiveness. This whole incident will be one of my deepest shames… and I hope to right it." The man's eyes narrowed as he began releasing killing intent. "Rest assured; Yakushi Kabuto will die."

"… I believe you, Hiruzen. And I'm going to wait impatiently for that day." Masakado sighed, shaking his head. "Mito was a good woman. She deserves better than that."

"That she does." Hiruzen smiled, sadly. "I remember the day I first met. It was only after Hashirama-sensei had accepted me as his student. I was a stranger in their home, but she treated me as if she had known me her whole life."

"She was a lovely person. Had the fiery passion that all Uzumaki had, along with a deep love for all people." Masakado noted with a sad smile. "I became acquainted with her shortly after Hashirama's death. She would visit Uzushio whenever she had the chance and she saw me back then, a young man who was finally taking his shinobi career seriously. She gave me a lot of personal advice to improve myself." A slight tear developed in his eyes as he shook his head. "She spent a lot of time while she was there, helping me grow stronger and improve my fūinjutsu. She seemed to know that I was finally taking being a shinobi seriously and wanted me to improve for my sake. She had other things she could have been doing – should have been doing – instead, but she just chose to help me, cause she knew I needed to help."

Naruto was quiet as both Masakado and Hiruzen reflected on Mito's legacy. He listened to the two older men discuss the life and skills of 'the most exemplary Uzumaki shinobi to this date'.

"Father, you are still awake."

Hiashi turned his attention from a scroll he was working on. He noticed that both Hinata and Hanabi were there in the doorway to his office, looking at him. The Hyūga Clan Head nodded in acknowledgment, which urged the sisters to walk into his office. Both took a seat in the chairs directly in front of his desk.

"I am surprised to see you two awake, still." He noted, still writing. "You especially, Hanabi. Don't you have training with Naruto tomorrow?"

"I do. But I'll get enough sleep." Hanabi replied with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Hinata wanted to speak with you, though, and I'd like to be here too for it."

"Very well." Hiashi stopped writing in his scroll and looked up to his eldest daughter. "What are you thinking, Hinata?"

"I… I have an idea I would like you propose. When we convince the Hyūga elders." Hinata spoke.

"If." Hiashi corrected. "I'm trying to find ways to appeal to them. I'm working on this scroll right now to collect my thoughts."

"I am aware you are. And I personally believe that we will succeed and convince them." Hinata stated with a smile. "However, I have an idea about a step to take afterwards."

"Oh?" Hiashi crossed his arms.

"As you are aware, this is all to unite the Branch and Main families together. Therefore, I think something must be done as a symbol for this unification." Hinata elaborated. "The new seal will definitely pave the way, but it could also just be a sign of correcting the past. There needs to be a way to show them that the future is going to be changed."

"And I assume you have a suggestion to show the Branch family of this unified future?" Her father questioned.

She nodded her head: "This is something I told Hanabi just now, and I'd like you to hear it too…." She took a deep breath in before finishing her sentence: "I'd like for you to claim Neji as the next heir of the Hyūga clan."

Hiashi's eyes widened. He brought his hands together as he looked at his daughter, processing her words fully.

"I've put some thought into this." Hinata admitted. "I actually think the elders will be okay with this, as I think Neji has always had a better reputation in their eyes than I have. Even if they may now give me praise for my strength as a shinobi, I know they still view my… personality… as not ideal for a Hyūga Clan Head. They'd be supportive of this act. As would the Branch Family. It would be a sign that our clan is changing for the better. They would acknowledge that, maybe just as much as the new seal."

"I… see your logic." Hiashi commented. A small, sad smile developed on his lips. "You would make an excellent Clan Head, Hinata. I can see it now more clearly than I ever could have hoped years ago. Are you certain this is what you feel is best?'

"I do." She nodded her head. A smile of her own developed on her face. "Besides, I feel as if Neji will be able to handle clan politics better than I can. He'll be an even better Clan Head."

Hiashi then turned to face his second daughter: "And what are your thoughts on everything, Hanabi?"

"I… I'm in support." Hanabi said as she bit her thumb. "I just want our clan to have a better relationship with each other. Whether that means Hinata-nee-san or Neji is the Clan Head doesn't matter. Whatever happens, I just want our clan to be more united."

A smile developed on the elder Hyūga's face. He looked upward for a brief moment.

'Hizashi… can you hear this? Your son, the Clan Head of the Hyūga Clan…' Tears started to fall down Hiashi's face. 'I… wish you could see this, Hizashi.'

"This will be official, then. Once we have discussed with the elders and get this confirmed, we will make it known. Neji will become the new heir to the Hyūga Clan." Hiashi noted. His eyes then moved to his daughters. "With that in mind, though, do you two have any personal plans?"

"I simply want to become the best shinobi I can and do whatever I can to help the village and our clan." Hinata said, smiling. "I intend on also getting my own genin squad sometime and helping them grow stronger."

"You should strive higher, Hinata. You have the strength to be in ANBU or the Jōnin Commander of the village. Don't sell yourself short." Hiashi informed her, smiling. His eyes then moved towards Hanabi. "And you, Hanabi?"

"I… I'm still figuring that out." Hanabi admitted, frowning. "Naruto-sensei is helping me develop as a shinobi and I intend on following through with his advice in hopes to develop even further, both as a shinobi and as a person." She tapped her fingers together as she started to look downward slightly. "Naruto-sensei actually recommended medical ninjutsu as a field I might interesting, and I intend on looking into it more…"

"Really" Hinata looked at her sister in surprise. "He never mentioned that to me. You never mentioned that to me before. Are you interested?"

"I… maybe?" The younger Hyūga admitted. Her frown started to twist upwards into a smile. "I want to at least see."

"A Hyūga has never been a medical shinobi before. It's not considered a traditional career route." Hiashi noted, bringing his hand to his chin. "If you follow through with it, though, I expect for you to become one of the best medical shinobi this village has ever seen."

"I…" Hanabi nodded her head in understanding, giving her father a determined look. "Understood!"

"Heh." Hiashi chuckled slightly. "You two have grown into such strong women. Your mother would be so proud of you both…"

Conversation ended shortly afterwards. Hinata and Hanabi bid their father goodnight while he remained in his office, continuing to work on his scroll.

Regardless of whatever happens, all three family members felt closer than ever, and that was, at the very least, an important development.

The next day came rather quickly for the members of Team Nine. The group arrived at Training Ground Nine early in the morning, ready to train as hard as possible.

Naruto worked his students hard, with an initial rough warm-up exercise, doubling the number of sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, and laps around the training ground that he normally had them do. Upon completion, he introduced his genin to water walking. While all three initially struggled with it, after an hour and twenty minutes of straight practice, they were starting to get the handle of it. Once they finished, he moved onto other chakra exercises.

Two hours had passed and Naruto's genin were completely exhausted in ways they had never been before. Despite that, though, they seemed pleased with themselves and eager to continue.

After giving them another five minutes to rest, Naruto created two clones. Kanji and Hanabi both went the two clones while the original Naruto remained with Katsumi.

"Okay, so for private training today, what did you want to work on?" Katsumi questioned excitedly. "I'm ready for anything!"

"It's about time we tried doing some kenjutsu training. You already said you wanted to practice with it, so let's get started." Naruto suggested.

"Gotcha." The civilian-born kunoichi stated as she reached for her wooden sword. Naruto shook his head, which caused her to stop reaching for it. She looked at him in confusion. "Huh? What's up?"

"I think I said that you really shouldn't be using a wooden sword, especially now that you're a shinobi. That's not going to do you much good in a fight. You'll need something a bit more practical." Naruto explained as he reached into his pocket.

Before Katsumi could question him, the jōnin pulled out a scroll and tossed it to her. After she caught it, the scroll unsealed itself. Katsumi's eyes proceeded to widen.

After the resulting smoke from the seal faded away, she noticed she was now holding onto a nice-looking steel sword. The hilt was colored gold and had the Konoha 'leaf' symbol on the grip. There was also two small dark green-colored gems on the cross-guards.

"Oh my God…" Katsumi mumbled to herself as she ran her hand over the blade. While she was being careful not to cut herself, she could tell that the sword was rather sharp.

"Remember my cousin Masamune? The one who was involved with your graduation exam? Well, he's a blacksmith. And before we left to Suna, I requested this from him." Naruto said with a smirk. "He's kinda a stylish guy, so I had to get him to make something practical instead. I think the sword works well."

Without verbally replying, Katsumi put her hands on the sword's grip. She then swung the sword. She was surprised at how easy it was to swing it.

"It's kinda light, if I recall correctly. It's a pretty good practice sword. There's probably sharper out there, but it'll help you attack quick and I think could be a good place to start learning." The Uzumaki noted. "So? Thoughts?"

Katsumi continued to say nothing. She turned her attention to Naruto. Tears began to roll down her eyes as she looked at him with the brightest, widest smile he had ever seen on her face.

"Naruto-sensei… thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you." Katsumi told him. Her hand twitched, as if she was going to rub her eyes and wipe away her tears, but she resisted. In that moment, it looked as if she was never going to let go of her grip on the sword.

"D-Don't thank me. Just consider it as a task from me to you to get better." The blonde rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I just want you to get stronger, y'know?"

"I know. But you're the first person to ever really believe that I can grow stronger and be a great shinobi. No one has ever told me things like you have." She stated. Her grip on her sword tightened as the civilian-born shinobi looked at him with even more determination. "And I'm ready to do whatever it takes to prove you right! So, let's get right into training!"

Naruto was quiet for a moment as he looked at his student. He shook his head, chuckling slightly: 'She reminds me a ton like me. Maybe she'd be me if I never had met Hinata and Shikamaru, and the person I met that really cared about my development was Anko-sensei…'

"Well, then let's get right into it." Naruto declared. Immediately, he pulled out another scroll and proceeded to unseal a basic-looking sword. He gripped it tightly. "So, I'm not a kenjutsu specialist at all, but I did research on the basics and stuff. Let's begin practice. We're going to start with proper swinging and then we'll work our way from there. Okay?"

"Got it!" His student exclaimed.

"Lightning Style: Spider Web." Kanji read the name of the scroll that Naruto's clan had given him with intrigue.

"Kanji, you're a strategist, so I wanted to give you a jutsu that you could find useful for your fighting style." Naruto's clone stated. "This jutsu, like its weird name suggests, creates an electrical surge throughout the ground that forms a spider-web pattern that automatically electrocutes anything it comes into contact with, other than you of course. It lasts for however long you wish for it to, and you aren't rooted in place when using it either."

"Hmm… I presume this can help me position myself on a battlefield better." The Yamanaka noted. "Help me lock off certain areas of the battlefield from my opponent and make it easier for me to corner them and make it harder for them to reach me."

"Yup." The clone nodded its head.

"Hmm…" Kanji smirked as he began to unravel the scroll. "Alright then, let's take a look at how to use the jutsu. Then I'll decide weber or not it's worth using."

There was a pregnant pause for a moment. Kanji looked at the clone with a 'shit-eating' grin on his face. The clone was silent for a moment before it sighed, shaking its head.

"Look Kanji, you know the original me likes your puns. But I have to say, that one was kinda pushing it." It stated sharply.

"… Meh." Kanji frowned. He shook his head before focusing his attention back to the scroll. "In all seriousness, let's begin this. I'd be really curious to learn this jutsu and make it work!"

"Alright, Naruto-sensei, let's get back to reviewing medical ninjutsu!" Hanabi declared passionately to the clone.

"Whoa, aren't you excited?" The clone said with a chuckle. "You always just seemed interested, now you seem passionate about it!"

For the briefest of seconds, a pink blush developed on Hanabi's face at having her excitement called out. It faded away, however, as she looked at her jōnin-sensei with determination. She pumped her fists together.

"I spent a lot of time studying the scrolls last night and I think I'm ready to start trying to heal something!" She stated.

"She did. She told me about it all this morning." Hebihiro commented.

"Heh, okay, okay. I gotcha." Naruto's clone stated with a chuckle. "If I knew you were ready to practice genuine healing, I would have had the original be with you, cause as a clone, I can't really injure myself and give you something to practice with. And personally speaking, I'd rather you not injure yourself or Hebihiro just for practice." It then started to rub his head in confusion. "Then again, I think you're supposed to practice with small animals like fish or birds before you work your way hope to healing humans anyway. So I guess tomorrow, I'll start working on getting stuff ready for it."

"Oh. Gotcha." Hanabi noted with a slight frown. "Do you have any ideas of something we could work on then, instead?"

"Well, I had an idea for a jutsu I know how to use. Your other teammates know how to use elemental ninjutsu related to their elements and I think it's about time you learn something yourself." The clone replied as it tossed Hanabi a scroll.

Hanabi grabbed the scroll and proceeded to read the title: "Earth Style: Rock Gun."

"It's a fairly basic jutsu. One of the easier earth style jutsu to practice with. And I think it can give you at least some jutsu foundation when you must fight from a little bit of distance, you know?" Naruto's clone suggested. "So. We'll work on this today. And we'll get you working on your medical ninjutsu ASAP as well. That good?"

"Yes!" Hanabi nodded her head as she opened the scroll. "So, let's get started!"

When training completed, and after handling a few basic missions from the Hokage, Team Nine disbanded for the day. Upon finishing everything up, Naruto proceeded to meet up with Hinata. The two shinobi proceeded to walk through the village, with seemingly no destination in mind.

"They were incredibly focused today in their training! I have never seen them like that before!" Naruto exclaimed. "It was actually kinda cool. They keep up this level and I think they might become chūnin-level shinobi in about a month tops!"

"That's good to hear." Hinata said, smiling. "I'm certain that it's because of the mission in Suna, though. After our first C-rank mission was when we started to take our training more seriously. I'm certain it's the same for them."

"Yeah, probably. I'm just impressed, I guess. Kanji and Hanabi already learned the jutsu I wanted them to practice in our brief training sessions and Katsumi seemed to learn the basics of kenjutsu in no time. Pretty soon, she's gonna know more than what I can teach her." He proceeded to rub the back of his head, chuckling. "I'm probably gonna have to ask for lessons for her maybe. Might also see if I can get Shikamaru to work with Hanabi."

"For her medical ninjutsu?" Hinata questioned. "You didn't tell me you were going to have her work on that, by the way?"

"I didn't? Whoops." Naruto smiled at his girlfriend sheepishly. "That wasn't meant to be a secret or anything; I just forgot I guess. Hanabi just seemed like she didn't know what she wanted to do, so I thought I'd introduce her to something that she probably had never thought about before and seeing if she'd be interested."

"Believe me, she seemed interested when we talked last night." The Hyūga said. "I hope she follows through and is interested, though. I'd like for Hanabi to have an interest like that."

"I know she'd be breaking with tradition in your clan, but man, fuck your traditions." The Uzumaki replied.

Hinata giggled in response: "That has been a motto of mine for a while now."

"Oh? That phrase specifically. Didn't know you liked to swear that much, then." Naruto replied, snickering. "Best hope I don't tell your sister."

His girlfriend quickly shook her head, still giggling: "Please don't!"

She was about to say something else, but both she and Naruto were stopped as a figure appeared directly in front of them – a Hyūga Clan shinobi.

"Hinata-sama, I have been looking for you!" The man quickly stated. "Your father has requested your presence?"

"Hmm?" Hinata tilted her head in confusion. "Do you know what for, Kō?"

"Not the specifics, but he arranged a meeting with the clan elders and requires both yours and Neji's presence." The man, Kō, answered.

"Huh?" She nearly chocked in response. 'Already? Wasn't he still working on his speech? He's ready!'

"Is that for what I think it is?" Naruto spoke-up, a smirk on his face. His hand went to Hinata's shoulder, giving it an affectionate squeeze: "You'll do great, Hinata. Believe in yourself and your father and cousin."

Hinata was quiet for a second before she turned back to Naruto, smiling. She nodded her head in agreement: "Here's hoping!"

With a quick hug and kiss goodbye, Hinata left, following Kō towards the Hyūga Clan Estate. Her boyfriend waved to her as she left.

Upon arriving at the Estate, Hinata was directed to the Hyūga Clan's meeting room.

The room itself was rather bare; the room was made with a green-colored wood and sliding doors made of similar-colored wind. No decoration or furniture was placed in the room; the only things of note were the floor mats that were scattered neatly. Ten mats were placed on the left side of the room, two mats was placed on the right side, and a singular mat was placed directly in the center of the room.

As she walked in, Hinata noticed that she was the last one to arrive. Her father and cousin were already sitting on their respective mats; the singular one in the center and one of the two mats to the right, respectively. The left side was all filled with ten Hyūga clan elders. At the center was Hyūga Yoshikane, whose eyes were watching her intently as she entered the room.

"My apologies for my tardiness." Hinata bowed her head as she quickly took a seat on the mat next to Neji.

"There is nothing to apologize for. We were unaware that this meeting was occurring." One of the clan elders commented as he looked at Hiashi. "Well? Your daughter is here. Can we begin this?"

"Of course." Hiashi said. He reached into the pocket of his robe and quickly pulled out a scroll. He set the scroll down in front of him. "I would like for us to discuss our clan's infamous 'caged bird seal'."

"In what regard?" Another elder spoke-up, her eyes narrowing.

"I would like to discuss its necessity." Hiashi continued. "The seal has been in our family's tradition for centuries as the means to preserve the Byakugan within our bloodline, preventing assailants from stealing the power of our Dōjutsu."

"Word has spread recently of a man that has been going around stealing kekkei genkai from other villages." Yoshikane spoke-up, a scowl on his face. "Our clan's policy is pertinent. A Byakugan will surely never develop in that fiend's collection of bloodlines."

"The seal is indeed necessary to help us keep the Byakugan from following into the wrong hands, but that's not its only effect. It helps divide our clan into two separate families." The Clan Head stated.

"This again?" A Clan Elder questioned, looking as if he was about to yawn. "Hiashi-san, we have discussed this. The only division in our family is a practical one. The Main family helps run the clan while the Branch family performs missions and earns the clan its reputation. It allows for two separate entities to exist that can focus on one aspect of our clan and help the overall image of our clan grow brighter."

"That may be true, but the seal also serves to control the Branch family." Hinata spoke-up, before her father could. "Why else would the side-effects to their brain be placed within the seal?"

"It's the nature of the seal, itself. It was designed that way and its tradition. It's just a side-effect of an effective seal." The same elder replied, shrugging his shoulders. "It just so happens to also be a useful tool to reign in any rebellious Branch family shinobi."

Neji's hand went to his mat instinctively and squeezed it. He closed his eyes, making sure to bite his tongue.

"That may be, but I do personally believe that those additions serve as simply a way to create animosity between the families." Hinata continued to speak, frowning.

"And I agree with my daughter." Hiashi spoke-up. "I also think its impractical. After all, Main Branch family members have their Byakugan unsealed and if we were to die, someone could steal the Byakugan. As Hinata has once said, there is a man in Kirigakure that acquired a Byakugan from killing a Main Branch Hyūga."

"Hiashi, quit beating around the bush." Yoshikane spoke-up, crossing his arms. "What are you getting at? Are you suggesting that all Main Branch shinobi be marked as well?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes." Hiashi replied as he opened the scroll, revealing Masakado's design. "I would like to propose a new seal to be implemented."

"Ex-Excuse me?" One elder nearly gasped.

"New seal?" Another exclaimed.

"That's… Hiashi, what are you thinking?" A third elder nearly hissed.

Nine of the ten Hyūga elders began to quickly discuss amongst themselves the mere idea of a new seal. The tenth elder, Yoshikane, merely closed his eyes. A scowl developed on his face as he shook his head.

"What Hiashi-sama is thinking is to unite the clan." Neji spoke-up, silencing the bickering of the elders. "He wants the clan to move forward together as one and work together in unity, as one family. As such, this new seal accomplishes the same goal as the first – helping keep the Byakugan out of the clutches of enemy shinobi – without causing division in our family."

Yoshikane quickly lifted his right hand, making a hand sign. Hiashi and Hinata both flinched initially at the action, but Neji had no reaction. He stayed sitting, nothing occurring. Yoshikane quickly lowered his hand.

"You have this new seal already." Yoshikane noted.

Neji nodded his head as he untied his forehead protector, revealing the new seal. Hinata quickly untied her forehead protector as well.

"As do I." Hinata added. "As should all Hyūga shinobi."

The elders were silent as they stared at both Hinata and Neji. Yoshikane's eyes narrowed on the two as he proceeded to shake his head.

"And are you certain that this seal will work beyond death? That the seal will keep the Byakugan sealed after death?" He questioned.

"If you wish to see if it does, you can strike me down now and see if this new seal is effective." Neji offered.

"N-Neji-nii-san?" Hinata turned her head towards the man.

Both the Branch Family Hyūga and the former Clan Head locked eyes with each other. Both stared deep into each other's very being as silence filled the room. A few seconds passed by before Hiashi interrupted the silence as he wrapped up the scroll.

"That will not be necessary, Neji. The seal is the work of Uzumaki Masakado, the Sandaime Uzukage and arguably the most prolific seal master in the Elemental Nations. There is no doubt that the seal will work." Hiashi said.

"Uzumaki Masakado, huh…" An elder noted the name.

"The seal must work, then. But is it worth it to switch?" Another commented.

"It's going against tradition. That seal has been passed down for centuries!"

"But if a better seal is designed, should we not switch?"

The elders again began discussing amongst themselves. Yoshikane, however, did not participate in their discussion. The Former Clan Head of the clan stood up from his mat and looked down on his son, and then towards his grandchildren. He proceeded to shake his head.

"Regardless of noble intentions, this clan goes against the very traditions of the clan. You can't simply change our customs like this, Hiashi." He stated. "This seal is our clan's tradition."

"This isn't a mere change. It's a correction." Hinata said sharply.

"A correction, you say." Yoshikane's eyes narrowed on the girl. "What a bold statement to make. You've always been a rebellious girl, haven't you? Someone who seems to reject the very nature of what it means to be a Hyūga. Someone like you is not fit to be in the Main Branch, let alone the Clan Head."

"Regardless of your opinion, Hinata-sama is in line to become the next Clan Head." Neji spoke-up, proceeding to stand-up as well.

"You are forgetting that, while the Clan Head has authority, it is the role of the elders of a clan to make sure that the Clan Head does not do anything irrational or act in a manner that goes against the clan's best interest." Yoshikane continued.

"… Regardless of whether you think it is in the clan's best interest to stay divided, and whether you like it or not, Hinata-sama and I are the examples of the next generation of the Hyūga Clan are like. And we can prove to you that it is indeed a bright future."

"Oh?" Yoshikane tilted his head. "Would you care to demonstrate this?"

"We would be honored to." Hinata stated as she got-up, standing side-by-side her cousin. "What would you recommend?"

"I'd like to see you demonstrate that in combat." The Hyūga elder stated.

All eyes moved towards the man. The other Hyūga Clan elders were staring at the man in surprise while Hiashi, Neji, and Hinata were looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"Wh-What are you suggesting, Yoshikane-sama?" One of the elders suggested.

"I wish to see if this 'future' is strong enough. Yes. That's it. That's what shall happen." The former Hyūga Clan Leader crossed his arms as his eyes gazed upon his grandchildren. "You want our support and approval of this new seal, yes? Then earn it. Tomorrow, I wish to spar with you both."

"Two against one?" Hinata questioned. "Regardless of anything, that puts you at a disadvantage."

"I will have an accomplice that will fight with me – a shinobi I know that can fight at a high level." Yoshikane stated, crossing his arms. "You two wish to present yourselves as the future of the Hyūga Clan? Then I demand you to prove it to me. Incapacitate me and my aid tomorrow and I will give my full support towards this new seal. I also believe that the other elders will back-up my support if your demonstration is satisfactory, yes?"

The other clan elders seemed taken aback by the former Clan Head's statement. They were silent for a moment before they all nodded their heads.

"We will follow Yoshikane-sama's lead. If you can earn his support, we will support the new seal as well." One elder spoke collectively for the rest.

"This is fine. I accept." Hinata stated.

"As do I." Neji nodded his head in agreement.

"Then it's official." Hiashi spoke as he stood up. "Tomorrow, I'll make arrangements in the clan dojo for a spar."

"No need. I'll make the arrangements." Yoshikane stated sharply. "I'm certain that I can get the space for the Chūnin Exam finals open for tomorrow."

His son looked at the man in surprise: "You wish for an arena that large? For just a spar?"

"I don't wish for your daughter and nephew to treat this as a spar. I want to see them fight their hardest for their seal. I want to see this passion that makes them feel as if they're path is the correct path for our clan's future." The elder stated sharply. His eyes then moved towards his grandchildren. "I am an immovable wall. I have my vision of the Hyūga Clan and I refuse to back down on it. If you wish to get me change my mind, then physically force me to."

Hinata's eyes narrowed into a glare: "Then we will."

Hyūga Yoshikane left the Hyūga Clan estate roughly an hour after midnight and proceeded to walk towards Konoha's market district.

It had been a fairly easy task to rent the Chūnin Exam stadium – it was not being used and Jiraiya was very open to the clan using it for a moment. The elder had only one last preparation to make for the fight the next morning.

Yoshikane moved through the empty, moonlit streets until he reached a 'Western-style' restaurant that was closed for business. Despite the sign on the door, the Hyūga proceeded to place his hand on the door and channeled his chakra. After a few seconds, a 'clicking' noise could be heard. He then reached for the door and walked right in.

Inside the empty restaurant, sitting at a table, was a lone figure – a rather frail, elderly man. The man wore a white shirt with a black robe over it that went down past his feet. He had bandages over his forehead, just underneath his spiky black hair, that also covered his right eye. The man also used a cane, seemingly to help himself stand.

"I hope I haven't kept you waiting here for long, Danzō." Yoshikane said, giving a polite bow to the man.

"I have not." Danzō replied, shaking his head. "I am surprised you wished to speak to me so suddenly. What is that you request, Yoshikane?"

"You don't need to play games with me. Quit feigning ignorance." The Hyūga elder scowled. "I know you have at least one or two ROOT agents within my clan, as disgusting as that feels. I know you know exactly what I am talking about."

"Has word spread within your clan about what is occurring tomorrow? Interesting." Danzō mumbled as he started to move closer to Yoshikane.

"No. As far as I'm aware, only those in that meeting and a few Main Branch family members. But I know you. I know that information escapes your grasp, if it exists." He responded.

"Interesting." The 'crippled' man noted. "Yes. I do know about the battle you are going to have with Hiashi's daughter and nephew. Now, why did you call me here to talk about that?"

"I… have a request." Yoshikane sighed, as if he was swallowing down bile. "I wish to borrow a singular ROOT agent to fight alongside me in my fight against Hinata and Neji."

Danzō was quiet for a few seconds. Yoshikane was about to speak again when he heard a very light, foreign sound – the sound of Danzō's laughter.

"Yoshikane, you are openly disgusted with how I run ROOT, but not enough that you feel above asking to borrow one of my agents for a personal conflict. I do not believe I have ever met someone as hypocritical as you." The man noted.

"I resent that I am asking you." Yoshikane admitted, gritting his teeth. "However, I know how 'sympathetic' the Branch Family's plight is and how most shinobi of the village will not ally with me in a fight. Another Main Branch family may, but I need someone strong enough to fight at a higher level. I know that your agent will not care about any morality; they will simply follow the orders. It hurts my pride, but I am more concerned with the effects of a 'new seal' that I am willing to approach you."

"And why exactly should I feel this is necessary? I have no stake in your clan politics." Danzō noted. "In addition, it would be to Konoha's benefit if all Main Branch members were marked with a new seal, to ensure that no enemies of Konoha could ever obtain the Byakugan."

"Danzō. You are a traditional man. You must understand the threat a this change to the Hyūga clan can bring." The Hyūga elder said, crossing his arms. "I don't trust giving equalizing the relationship between the Branch and Main families. I am painfully aware of the hostilities between the families – removing the Main Branch's control on the Branch Family opens the possibility of an open rebellion and coup against the Main Household. I know that many Branch family members would be open to such a rebellion." He closed his eyes. "I'll be a hypocrite. I'll be the bad guy. But I refuse to let this possibility happen. I may not be the Clan Head anymore, but as an elder, I refuse to watch my clan fall apart."

Danzō closed his eye in thought. He remained still for a moment as Yoshikane stood still, watching him. Nearly a whole minute passed before Danzō opened his eye. He nodded his head as he slammed his cane onto the ground.

As if on cue, a shinobi appeared in the room wearing an ANBU mask, bowing to Danzō.

"Sai, this is Hyūga Yoshikane. He has a mission for you." The leader of ROOT stated. "You will be participating in a fight alongside this man against two other Hyūga shinobi. I expect you to fight with your full extent of his abilities. You will follow his orders as if they were my own in relation to this battle. Understood?"

"Understood, Danzō-sama." The ROOT agent, Sai, responded back.

'With this, I'll have all the assistance I need. Tomorrow will be a fruitful day.' Yoshikane sighed in relief. His fists tightened as he turned his head back towards the entrance to the restaurant. 'I recognize your good intentions, Hiashi, but I refuse to let our clan potentially fight. I will resist this change, even if I have to beat it into my grandchildren for you all to understand it!'

Quick Notes:

1: Just giving a bit of a description of the balance power in the Hyūga clan. So, in theory, Hiashi is the Clan Head. And his word is gospel in a technical sense. However, the presence of the Hyūga elders is there as a 'checks-and-balance' sorta thing. All it takes is one 'bad head' and the entire clan could collapse, as the Clan Head would lead the family into poor decisions that would ruin reputation and survival of the clan. As such, a group of elders (including any previous Clan Heads that are still alive) serve as an authority to keep the clan safe from that 'one bad head' that could potentially rise. Hiashi, being a traditional man, will respect the elders, as he does not want to overstep their own 'checks-and-balance' and definitely cause a civil war of tensions, so he needs their approval. This is why,Hinata, and Neji had to approach them. I hope this makes sense. I think, at the very least, it's a logical perspective. For a clan like the Hyūga clan, with all of its traditions and history, would need something like this just in case of a poor Clan Head.