Chapter 20: The Hyūga's Strife

One hour before the Hyūga crisis

It felt so wrong to Naruto for him to be here instead of out and about in the village, doing his part to help Konoha recover from the storm.

The blond jinchūriki sat outside the guest house, watching the moon travel across the night sky as he tried to make sense of everything that had happened. It had now been a full twenty-four hours since Hinata fell unconscious during the ordeal caused by that swine Tomi and she had yet to awaken. Naruto had spent all of the daylight hours at bedside, impatiently waiting for her to wake up, but with no luck. He would have rather spent that time outside the Hyūga district, assisting his fellow villagers with the cleanup efforts. However, Hiashi had ordered him to stay in the guest house until further notice and Neji was more than willing to enforce that order. They said that until the situation both within the clan and in the rest of Konoha had calmed down, it was for the best that he remained unseen by anyone else.

'Wow, doesn't that have a familiar ring to it,' he thought bitterly. All his life, people had gone out of their way to pretend he didn't exist, and now someone was telling him that he had to disappear from their existence, for his own good. 'Then again, if I left and Hinata woke up while I was gone, she'd probably lecture me again when she found me.' He didn't mind that, though; he was grateful that Hinata cared enough to do that for him. But after everything that had happened, he didn't know if he would ever be able to trust her with the secrets Dark Naruto had forced him to hear while he was caught in the demon's choke hold.

"You're STILL in denial," his demonic dark half had told him the night Konoha was destroyed. "Nobody wanted or will ever want you except Hinata. She is the only person in this godforsaken world who gives two shits about you. Naturally only Hinata could be compassionate enough to take a brat like you in and care for you. Naturally only she could be strong enough, and selfless enough, to let go of her feelings for you and sacrifice her happiness to secure your own."

Naruto sighed deeply and clenched his fists as that memory replayed itself in his mind. 'Was he right? Is Hinata the only person that really cares?' He shook off the question almost right away, though: 'That's not true! Iruka-sensei, Ero-sennin, Tsunade-bā-chan, Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei all care! They all believe in me! But...' Most of Dark Naruto's words were lies, but there was just enough truth mixed in that made him doubt himself. Every person he had just listed in his thoughts was someone who only came around after he'd proven himself to them. It was the same with almost all of his other friends. Hinata was the one and only exception to that rule. She alone had supported Naruto unconditionally, even if he hadn't realized it until recently. 'Was that really why my dark half became that demon everyone always wrongly feared I was? Was I really so focused on proving them wrong and getting them to acknowledge me that I neglected the one person who'd already acknowledged me?' Before that night, Naruto had managed to figure out that his dark half was, in fact, an entity from the future. However, he'd thought back then that his dark half was only trying to warn him about what could happen. He hadn't counted on his own inner doubts and regrets being strong enough that they could cause his dark half to prove the villagers right about their mistaken perceptions.

But even worse than that was his failure—correction, his refusal—to open his eyes and see who Yuzuki really is.

"This is so screwed up," Naruto said aloud, his voice shaky as he sat down and pressed his face to his knees. Hinata had come to his rescue like he knew, deep down, that she always would. Except that time, she had chosen to sacrifice any chance of having a romantic relationship with him by giving him a different relationship, one he'd been denied due to the circumstances of his birth: the bond between a mother and her son. 'Why does she always hurt and sacrifice herself for my sake...?'

"Naruto-kun?" the gentle voice that could only be Hinata's asked. Naruto lifted his head and saw his beloved climbing off her mattress and sluggishly walking towards him, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"Hey, Hinata," Naruto answered her call and was about to pat the space next to him when he noticed what she was wearing, and used that hand to stifle a giggle.

"What's so funny?" Hinata half-asked, half-yawned. Naruto couldn't hold it in and outright laughed at her, while pointing a shaking finger at her to indicate his source of humor. She looked down at herself...

...and that was when she noticed that after she had fallen unconscious, Natsu had undressed her. She was currently wearing a frilly set of lavender button-up pajamas that, when coupled with her shorter haircut, made her look like a little girl again.

"Eek!" Hinata shouted and quickly rushed back into the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. For the next few minutes, she tore through her dresser looking for her regular clothes while Naruto kept laughing at the incident from outside. His laughter only stopped when the noises from the bedroom stopped, and only then did Hinata walk back outside, now wearing her regular training/mission clothes.

"Sorry, Hinata," Naruto halfheartedly apologized. "You were just way too cute in those pajamas, y'know?"

'I hate you, Natsu,' Hinata inwardly cursed her sister's personal attendant as she took the space next to Naruto that he had tried to offer her the first time she stepped out onto the patio.

"What was I saying before?" Naruto continued. "Oh, right. I was thinking about how glad I was that you're awake now."

"How long was I asleep?" Hinata asked, biting back another yawn.

"About a day," Naruto answered in a bitter tone. "Your old man won't let me go anywhere." Hinata's eyes widened at his answer and she blushed deeply at the implications.

"A d-day?" Hinata stammered. 'Does this mean...that Naruto-kun slept next to me?'

Not knowing what Hinata was thinking, Naruto nodded. "Yeah. I've been bored out of my mind waiting for you to wake up. I couldn't sleep at all and besides, I didn't know where you guys were keeping the extra futons."

Hinata let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. "Oh. I see," she said, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"It's fine, though. I've had a lot of time to think about some stuff."

Hinata's facial expression showed no small amount of worry as she looked Naruto in the eye. Whenever Naruto was left alone and tried to think deeply, it usually meant that something was wrong. "Oh? What were you thinking about?"

Naruto paused to contemplate her question. She was only looking out for his well-being, but...that just wasn't enough, not after his dark half had torn him apart as thoroughly as he tore the village apart. 'I can't tell her,' he thought. 'What would Hinata do if she knew that all of this was because of me? What would she say if I told her that she and Yuzuki-kā-chan are the same person? There's no way she'll believe me. And even if she does believe me, she'll never forgive me. This may be selfish of me, but...if I want her to stay with me, I have no choice but to lie to her...'

"It's nothing important," he told Hinata. But she immediately called him out on his lie by burying her head into his shoulder, taking him by surprise. "Whoa, Hinata! What—"

"Why do you still not trust me?" Hinata cut him off, breaking into a crying fit. Naruto's shirt quickly turned damp from her tears and his heart sunk into a deep abyss. He was only trying to protect her...but why was it that all of his efforts to protect her only caused him to hurt her?

"I'm sorry, Hinata. Please don't hate me...please don't push me away..." Naruto whispered, wrapping his other arm around her and allowing his own tears to fall freely on her shoulder.

The broken pair stayed like that for a long time, spilling their tears together and tuning out everything else. They were so caught up in their mutual misery that were it not for Kō walking in on them, they would not have heard the loud explosion that went off close to them.

"Kō-san!" Hinata shouted at her bodyguard, blushing furiously at his barging in on her intimate moment with Naruto.

"We don't have time for this, Hinata-sama. Both you and Naruto-san need to get out of the complex as quickly as possible."

"What's going on?" Naruto asked, showing worry where Hinata was still fighting off embarrassment. Kō's face turned morbid as he answered,

"It's the elders. They are staging a coup."

x-x

Once Sai, Team Asuma and Team Guy arrived at the Hyūga district they found that things were already going from bad to worse. Many of the Hyūga were being forced into a large group by other shinobi present, shouting an incoherent mess of words that got lost in the background noise due to the lack of synchronization.

"Hopefully that makes our task a little easier," Shikamaru said, pointing out the confined mob that had to compose of a large portion of the clan. "Spread out and search for our targets. Remember, do not engage any Hyūga in battle unless a confrontation is unavoidable," he reissued the order to the others. They nodded and, with the exception of Sai who was under orders to stay in Shikamaru's visual range, all split off in different directions in search of their targets.

"This exercise seems pointless," Sai observed, giving Shikamaru his fake smile. "If our own group includes a Hyūga, should we have not already located our objective?"

"You forget that Neji belongs to the Branch House," Shikamaru said in an annoyed tone. "That makes him the least valuable member of our search party. If anyone from the Main House who's sided against Hiashi-sama catches on to his actions..." The lazy Nara's voice trailed off, letting the unsaid words hang in the air. He then groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Damn it, there's already so much commotion. How are we supposed to find them, never mind get them out? This is such a drag."

"That is the second reason why I have the impression that this is an exercise in futility. If Hiashi-sama was aware of this uprising before it occurred, even if he only had a moment's notice, would he have not already had our targets moved elsewhere?" Sai inquired.

"The fact Neji was sent to us as a messenger shows that he did take some precautions in place to deal with such an event as this. But the fact we're here also proves that those precautions weren't enough." Shikamaru shook his head and groaned again. "It's highly unlikely that they're still in the main building. That area will be the center of attention, so I doubt Hiashi-sama would have allowed Naruto or his daughters to remain inside."

"So if Neji cannot use his Byakugan to aid us and our targets are not inside the main building, then where do you suggest we focus our search?"

The question elicited a third groan from Shikamaru as he considered it and tried to think of any likely locations in the district where Naruto, Hinata and Hanabi would be holed up, but even his intellect was having trouble producing a logical answer. 'If they were warned beforehand, they can't still be in the guest house either. Sai's right, they shouldn't still be in the compound at all. If they're still here, the only place they could be is trapped within that damned mob.'

Just as Shikamaru was about to tell Sai they had to step into the belly of the beast, he caught a glimpse of Lee running towards him in his peripheral vision. Shikamaru turned around to find that Lee, Chōji and Neji had located Hanabi and were now regrouping. However, he also noticed from Neji's posture that there had been an incident.

"What happened?" Shikamaru asked. "Is everyone alright?"

"Hanabi-sama is unharmed," Neji wheezed out, leaning on Lee for support. "But when we found Hanabi-sama, there were three enemies going after her as well. One of them..." and Neji collapsed before he could finish his explanation.

"When Neji fought against his own clansmen to protect Hanabi-san, one of them activated his seal," Lee finished for Neji while helping him back up. "It was a most unyouthful act by that person. But he will not be able to perform that act again." Informing Shikamaru that Lee and Chōji had killed the Hyūga in question. "Neji is in great pain, but he insists that he will recover and be able to finish carrying out our duties."

Shikamaru nodded at the grim report from the normally energetic Lee. "Well, at least Hanabi is secure now. Where's Naruto and Hinata?"

"Ane-ue and Naruto-san ran off with Kō-san when the coup started," Hanabi answered. "I think they might try to stop it on their own."

Shikamaru smacked himself in the face and uttered a few choice words under his breath. "Great. Just perfect."

"I do believe that is supposed to be a bad thing, Shikamaru-san," Sai commented. Hanabi snapped around and gave him a look of bewilderment.

"Do you not know what sarcasm is?" Hanabi brazenly asked the ex-Root shinobi.

"On the contrary, I do know the definition of the term. However, as I just clearly demonstrated, his comment's real meaning is bound to be lost on those who have experienced the same conditioning as myself."

"Can we not discuss Sai's mental issues at this time?" Neji groaned, eyebrows twitching as he indicated the mob. "Subduing the clan must become our highest priority."

"What are they even doing?" Hanabi asked, indicating the mob. "This doesn't make sense."

"I believe our clansmen are as lost in their pain as the rest of Konoha, Hanabi-sama, even though we suffered the fewest losses. But that statistic is reason enough for them to believe the rest of the village would bear them ill will." Neji briefly paused and winced at his own words, that were still strained from the lingering pain of the juinjutsu activation. "Most of the Main House have bought into the elders' stance that Oji-sama's reforms are doing the clan more harm than good and believe Oji-sama is unfit to continue leading the clan. Due to the clan's juinjutsu, the Branch House has no choice but to follow suit. I should also point out that Oji-sama believes the elders intended to make Hanabi-sama into their puppet, citing incidents that date back to before Hinata-sama was disinherited of her birthright as evidence to support his belief."

"Like I'd ever listen to those old geezers!" Hanabi snapped.

"If Naruto had not quite literally knocked some sense into me and opened Oji-sama's eyes, you would have continued to let the influence you until you were fully submissive to their will, Hanabi-sama," Neji corrected the heiress. "I believe that even now, you may still be vulnerable to their machinations, if they can hold the right leverage over you." Hanabi scowled but said nothing. As much as she wanted to deny Neji's words, he was right: she had listened just a little too much to her grandfather when she was much younger.

"Enough of this argument," Shikamaru cut in. "Are Naruto and Hinata with that mob?"

"Didn't I already answer that question?" Hanabi screamed. "You're a Nara, you're not supposed to be this stupid!" Despite the heavy tension in the air, Chōji couldn't help himself from snickering at her outburst from the sidelines.

"You only said they could have gone off in that direction, Hanabi-san. You did not actually say that it is where they are now," Sai also corrected Hanabi. "Though it also begs the question of why you are stupid enough to not use your Byakugan to confirm their location."

"In a crowd that size? They could easily be blocked from view by the masses."

"Is that so?" Sai scratched his chin, pondering Hanabi's insistence on making his task more difficult. "Then people are mistaken to call you a prodigy, if you cannot perform such a simple task."

"How dare you—" Hanabi started yelling at Sai, and had to be restrained and cut off mid-rant by Chōji before she could lash out at the pale-skinned teen.

"If Hanabi-san is correct and Naruto-kun and Hinata-san are already in the center of the conflict, then I fear that this will turn into an all-out war," Lee lamented.

"Well let's hope that it doesn't come to that," a new voice said. Everyone present turned to face Kakashi as he walked towards them. The Copy Ninja's right arm was still in a sling, but he had his Sharingan uncovered and both his natural and implanted eyes bore a grave expression.

"Kakashi-sensei, it is good to see you. But might I ask why you are here?"

"Hyūga-sama called on as many allies as he could locate to gather at the district and contain the situation before it turns into a civil war," Kakashi explained. "Right now, every available shinobi in Konoha who is not a medic and is not still injured from the New Years' tornadic storm three nights ago is present. There have been a couple of skirmishes, but the two groups are in currently a stand off. I don't know how much longer we can stall before taking decisive action."

"Is it that bad?" Chōji asked.

"As Neji may have already explained, the majority of the clan from both houses have sided with the elders against Hyūga-sama. If worse comes to worse, we'll have a repeat of the Uchiha Massacre on our hands."

"You can't do that!" Hanabi screamed. "This is my clan you're talking about!"

"The Hyūga Clan are currently in violation of the peace," Kakashi coldly stated. "This is their last chance to back down. If they fail to comply, they will all be killed."

"It won't do us any good if we don't calm down ourselves," Shikamaru rejoined the conversation. "None of us can have the destruction of an entire clan on our conscience."

Kakashi sighed deeply. "I will do what I must, Shikamaru. You and your friends need to be prepared to do the same."

"No!" Hanabi screamed again. "There has to be a way to end this without going to such extremes!"

"I am still confident that we will find a peaceful solution to this crisis, Hanabi-san," Lee tried to reassure Hanabi. "But first, we must complete our own mission and find..." he tried to finish, but cut himself off when he felt a dark shift in the air. Everyone else in the district also went deathly quiet as they, too felt the shift.

"Did you all hear that, guys?" Chōji asked. "It got real quiet all of a sudden."

"Yeah...and I don't like it," Shikamaru replied, running towards the mob. The others followed suit and soon enough, confirmed their worst fears.

The shinobi called in to stop the Hyūga uprising were split off into several platoons centered around the mob, ironically taking a formation reminiscent of the Eight Trigrams. The mob itself had been pushed into a circle, but now both groups were involuntarily breaking formation and staring at a single person caught in the mess. By the time Shikamaru arrived and could ask himself what happened to make the crowd go quiet, he saw that both sides were giving their undivided attention to none other than Naruto, giving him glares that were stronger than any he'd ever received as a kid. Aside from Hinata and Hiashi, who were predictably right at Naruto's side, the only person there who wasn't glaring at Naruto was Ino, and Shikamaru saw that her expression was one of utter horror and guilt. Telling him that whatever had just happened, she was at fault.

"No...don't look at me like that..." Naruto pleaded, his voice a shaky whisper. His plea went unheard, and both Hyūga and non-Hyūga murmured amongst themselves, apparently trying to decide how they were supposed to respond to whatever it was that had quieted them all. It was too much for the tormented blond to handle and he pushed his way out of the crowd, running towards the front gates. And Hinata lingered only long enough to whisper an accusing "How could you?" towards Ino before chasing after him.

x-x

A few minutes earlier...

When Ino and Tenten caught up with the others at the Hyūga compound, the former was still in a state of distress. She tried to push it out of her mind as Shikamaru ordered them to split up and locate the Hyūga sisters and Naruto, but without success. She couldn't stop thinking about how Naruto was involved in all of this. Well, it wasn't the Naruto she knew, but that technicality only confused her, and that confusion only added to her turmoil.

Nevertheless, she pushed forward with her partner, going through each individual room in the compound one-by-one while being careful to any Hyūga they came across. Due to the seal Dark Naruto had placed on her, Ino was unable to use her Sensory Jutsu, which made her task far more tedious. It seemed like forever for her to finally locate the blond and blunette at the center of this conflict, being kept inside a dojo close to the far end of the main building.

"It's about time you girls showed up," Naruto complained right after Ino and Tenten slid open the door.

"These stubborn Hyūga didn't exactly make it easy for us to find you," Tenten countered.

"Please do not argue with each other," Hinata softly requested. "I do not mean to be rude, but we do not have the time to squabble amongst one another right now."

"You said it more kindly than I would have, Hinata-sama," another voice said. Ino and Tenten turned towards the sound of the voice and saw Kō walking towards them from the far wall. He was keeping his Byakugan constantly active and the chakra drain was taking its toll on him.

"Don't spook us like that!" Tenten chided Kō.

"My duty is to protect Hinata-sama, and that duty also extends to Naruto-san. In order to fulfill my duty at this time, I must take care to remain unseen by my fellow clansmen, lest they see me as a traitor and strike," Kō explained.

Ino tried again to snap herself out of her thoughts and nodded at Kō. "Yeah. The guys should have found Hanabi by now, so that means we should get out of here."

"If the rest of your group has located Hanabi-sama, I hope they can also secure the safety of her caretaker, Natsu-san. Unlike me, Natsu-san was born into the Branch House, so if she could not escape..."

"I guess we'll find out soon enough," Ino said. "Are there any secret passages we can take to get out of here without attracting any unwanted attention?"

Kō shook his head. "Not from this room, Yamanaka-san. And the situation outside is continuing to grow worse."

"How—" Ino tried to ask, but Tenten rushed past her, running out of the room and towards the closest empty room that had a window. Ino followed after Tenten, and saw her frowning at the view.

"The Hyūga are being pushed into a crowd at the center of the district," Tenten observed. "Hiashi-sama is arguing with one of the elders and is trying to stall both sides."

"Chichi-ue is out there?" Hinata asked, joining the other kunoichi at the window.

Ino took a closer look out the window and nodded again. "Yeah, and it doesn't look good. Even from here, I can tell he's gotten into a few fights." Hinata activated her Byakugan to zoom in on the scene and gasped. Ino had understated the problem; Hinata could see through her advanced vision that someone had actually landed hits on Hiashi and gave him a few bruises across his arms. She was just about to rush out the window to help her father when a hand landed on her shoulder, causing her to jolt.

"Don't worry, Hinata," Naruto said, giving her a reassuring smile. "Your old man is too stubborn to let those idiots get their way."

The words did nothing to calm Hinata. "That's exactly what I'm worried about, Naruto-kun," she replied. "Chichi-ue doesn't have your stamina. His limits are far below yours. If this keeps up, I fear that Chichi-ue or someone else will do something that cannot be undone."

"We still need to get through that crowd," Ino reminded them, nudging Hinata to the side to get a better view. A few seconds later, Tenten pushed Ino away and squinted her eyes, then stepped back as she saw a big problem.

"Uh oh..."

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked. Tenten ignored him and turned around to address Kō.

"Kō-san, please tell me that green-haired maid in the mob isn't Natsu," Tenten asked. Kō gasped and ran into the room, Byakugan still active to examine the scene, then clenched his fists. Off to the side, Hinata, who still had her dōjutsu activated, was shaking.

"Damn it," Kō swore. "Someone else got to her before your teammates. Hanabi-sama isn't with her, so she should still be safe, but it looks like Natsu-san is being forced to go along with the elders. Natsu-san seems unharmed, but..."

And right then, the situation deteriorated even further. One of the non-Hyūga shinobi present threw a kunai with an exploding tag attached into the mob. From there, pandemonium erupted. By the time Hiashi caught the kunai and diffused the tag, several other Hyūga retaliated against the task force that had been called in to pacify them, firing off dozens of chakra needles at their attackers. Hiashi was forced to use a large-scale Rotation to quickly repel both parties, and was showing signs of exhaustion afterward. Hinata couldn't take it anymore and broke the window, then jumped outside.

"Wait, Hinata!" Naruto called out, then uttered a silent curse under his breath as he followed after her. Over the past thirty hours since awakening from his induced coma and finding himself a "guest" at the Hyūga estate, he had become somewhat sympathetic towards Hiashi. While actual respect for the clan head was still a long ways off, he was starting to understand why Hinata placed her faith in her father, and why she couldn't stand to see harm come to him. And there was no way he was going to let her run out there alone.

Of course, with his charges bolting off Kō had no choice but to jump out the window as well, with Ino and Tenten following after him. They arrived in time to break up a staring contest between Hiashi and his father Hoshu, who was among those who had been hit by Hiashi's Giant Rotation. Now both of them were giving their undivided attention to him.

"Kō-san, did I not explicitly command you to get yourself, my daughter and her fiancé away from the complex while I diffused this situation?" Hiashi demanded.

"Sorry, old man, but it looked like you need a little help out here," Naruto retorted.

"Forgive me, Hiashi-sama, but—" Kō tried to explain, but Hinata quickly cut him off.

"Otō-sama, why would you do something like this alone? You should have let us help you!" Hinata yelled. She was only expressing her deepest worries after seeing the state her father was in, but the fact she was actually telling Hiashi off was nothing less than extraordinary. However, the crisis did not allow for anyone to reflect on that.

"The needs of the clan outweigh the needs of any one individual, and that especially includes you, Hinata," Hoshu chided the father-daughter duo, showing no lack of contempt towards his granddaughter. "You should know that better than anyone, Hiashi, after you allowed Hizashi and later Tsuki to die for the good of the clan," he added, a low blow to his son.

"Don't you dare bring Okā-san into this!" Hinata screamed. Hiashi brought up his hand to demand silence from her, then issued his own rant towards the elder.

"What gives you the right to speak the names of my late brother and wife? Who are you to muster the gall to make such claims? You, who could not bear the responsibility that comes with leading the clan and passed it on the moment you considered me to have reached the proper age? You, who drove a wedge between your two sons and turned us against one another?"

"The issue is no longer a clan matter, Hiashi. The entire village is falling apart because authority figures such as yourself and Tsunade consistently fail to do what is necessary."

"And declaring civil war against Konoha, bringing about the destruction of our clan, is somehow going to rectify the problem? I cannot fathom how you are able to bring such dishonor upon the Hyūga name."

"Tsunade abandoned the village when it needed her most in the past, and has done so again. I am not to blame for her failures as Hokage, nor for her cowardice. Tsunade is the textbook example of the summer soldier. When things are at their worst, she abdicates her responsibilities and runs."

"Do not attribute her absence to a lack of responsibility, Oyaji," Hiashi growled at Hoshu, making a few other Hyūga gasp at his extremely disrespectful form of address towards the elder. "There will be words with Hokage-sama when she returns, but there will also be a confrontation with the Raikage for demanding the Five Kage Summit be convened at this perilous hour. Provided we survive your madness, that is."

"Look around you, Hiashi. It was only a matter of time before Konoha repaid our loyalty with the ultimate betrayal. Civilians and shinobi alike have already taken to blaming us for the storm that destroyed our village just because we suffered the fewest losses. They are already making us into a scapegoat. If we do not take action now, our annihilation is assured!"

Ino had heard enough of Hoshu's drivel and stomped forward, spitting on Hoshu's cheek. "You're fucking insane!" she shouted at the elder.

Hoshu only showed a brief moment of surprise from her assault before recomposing himself and frowning at the blonde. "Yamanaka-san. My condolences go to you for the loss of your father. He was a good man." He walked towards her and looked over closely, as though trying to peer into her mind and soul, and sighed deeply. "Unfortunately, Inoichi-san shared several flaws with my son. It is a relief and a mercy that he did not have to live to see this."

Ino's face twisted in fury towards Hoshu. "Do you even know why Papa is dead? Have you any idea what happened to the rest of the village while you were so busy plotting your damn war?"

"War is such a nasty word to use, Yamanaka-san. I am simply doing what must be done to save the clan and the village."

"How, pray tell, is that supposed to work? If you keep going on like this, there won't be anyone or anything left in the village to save!"

"You refer to the demon. Yes, I am aware of the current intelligence on it as well as the rumors surrounding it. It is of no matter. The Hyūga Clan will properly address and eliminate the threat," Hoshu promised, turning away from Ino and towards Naruto as he finished.

The very unsubtle movement from him set off everything Ino was trying to keep suppressed for Yuzuki's sake. Her next response to the elder was one she would regret for the rest of her life.

"Ino, don't say it!" Tenten cried out in vain, knowing what Ino was about to say. But Ino's mind was so clouded by her increasing resentment towards Naruto, she honestly believed at the time that she was doing the right thing by exposing the forbidden truth as a last-ditch effort to prevent a civil war from tearing apart what was left of the village.

"You can't beat that demon like that because he is Naruto!" Ino yelled out towards the entire crowd. In that same instant, the entire district turned silent from the sheer horror of what she revealed, a horror that only Ino was capable of showing on her face.

"That thing was the Nine-Tails child?" one shinobi from the task force Shikaku assembled at Hiashi's beckoning to pacify the Hyūga district whispered.

"It makes sense. He already destroyed our village once before then," another shinobi, also not a Hyūga, whispered.

"I knew it. Sandaime-sama should have killed the child the day he was born," came a third accusatory whisper from somewhere else in the crowd.

Ino didn't even notice when Shikamaru and the rest of her teammates finally arrived at the scene. All she could see at that moment was the look of devastation and betrayal on Naruto's face as all eyes turned to him. It was a look she couldn't suffer.

Naruto, on his end, didn't see Ino at all. He was overwhelmed by the contempt and disgust on the faces of nearly all who surrounded him. Their whispers echoed in his head, growing louder until they turned to shouts. They were the whispers people had directed towards him his entire life, a torment that hadn't ended until recently but was now renewed with a ferocity that struck him like a Chidori to the heart.

"No...don't look at me like that..." Naruto pleaded, but his words fell on deaf ears. He forced himself out of the crowd and ran towards the gates.

Hinata also pushed her way out, only hesitating just long enough to turn to Ino and whisper a tearful "How could you?" to the blonde before escaping to chase after Naruto.

Ino fell to her knees and wept bitterly.

x-x

The whispers from the crowd did not end when Naruto and Hinata ran away; on the contrary, they grew stronger, turning into chants. Both Hyūga and non-Hyūga, but mostly the latter, were forming into a new mob, one that was calling for the blood of the jinchūriki and one that would move to lynch him if they were not stopped immediately. Their shouts of "Kill the demon child!" and "He did this to us!" drowned out all other noise in the background.

Hiashi waited for just a few moments longer to analyze what had happened. His eyes scanned the crowd and their gaze rested on Ino, who was weeping over what she had done. He knew there was no reason for the Yamanaka heiress to have lied, since she was one of the few who had remained in the demon's presence. But fortuitously, her fellow victim Tenten remained silent on the matter.

He could not remain silent.

"That is quite enough!" Hiashi shouted over the crowd. His commanding tone managed to silence them for that moment and draw their attention back towards him and Hoshu.

"Do you now see that I am right, Hiashi?" Hoshu asked. "Both our clansmen and the other villagers have grown tired of their current leadership which have allowed our enemies to walk all over us, and even live among us."

Hiashi measured out several long seconds of silence as he contemplated the elder's words and how the elder would have them apply to the current attitudes of the villagers. "Is that what everyone here believes? That Naruto-san is our enemy?" he demanded of everyone in the district. As expected, many of them were murmuring an affirmative; they were all truly blinded by their hate and suffering. "I am disappointed in all of you for dismissing the deeds Naruto-san has performed to prove himself to you."

"He hasn't done anything but cause us suffering!" someone from the crowd shouted back, and many others roared their agreement.

"Naruto-san is a shinobi of Konoha who has put his own life at risk on numerous occasions, as is expected out of all of us. He has done more than is expected of him, sacrificed more than anyone else. New Years Day was no different. When the traitor Danzō launched his coup d'état, Naruto vehemently opposed him and was ready to make the ultimate sacrifice to ensure his plans for us did not come to fruition. And you still believe Naruto to be our enemy? Naruto is not the one who is unworthy of you. It is all of you who are unworthy of him." As powerful as his speech was, it did nothing to sway the crowd, whose chants calling for Naruto's death only grew louder. Hiashi shook his head and tried a different approach. If his second attempt did not work...

"Regardless of what you believe, there is no evidence to support Yamanaka's claim regarding the identity of the demon who attacked us. Her testimony itself is invalid on the grounds that it was made under duress." A statement which redirected the blame towards his father, since it was Hoshu who had prompted the tumultuous claim from Ino. The crowd began to quiet down, their chants reverting back to whispers as they tried to think of ways to produce evidence which would support Ino's claim.

"Furthermore, her claim is ludicrous when you consider the following. First, that there are eyewitness accounts which support the assertion that Naruto-san was accompanying my firstborn daughter that night. And second, Naruto-san is ranked as a genin who has failed two Chūnin Exams. Do you honestly expect that a genin is capable of using such a devastating jutsu?" Again, the only responses were whispers, though some of the more aggressive shinobi in the crowd were grumbling about being denied the right to show their 'evidence' to support their misguided beliefs.

"Regardless of this demon's identity, it and not Naruto is our common enemy, and you all saw what it is capable of doing," Hiashi continued as he turned back to face his father, keeping his voice loud to keep the mob silent. His expression turned grave as he addressed Hoshu directly, "You are wrong about the scale of this issue, Oyaji. It may not be a clan matter, but it is not a matter of mere village security either. While you attempt to enforce your brand of order over the chaos in these ruins, that demon is still out there, plotting to destroy the entire world." Now even the whispers were ceasing. Everyone was acutely focused on the Hyūga patriarch and awaiting the elder's reply to his speech.

"And you think yourself or Tsunade are capable of bringing such a demon down? After you yourself admitted to being vulnerable to manipulation, and tearing rifts between the members of your own clan? Or after Tsunade abandoned our village, only to return and then abandon us yet again in our darkest hour?" Hoshu asked in an accusing tone, raising an eyebrow at his son.

Hiashi stared at the elder, who he could no longer call his father, as he considered his answer. The Hyūga Clan were hardcore traditionalists, placing every possible emphasis on the need for discipline, and Hiashi had, for as long as he remembered, respected Hoshu for his upbringing. It was only now that he realized he had misplaced that respect. Hiashi sifted through his memories, going back to the earliest ones he could remember, and arrived at a new understanding of how and when everything went wrong. It was on his and his twin brother's sixth birthday. The application of the Caged Bird Cursed Seal had been delayed by three years, giving Hiashi and Hizashi three extra years of friendlier relations. But on that day, when the juinjutsu was applied to Hizashi, Hiashi's relationship with his twin brother had been tainted forever. Hizashi grew resentful of his place in the clan, being forced into servitude to the Main House simply because he had the misfortune of being born a few minutes after his twin. Hiashi had not been able to make amends with Hizashi, and had been denied opportunities to attempt it as he was trained to inherit the position of clan head. Hizashi's hatred towards him and the rest of the Main House had grown so strong that just days before his death, Hizashi had displayed an intent to murder Hinata, which Hiashi had no choice but to punish by activating his juinjutsu, reminding him that such incidents would not be tolerated. Even when Hizashi had willingly sacrificed himself to protect Hiashi from the Fourth Raikage during the Hyūga Affair, the bond the two brothers once shared had not been mended.

'And to think that I almost made the same mistake with my own daughters, driving them apart as Hizashi and I were driven apart,' Hiashi lamented. Knowing how close he had come to walking that path made him that much more determined to not walk it.

"I am not fit to lead this clan or this village. Nor will I claim to know anyone who is qualified to accept such a task," Hiashi addressed the crowd. Then he unsheathed his katana and pointed it at Hoshu. "I will not lie. I have failed in every role entrusted to me. I failed as a clan head, I failed as a husband, I failed as a brother...but worst of all, I failed as a father."

Hiashi kept his katana pointed at Hoshu and showed nothing but contempt for the treasonous elder as the two stared each other down. Some of the other Hyūga were beginning to wonder if this clash between their patriarch and their elder would become a repeat of the incident with Tomi. Hoshu matched Hiashi's glare with a hardened expression in his faded eyes that was daring Hiashi to follow through with the perceived threat, for no other reason than to make himself into a martyr in the eyes of those who still believed Hiashi was an ineffective and now insane clan head. But as much as he was growing to despise Hoshu for what he'd wrought upon the clan, Hiashi did not answer that challenge. Instead, he continued to call out the elder on his failings, after having called himself out on the same.

"As for you, Oyaji, your most relevant failing at this hour is the failure to acknowledge Tsunade-sama as our Hokage. Despite her own failings, she is still our leader. Your misplaced self-righteousness has made you forget this fact. The only issue of leadership we are legally permitted to resolve here is the issue of this clan's leadership, and to address that issue, I say this." Hiashi turned his katana downwards and drove it into the ground. "If anyone here thinks they are prepared to take on the burden of leading our clan against the demon and the other threats to our survival, then step forward and take this sword."

Nobody stepped forward, not even Hoshu. They were too stunned by the audacity of what Hiashi proposed, and what his proposal meant for the clan. Even if no one answered the call, Hiashi had torn down a massive barrier between the two houses of the Hyūga Clan, and now everyone still present was waiting with a mixture of expectancy and apprehensiveness to see what would come about as a result.

"So, Hiashi, you have proven our assessment of your recent actions was correct," Hoshu finally said. "You have lost your mind."

"We cannot save anyone if we cannot first save ourselves, Oyaji. The conflict between the Main House and Branch House has been destroying the Hyūga Clan for a long time. And our own actions have only led our clan further down this path, pushed us closer to that fate. After all of this, what right do we have to determine who holds the right and who is in the wrong?"

"The Branch House exists to protect the clan! This caste system is what has allowed the Hyūga to maintain their strength! Your insistence on changing the system will destroy everything we have fought to accomplish!"

Hiashi laughed bitterly at the sheer hypocrisy of the elder's words. "The Caged Bird Cursed Seal was not created to protect the clan as a whole. It was created to protect the Main House from the Branch House. When our cousins, the Ōtsutsuki, had just engaged in this very same conflict, the Hyūga of that time feared that our Branch House would destroy them just as the Ōtsutsuki Clan's Branch House destroyed their Main House. Denying our enemies the secrets of our bloodline was just a pretense to justify the indentured servitude of a majority of our kin."

The clan head deliberately paused to give his words time to sink in. Most of the Hyūga, though they had no personal memory of the events, were aware of the self-destruction of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, though the argument between Hiashi and Hoshu ended up functioning as a history lesson to those outside the clan who had assembled to subdue the clan. The continued influx of new information served to keep them in compliance with Hiashi's demand for their obedience.

"And after everything that has happened, you still speak of accomplishments? All you have accomplished is our own demise. But if I must go to my grave tonight, I will at least make sure that the grudge held against us by the Branch House is finally put to rest."

The silence which fell upon the crowd grew stronger as Hoshu failed to deliver a comeback. All of the bystanders knew that behind his stoic expression, the elder was seething. Hoshu was appearing ever more to be the mad one of the pair; his raving was targeted to strike at the submission Hiashi had showed during his younger years, but now Hiashi was turning all those years back on him. It was the ultimate embarrassment for Hoshu. Never once had he thought his own son would betray him so thoroughly.

Finally, it all became too much for one very specific member of the Branch House to bear. Neji stepped forward, walking between the two men and lifting Hiashi's katana out of the ground.

"So it has come to this?" Hoshu asked of Neji. "Do you mean to take revenge for the sacrifice of your father, Neji?"

Neji scowled at his paternal grandfather but remained calm. "I'm not doing this for myself, or for the Branch House," he replied. Then he turned the hilt towards Hiashi and said, "I'm doing this for my uncle, because I choose to believe in him."

In an exceedingly rare moment, Hiashi was the one left speechless. His eyes widened and for the briefest moment, he looked ready to do something that was very unbecoming of a Hyūga. But he quickly rebuilt his composure and took the offered sword back from Neji, who turned back towards the crowd, but not without another important message for the clan head, and for him alone:

"Hinata-sama and Hanabi-sama also believe in you, Oji-sama. Even Naruto is starting to be won over."

Hiashi closed his eyes and nodded at Neji. When he opened them, his Byakugan was blazing, scanning everyone for any signs of further unrest, only to find that they had all completely lost the will to fight. His speech had successfully achieved his main objective, quelling the uprising with minimal casualties.

"If any of you cannot find it in yourselves to forgive what has been done, then take your hatred out on me, and me alone, when this is all over," Hiashi concluded his speech. He finally started walking away, approaching one specific group of shinobi who had been called upon for assistance.

"Hatake-san," the Hyūga clan head addressed Kakashi. "I believe the situation is now under control."

"Not quite. There are still two perpetrators who haven't been dealt with," the Copy Ninja corrected Hiashi while pulling his headband back down to cover his Sharingan. "You know what comes next," he added as he walked towards Hoshu, who sighed deeply as he faced his fate.

"All of us must face judgment for our sins sooner or later," Hoshu said wearily. "I suppose that my punishment came sooner."

"Just be thankful that not all of your sins were passed down to your sons, Hoshu," Kakashi said sternly. He then took a set of chakra-suppressing handcuffs out of his flak jacket and slapped them on the Hyūga elder's wrists. "For your crime of high treason, you are hereby placed under arrest and will be turned over to the Torture and Interrogation Force. Your sentence will be decided and carried out after Hokage-sama returns to Konoha. Anbu, take this scumbag away." Two Anbu emerged from the dispersing crowd and gripped Hoshu's shoulders, marching him out of the compound. As they did, they went past Hiashi, and they stopped just long enough to permit Hoshu one last exchange with his son.

"I know you will find no consolation in my final words to you," Hoshu said. "But though I never showed it, I did love you and your brother."

"Obviously you didn't love us enough to save us from our fate," Hiashi coldly replied. Hoshu let out a hollow laugh.

"Perhaps that was my greatest sin...one made more damning by the truth that it was passed down to almost the entire clan. It seems that only Hinata was born with the strength to redeem the clan from that sin. I always believed that made her the weakest Hyūga to ever live. But now I realize my error. If I never get a chance to see my granddaughter again, make sure you tell her that. Tell her that I admit I was wrong about her, Hiashi."

"In due time, Oyaji. In due time."

Hoshu nodded and was taken away. However, while the other shinobi had started to leave, Kakashi was walking towards the second offender, who was still weeping bitterly over her transgression.

"Ino Yamanaka," Kakashi said, yanking Ino's wrist and forcing her to her feet. "You were given very specific orders by Hokage-sama to keep silent about what you overheard in my debriefing a few hours earlier. Orders which you violated in the worst possible way. For your offense, I will be personally turning you over to Ibiki Morino for interrogation. Your sentencing will also take place after Hokage-sama returns from the Five Kage Summit." He took out a second set of handcuffs and slapped them on Ino's wrists, then marched her out of the Hyūga district towards the Intelligence Division, flanked by two more Anbu.

Those who were left in the district were appropriately morose. There was no cause for them to celebrate the fact that they had narrowly avoided a civil war. There was only the wait for the next series of unfortunate events to befall them.

As they started dispersing, returning to their homes or wherever their duties required them to be, Hiashi was left standing alone in the empty courtyard. His physical stamina and mental fortitude had been stretched to their limits tonight and he could not conceal his exhaustion from anyone. He placed his katana back in its sheath and slowly walked back towards his private chambers, using the katana as a walking stick for support. When he made it to the door of his chambers, he slipped and fell forward. But he never crashed into the floor. Hiashi felt someone grab his arm to stop his fall, and looked up to see that Kō was still at the compound.

"Kō-san," Hiashi addressed Kō with no small amount of disapproval. "You completely failed to obey my instructions this evening."

"You should be grateful for that, Hiashi-sama," Kō responded. "Or would you rather that I had let you get killed, and then tried to figure out how to explain that failing to Hinata-sama?"

Hiashi laughed while Kō helped him walk inside his chambers. "She would get over it quickly enough."

"I must disagree, sir. You underestimate your daughter's capacity for forgiveness. You underestimate how important you still are to her."

"Which is all the more reason to be thankful that she is free from the burdens that would have been placed on her had she kept her former position. Even if that came about as a result of everything in our clan continuing to go wrong."

"If I may be so bold, sir," Kō requested. "I believe Hinata-sama is actually grateful for all that you have done for her."

"How so?" Hiashi asked, genuinely confused.

"Hinata-sama would never have met and bonded with Naruto-san if it wasn't for your treatment of her. As much as you feel Hinata-sama should resent you for it, she doesn't. She will always be grateful."

Hiashi's eyes widened yet again, but he blinked several times and nodded at Kō. "Thank you, Kō-san." Before they arrived at his bedchambers, he lifted himself off of Kō and walked towards his desk to retrieve a scroll that had been delivered to him earlier in the evening. "Our intelligence network acquired some very important information recently regarding the activities of Orochimaru. A copy of the scroll has already been delivered to Jiraiya-sama. Read this scroll, and when you are finished, burn it and divulge its contents to Naruto-san."

"Hiashi-sama, after what happened out there I do not believe Naruto-san or Hinata-sama will be willing to return home so quickly."

"As much as I would like to give my daughter and future son-in-law time, it is the one luxury I cannot afford to provide to them right now. Once you read the scroll, you will understand why it is so important that they return immediately."

The grave tone in Hiashi's voice left Kō with only a few logical guesses about what could be so important that Hiashi was stressing this so much. "Is it about Sasuke?"

Hiashi nodded. "Just make sure Naruto doesn't attempt to do anything rash. I will speak with him and Hinata about this intel in the morning." Kō nodded and bowed to him before rushing out of the village to search for the pair.

Now alone in his chambers, Hiashi struggled to walk towards a special room which he allowed no others to see. This room was covered in seals which distorted the Byakugan's vision. In this room, Hiashi had built a small shrine to his deceased wife. He knelt down in front of the shrine, gazing upon the single picture he had of her that he could still bring himself to view. She was smiling in the picture. Perhaps now she would finally be smiling at him again from her place in the Pure Land.

That thought brought Hiashi to tears for the first time since she died, eight years ago.

"Tsuki...after all this time, have I finally done right by you?"

x-x

Naruto ran blindly through the night, eyes screwed shut but unable to stop his tears from falling. Even if he had kept them open and wasn't crying, it was so dark out that he wouldn't have been able to see where he was going. But that didn't matter to him. He didn't care where he went, just as long as he got away from Konoha, and from the source of his pain.

'I was fooling myself all along to think they would stop seeing me as a demon,' he thought bitterly, letting his flight instinct guide him through the forest. After those shinobi all revealed their true feelings towards him, he was seriously doubting that they would ever let go of that hate. 'They've always hated me. They'll never stop—'

"Ow!" Naruto yelped after crashing face-first into the ground. He groaned in pain and pushed himself up, opening his eyes to see that he'd tripped over a fallen tree branch. He then looked around, trying to get a feel for his surroundings, and found himself in unfamiliar territory. 'I don't see any trails that lead back to the main road. I must be way outside the village by now. But it isn't far enough. It'll never be far enough away.' He brushed off his legs and started running again, still not caring where his feet took him as long as it wasn't back to the village. He couldn't go back, not after Ino coaxed everyone into exposing their true selves. But now that he had put some distance between the village and himself, he realized that he couldn't truly blame Ino. The blame for that incident rested solely with his dark side.

Dark Naruto had taken Ino, Tenten, Sakura-chan and Yuzuki-kā-chan from him. He had brought death and destruction upon Konoha and driven the survivors to madness. Then he had sent Ino and Tenten back, but only to send the village into deeper madness. 'But it was only a matter of time before this happened,' he thought bitterly, pushing through thick foliage that blocked his path. The only comfort he could find was knowing that Sakura-chan was still with Yuzuki-kā-chan. The last time he saw his surrogate mother was in the demon's arms, left as a bloody and broken mess after her fight to save him and Hinata from Danzō. But he knew Sakura-chan wouldn't let anything else happen to Yuzuki-kā-chan. 'But now Sakura-chan knows that demon is me as well...'

Naruto arrived at a small clearing and had to stop for a few minutes; even with his stamina, he was feeling winded after his desperate running. He sat down against a tree, his thoughts wandering off to the one other precious friend in his life who needed to return home.

"Sasuke...I wonder how you'd react if you knew about this darkness in me," he mused. He couldn't deny that his inner darkness had played a role in drawing him towards the wayward Uchiha. Sasuke was one of the few people Naruto knew who understood the pain of loneliness, having been alone for years since his brother killed off the rest of his clan, and had developed his own hatred towards the outside world. That darkness was why Naruto was so strongly driven to bring Sasuke back. He needed to save his friend before the darkness consumed him forever.

Now that he was taking the time to reflect on his promise to save Sasuke, Naruto recognized the irony in this cruel twist of fate. His quest to banish the darkness from his friend had only helped strengthen his own inner darkness. How could he expect to save Sasuke, or anyone else for that matter, if he couldn't even save himself?

"Naruto-kun?" that familiar gentle voice called out to him. Naruto sighed deeply; he should have figured out by now that no matter how far or how fast he ran, Hinata would always find him. And sure enough, Hinata appeared in the clearing a few seconds after her call.

"Hinata," Naruto answered the call in a weary tone. "So now you know."

"About what Ino said?" Hinata asked for clarification, trying to shed light on the matter of his inner darkness. "That was what you were trying to hide from me?"

Naruto nodded and started to turn away from her, unwilling to see the rejection he expected to find on her face. "It's okay if you decide to leave me, Hinata. You don't have to be around me anymore. I'll only end up hurting you since no one will ever trust me again."

Hinata knelt down in front of Naruto and tried to get him to look her in the eyes. He only reluctantly obeyed her wishes. "There you go again. Taking on all these burdens by yourself and pushing away everyone who tries to help."

"Well it's different now!" Naruto shouted. "Back then I just thought that I was angry, but it's worse than that! You saw it, Hinata! You saw what I become! And the worst part about it is that I did nothing to stop it!" He leaned back against the tree and averted his gaze, trying to hide his tears from Hinata. "I don't want to be that thing, but maybe it's too late. Maybe I already am. Back in Tsunade-bā-chan's office, when she told me to tell her about my fight in the desert, I lied and said I didn't remember, but the truth is, I remember everything. I remember mutilating that silver-haired freak who tried to kill you after you fainted. I remember staring down his freakier partner. I remember that I was gonna do something horrible to Fū. And we both remember what happened to the village just three nights ago. Everything gets destroyed because of what I become in the future. I might not be a monster to you, Hinata, but the truth is, I'm something that's even worse than a monster...

"So please, Hinata," Naruto finished his anguished plea to her. "I'm begging you for your sake to stay away from me!"

Smack! Naruto's eyes widened as he felt the sting of Hinata's hand against his cheek for the third time, but unlike the first two times, there was no anger in the slap, just sadness. Hinata kept her hand pressed to Naruto's cheek, giving him that look, and it tore at his tormented soul to know that she not only refused to leave him, she would still lecture him for trying to run away and refusing to trust in her.

"How could you ask that of me, Naruto-kun? What gives you the right to say that?" Hinata chided Naruto. "Do you remember what I told you? When we watched the fireworks together on New Years, I told you that it's my choice to be with you, to walk beside you and hold your hand. I told you that I could handle everything you did to me, as long as you don't leave me. And when you broke down in my arms at your apartment yesterday, I told you that I would never leave you. So don't you dare ask me to go back on my word."

"But Hinata, I—"

"No!" Hinata loudly, vehemently denied his protests. "Listen to me, Naruto-kun. Did you really think I didn't know that demon wasn't you?"

Naruto's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at that question. "You knew? This whole time, you knew?" he almost yelled.

Hinata responded to his accusation with a firm nod. "The only reason I didn't tell you before is because you would have done the same thing you're trying to do now. I need you to trust me. And I need you to stop lying to me. You may believe that lying to me will protect me, but that is the worst lie you can possibly tell me, Naruto-kun. Keeping all of this bottled up does nothing to protect you, me, or any of our friends."

"It doesn't matter now," Naruto said, sounding like he was just dismissing Hinata's lecture, but before she could reprimand him again, he continued, "Everyone back in the village hates me again and I doubt that I'll ever win their trust back..."

There was nothing Hinata could say in response to that. She knew Naruto had struggled his entire life to get through to the villagers and make them see him in a better light. But with this newest revelation, Hinata's faith in the villagers was shaken. She had every reason to doubt that even Naruto, with his heart of gold, could get through to them a second time.

Hinata sat down on Naruto's lap and buried her face in the spot where his neck and shoulder met. How was she supposed to even begin answering that? How could she mend the wound to his heart when every thought of the torment which awaited him in the village tore it open again? Silence would not provide her with the means to stitch his wounds shut, but she could not find the words which would start the healing process.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked, voice shaky. Hinata's head shot up, putting their faces just a few centimeters apart. "How did you know it was me?"

Hinata sighed deeply and ran a hand through Naruto's hair. "It wasn't that difficult to figure out," she explained. "He chose to protect me when he had no logical reason to do so. There are only a few people alive who are willing to do that for me, Naruto-kun. Also, there was something familiar about him. Something he buried deep, but not deeply enough, at least not at the time. Both the feeling itself and the lengths he went to bury it...they reminded me of you."

"Yeah...I guess..." Naruto turned away instinctively, still not wishing for Hinata to see how he was hurting. Her words brought both greater pain, but also a faint glimmer of hope for him to grasp. 'If Hinata's right, then maybe that means he won't hurt Yuzuki-kā-chan,' he thought. He turned back towards Hinata, trying to search through both her feelings and his own. 'But it doesn't look like Hinata knows that she and Yuzuki-kā-chan are the same person. Should I tell her?'

He did not get a chance to answer that internal question. He heard rustling in the foliage which put both him and Hinata on high alert. Both of them stood abruptly, the latter activating her Byakugan while the former gripped her hand.

"Who is it?" Naruto asked.

"It's Kō-san," Hinata answered, deactivating her dōjutsu and breathing a deep sigh of relief. "And he's unharmed."

"The one time you follow instructions, you're not actually following instructions," Kō grumbled as he stepped into the clearing. "It hasn't even been two days since you moved in with us and you're already rubbing off on me, Naruto-san." Naruto, despite all the turmoil he was still in, could not help but snicker at Kō after he said that.

"Anyway, Hiashi-sama has managed to contain the situation and things should be returning to normal, or what passes for normal right now," Kō continued. "However, Hoshu has been charged with high treason and has been handed over to the Torture and Interrogation Force, where he will await a military trial when Hokage-sama returns."

Naruto gently nudged Hinata and whispered in her ear, "Told ya your dad was too stubborn to let them do as they please."

"I do not think Chichi-ue would take that as a compliment, Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered back.

"Hiashi-sama has also managed to silence those who are pushing to have you publicly executed, at least for now," Kō continued. "He claims that the testimony given by Yamanaka alone cannot be used as evidence against you. Without any physical proof to support her claim, they can do nothing."

"That's wonderful!" Hinata exclaimed. But Kō quickly deflated her:

"Do not get your hopes up, Hinata-sama. The villagers cannot openly express their hatred towards Naruto-san, but there is no way to force them to cease their silent resentment."

"It figures..." Naruto muttered in a low pitch.

"Furthermore, because she made that claim Yamanaka has been arrested for espionage and is also awaiting trial," Kō added, making Hinata gasp. "Even though she was a victim of the demon, she still made herself into a villain this evening. I do not expect Hokage-sama to show leniency towards her due to her ordeals." Hinata was now shaking a little from the severity of the response to Ino's wrongdoing, and Naruto was outright horrified that she was being punished.

"They can't do that to her! Why are they doing that?" Naruto shouted, as though he had already forgotten that Ino had hurt him.

Kō shook his head. 'Your compassion amazes me, Naruto. Even after Yamanaka publicly denounced you, you still care more about her well being than the pain she caused you. It is by far your most admirable trait.' "From what I overheard, the information Yamanaka distributed to the crowd was highly classified. Even though you have already forgiven her for her transgression, Naruto-san, espionage is a serious crime. There is nothing anyone can do for her until Hokage-sama passes judgment."

"But it wasn't true!" Naruto blatantly lied, still trying to convince Kō to do something to defend Ino.

"Not all classified information distributed to individuals is true. In fact, a lot of the information that is handed out is untrue. False flag operations are a common tactic used by the intelligence divisions of major political entities, both shinobi and civilian, as a method of misleading and confusing their enemies. All you need to know is that Hokage-sama forbade Yamanaka from using the information that was given to her. It doesn't matter how trivial your knowledge is; if the Hokage decrees that you are forbidden to say it, you do not disobey that order."

"But—"

"Is there anything we can do for Ino-san?" Hinata asked.

Kō shook his head. "Yamanaka is already punishing herself a great deal with the guilt she feels over betraying Naruto-san. I'll bring this up to Hiashi-sama when the opportunity arises and we'll see then if there's anything we can do for her. But you need to understand that when Yamanaka said those words, she committed a crime that is punishable by death, and the law does not know anything of forgiveness. Given her recent line of decisions, it is unlikely that Hokage-sama can be persuaded to show leniency towards Yamanaka. So I will advise you again, do not get your hopes up." Naruto groaned and sunk into himself. He wasn't close to Ino at all; he mainly still found her annoying, but she was one of Hinata's friends, and that meant he had to do something to help her all the same. Even if that wasn't the case, it still wasn't fair for Ino to be the one who was getting punished for his dark half's crimes.

"But that is not the reason why I followed after you this soon," Kō continued, shifting uncomfortably as he watched Naruto sink into depression. "Something has come up and it is of the utmost importance that you return home immediately. You must believe me when I say that were it not for what I am about to say, Hiashi-sama would have given you all the time you need away from the village."

"What has happened, Kō-san?" Hinata asked.

Kō took a deep breath before answering, "Before I reveal this, you must swear that you will not attempt to do anything rash. That goes double for you, Naruto-san."

Naruto snapped out of his funk to glare at Kō, but the bodyguard met his glare with a stone cold expression that would have made even Hiashi appear lacking in emotional control (which was actually not all that difficult a feat to achieve considering that Hiashi had already let that control slip so much tonight). His glare went away and he frowned. "Fine. I swear I won't do anything rash," he said reluctantly.

"Very good. It seems that one of Orochimaru's hideouts has been located recently, and from the initial reports, there is a high likelihood that Sasuke Uchiha may be located at that hideout."

Before Kō finished speaking, Naruto was running back to the village, while Hinata struggled to keep up with his resolute pace.

x-x

Editor's Note: If the previous chapter did not show Naruto and Hinata, then it's only fitting that this chapter didn't show Dark Naruto or Yuzuki, yes?

If the slight time skip in this chapter didn't make sense, go back and reread the previous chapter, which had to be edited in order to account for said skip.

Speaking of edits, all of Chapters 4 through 19 had to be edited before this chapter was posted to fix a very big mistake that I cannot believe went unnoticed for over a year, a mistake that is solely my fault and not the author's. Specifically, the spelling of Yuzuki's name. The way I was originally spelling it in my revisions caused the meaning of the name to change to something that wasn't intended.

That being said, I will honestly say that this is my least favorite chapter I've had to beta read so far. I think most of you who are still reading this story can see why without me needing to explain.

Review Replies

Ashamaphone: The real kicker in the Tsunade issue is when you think about what Ino said in that same scene. How pointless is it for Tsunade to withhold this information from Naruto? How much of that information did Naruto already have?

I can't really address the rest of the review because of the risk of giving spoilers, though I concur with your thoughts on how a temporary alliance between Akatsuki and Konoha to combat Dark Naruto is an extreme unlikelihood.

Flameraven: Well, about the idiocy, we must remember that Kishimoto is quoted as saying he doesn't like smart characters, so is it any wonder that playing hot potato with the Idiot Ball is par for the course in canon, filler, and the fandom? Sometimes it feels like it's easier to name the characters who don't have a major "What An Idiot" moment in the source material or the animéadaptation. All of the members of Team Seven have plenty of stupid moments, but they're not alone here: Hiruzen, Minato, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Danzō, Itachi, Kabuto and Obito are among the worst offenders in terms of the impact their idiotic decisions had on the canon story, and if you factor in filler, even characters such as Yamato and Neji are not immune to being a dumbass, while Naruto (who is Flanderized by these fillers) and Tsunade have their idiocy taken Up To Eleven.

A/N: Ah yes, the narrowly avoided civil war that seems to come up in a lot of fanfics. Yet who would of thought Naruto's dark secret would come out like this? And why is he still hiding the truth of Yuzuki's identity from Hinata? Oh and look at that Sasuke is finally going to make an appearance soon. Seems like so long ago when we left him in chapter three, hanging by his own sword. Anyway I know my editor did not like this chapter so much but as I told him I will tell all of you this chapter is merely a means to an end so it was necessary to write it. What that end is though I cannot say. With that in mind please leave a review and criticize f you must but at least make it constructive.