Two hybrids, two clans, two species

A/N: The terms "traditional" and "ancient" refer to traditional East Asian elements of architecture or of any other artistic or aesthetic domain. These include ornamented windows, elaborate decorations on entrances or doorways, screened walls, tiled roofs, lanterns, statues representing spirits and the like… Although the Narutoverse's cultural elements are very much Japanese, the shinobi nations aren't located in Japan or even Asia, until otherwise proved, and this alternate universe follows the same principle. As such, using terms which refer to Earth's geography wouldn't be accurate, and would destroy the idea of an AU separate from our world. This is something I've seen in other AU fanfics before, where a real country or region's name is mentioned, and it completely brought down a significant part of the environment the author was creating in that fic.

However, as the Narutoverse is referred to as Earth in the movie The Last, I might use this term to mention this story's world. Since the name's a part of the original work (reminder to those who might say "Yeah but The Last ain't canon" that Masashi Kishimoto wrote the script for the movie), using it wouldn't be incorrect. I might also make use of Japanese terms for non-geographical elements, such as clothing (kimono), weapons (kunai, makibishi) et cetera. Original characters( don't worry, I don't plan on having them as anything else than extras; they'll be very rare) will also have real Japanese names. If you go back and take a look at Chapter 2, you'll notice that I've changed the names of the two thugs assaulting Hinata from "Ed and Chuck" to "Echizen and Chūya". The reason for that is that although this is an AU, I feel like including Anglo-Saxon or any kind of Western name for a character or any cultural element typical of Japan would be straying too far from Naruto's original context, which deeply anchored in Japanese culture. Describing Japanese cultural elements, so long as the terms don't refer to Planet Earth's geography, doesn't violate the alternate universe.

Disclaimer: Naruto, as a work, is the property of Masashi Kishimoto, not me. I do not earn any profits, financial or otherwise, from the creation and diffusion of this story, nor do I seek to obtain any.

In contrast with Naruto, Hinata would have been overjoyed not to receive any answer over the intercom. In fact, she would have preferred not to return home at all. But she knew the consequences would only get worse if she ran from them. That had been one of the lessons she had taken to heart during her training. Facing her problems was always the better solution - or at least in most cases.

She wondered if this was the exception to the rule.

Her normally extremely faint heartbeat began to speed up as she walked down the road. She had left Leaftown's central area a while ago; her family's residence was in a luxurious area in the outermost suburbs, almost in the countryside. The isolated location had been one of the safeguards to the Hyūga Clan's secrecy. Additionally, this road was fairly remote from any of Leaftown's major highways and other axes of circulation. As such, cars rarely drove by, and when they did, the imposing environment usually dissuaded them from stopping to take a closer look.

The downtown apartment buildings and skyscrapers had been replaced with wide-open, rolling terrain, occasionally dotted with groves of tall trees. Hinata passed by wrought-iron fences, topped by gleaming gilded spikes, circling the vast and lavish grounds of traditional, elegant estates. However, she was less concerned about her surroundings, which she had already seen a hundred times over the decades, destroyed and rebuilt as the years passed, than she was about her current destination. Almost subconsciously, she began poking her fingers again, opalescent pupilless eyes lowering. That old tick hadn't resurfaced for years, and yet it had come back this morning. Another testimony to her anxiety…

She was utterly terrified by the prospect of telling her father about what had happened. However, unlike what she had let Naruto believe, it wasn't his anger she feared. After all, their previously nonexistent relationship had improved a lot over the last twenty years, and he had become slightly more considerate with her. Additionally, she wasn't the trembling little vampiress who couldn't even respond to criticism anymore. Her years of training and her experience in the seekers had hardened her, though they hadn't managed to completely erase her shyness.

No, what she feared the most was her father's disappointment. She still vividly remembered the dissatisfied gazes he used to throw her when she couldn't execute a set of Gentle Fist movements properly. These intimidating, soulless pale eyes, vaunted by her clan, had become a nightmare for her. He hadn't yelled at her, or beaten her, but his harsh remarks and disapproving glances had done their work. Being the heiress to the most powerful vampire clan in the city, and the expectations that came with it, hadn't helped either. She was still afraid that one single mistake would immediately ruin his improved opinion about her, cause him to give her that gaze again, and that she would become the failure of the Hyūga again, weak-willed and giving up at the first difficulty she met.

Hinata inhaled and exhaled deeply as she turned on the path branching off to the clan's estate. Unusual for vampires, this action nonetheless helped her evacuate a part of her stress. As such, she was able to walk up the rise with her usual fluid step. However, her stomach still felt like it was in a knot. She could already distinguish the gabled, straight inclined rooftops, dark blue tiles glinting in the sunlight. The eaves overshadowed traditional and ornamented windows, which, despite appearing to be made out of paper, actually hid reinforced glass panels.

The old compound, with its ancient architecture, had been built on a hill, along a north-south and east-west axis, as per tradition. It stood a bit further away from the road than the other manors. The location had not been chosen randomly: it was far enough from the rest of the neighborhood that it would allow complete discretion, while at the same time staying close enough not to draw attention. Its large, rectangular structure was partially hidden by thickets of pines and willows, preventing any cameras from getting a clear shot of the whole; another measure of secrecy. The high, white stone walls surrounding the immense grounds, topped by gabled wooden rooftops, made the Hyūga's residence look like some sort of fortress (this impression was further accentuated by its high position). Furthermore, she knew this was actually the case, as the security in this place, in terms of both technology and guards, made it a virtual stronghold. If a supernatural somehow managed to get past the numerous surveillance cameras and sound and infrared motion detectors, which would immediately trigger a deafening alarm if their field was crossed, he or she would not escape the White Eye-wielding watchers and their natural speed.

The Hyūga estate in itself could be a perfect symbol for the clan's way of life: traditional and luxurious by its size on the outside, but top-notch securitized and stern underneath. Compared to the other surrounding properties, the compound lacked much luster and pomp: no gilded gates, no extravagant infrastructure such as local observatories (yes, there was one of those in the neighborhood) came to liven up the white walls. No swimming pools, mini-kart or motorcycle racing tracks or any other sports accommodations were visible from the exterior. As such, an aura of mystery had settled over what the impenetrable walls truly hid.

When she was only seven meters away from the entrance, built in the southern façade, the video cameras turned toward her, alerted by proximity sensors. The tall metal double door was hidden under an ancient-looking cover of wooden planks; the ancient writing characters signifying "Hyūga" were inscribed in black ink on the wood. And when she reached it, a voice spoke from the intercom inserted into the stone frame:

"We have learned about what had transpired at Hashirama Senju High School this morning, Lady Hinata. Your father will be waiting for you in the library."

Then it went off. But as cold and short as these words had been, they had completely reoriented Hinata's concerns.

They knew.

The panels opened with an electronic hum, letting her enter the grounds. She began walking up the elaborate cobblestone path leading to the main body of the mansion, a slight breeze lifting a few strands of her dark blue hair. As she did so, she let her gaze wander around the greenery-filled front yard. It was enclosed on three sides by three-floored, traditional-styled, white stone façades, the blue-tiled eaves at the top overshadowing part of the wall. Neatly mowed green lawn spread on each side, coupled with carefully pruned bushes and colorful flowerbeds, of which she could catch the fragrance from where she stood (thanks to her superior sense of smell). However, she didn't acknowledge the garden's simple yet enchanting beauty. For one, she was currently quite preoccupied with what she had just heard. Secondly, she had grown up in these surroundings, and as such was already quite familiar with it. And finally, she knew this part of the estate was simply another element of the Hyūga's façade as a rich human family: this was what they showed the rare visitors who made it past the entrance.

Visits from the outside were quite rare. To Hinata's knowledge, no more than ten supernaturals, either vampires who did not belong to the clan or any other species, had ever set foot inside the grounds. Even fewer humans had had that privilege. In the majority of cases, the latter had been human businessmen or politicians come to discuss affairs too secretive to be argued about in their downtown offices. From what she had deduced, these most likely involved illegal activities.

In any case, all of these guests had been showed to this carefully trimmed green space. But the place where the clan members spent most of their time was the beaten earth courtyard behind the building she was currently approaching. The Hyūga vampires mainly used this space to train and spar at full power - or at least as close as they could come to it. The walls and distance from the other residences prevented any noise caused by the superhuman exercises from reaching the neighborhood's ears.

Hinata also ignored the compound's impressive proportions or complementary infrastructures, merely shuddering when the image of the rectangular, wooden dojo standing in the corner of the courtyard came to her mind. She might have grown up in this environment, but that construction brought back too many unpleasant memories. She still vividly remembered the smell of old tatami mats, the unpleasant feel of the training garb she had been forced to wear, the roughness of her Gentle Fist master's hands and the sharp pain caused by his precise strikes. She recalled slipping while performing kicks, falling off-balanced as she sidestepped to dodge another attack, having her jabs blocked, her guard being too lax, her posture incorrect, her forms flawed…

Shaking her head in an attempt to drive the unpleasant memories away, Hinata refocused on the situation at hand. One the bright side, the clan already knowing about this morning's occurence allowed her to skip retelling the events to her father and the elders. On the other hand, however, they would have already made their own opinion from their intelligence reports, and she knew those wouldn't be in her favor. Indeed, any action even slightly endangering the supernaturals' secret existence was regarded as basic incompetence, if not treason. Consequently, she would have to argue and defend her actions against their criticism, and she knew from experience the latter would be razor-sharp. But the speaker had only mentioned her father. Maybe the elders would not be attending the meeting?

Please let it happen, please let it happen, please let it happen… she prayed. Oh, this would have been so much easier if I could've told him over the phone back at school! she groaned - it might not have actually been the case, but it sure felt this way at the moment; at least she would have been certain not to face the elders then.

Hinata might have been on better terms with her father now, but the dusty old vampires that had never seen her as anything else than an unfit heiress and a Hyūga failure were another story. She still held a grudge (a rare thing in itself) against them for convincing Hiashi to pass on the title of future clan head to her little sister Hanabi. Firstly, they had helped to estrange the both of them, as Hinata had been deemed a distracting influence on the promising young vampiress Hanabi was, and had therefore been kept at bay from her sister. Furthermore, they had placed a mountain of responsibility and expectations on a thirty-five-year-old youngling (the equivalent of a seven-year-old human). As the eldest, Hinata should have been the one to bear that burden. She had felt like she had also failed at protecting her younger sibling, further worsening her self-esteem problems. As such, she had little to no consideration for the "old leeches", as she liked to refer to them inwardly. Of course, being in the unstable position she currently was in, she could not make her dislike for them clear, since they still held much sway over the decisions taken within the clan. But their absence would make the discussion infinitely easier for her.

The message hadn't revealed much. It had been cold, concise, and straight to the point, as expected from her clan. Vampires were known for hiding their emotions, and the Hyūga even more so. According to them, a vampire should never reveal what he or she was feeling to prevent their adversaries from using it against them. Nothing was even remotely original about this concept, but they had perfected this mastery over their countenance to an entirely different level. She had heard some humans jokingly wonder if the Hyūga had their faces frozen in a mask. And yet, given the world of conspiracy and manipulation vampires lived in, this was probably justified. Modern human politics and their complexity had probably been born because of the supernaturals hidden among them.

To this day, however, Hinata had never been able to completely mimic her clansmates. Her best attempts when she had been younger had only resulted in her shyness and reserved nature, and this had worsened the clan's opinion of her. She had managed to win their esteem back without killing her emotions, though this had considerably hampered her chances of becoming the heiress again. That could have also saved her many moments of guilt, self-disgust, and sadness after her missions, when she would have had to kill or torture people.

When she had been around sixty (twelve), at her lowest, she had even gone through a phase when she had refused to drink blood anymore, which basically meant starving herself. The sensation of sucking that warm liquid out of a living being had made her want to retch. She had heard some vampires enjoyed feasting while their prey was still alive, because, according to them, they loved to feel the life slipping out of the latter and into them.

She had had cold sweat at hearing that. To her, these practices bordered on sociopathic tendencies. But her own clan, if not especially supportive of them, did nothing to discourage them either. She had promised herself, right then, that if she ever became the head of the Hyūga - which had seemed quite improbable at the time -, she would forbid these habits.

Thanks to this objective, along with a few other ideas, Hinata had finally managed to push herself to change. When the days had been hard, when she had felt her resolve slipping, she had reminded herself of why she was making all these efforts, and her willpower had returned, though there had been many occasions where she had almost regressed.

She had overcome her disgust with blood through a progressive "rehabilitation". She had started with clinical samples in plastic pockets, then, with a bit of struggle, with dead animals, and finally, after nearly ten years, she had been able to feed off humanoid beings again. Still, she always made certain they were dead before eating.

That had provoked the clan's - and more specifically the elders' - contempt. What kind of vampire - no, what kind of Hyūga needed to actually learn to drink blood? This was one of their biological functions, inherent to their nature. However, Hinata hadn't been able to approach this problem otherwise. Her disgust with blood had been a mental issue which had nearly cost her her health. Having someone forcefully attempting to feed her, for example, could have dealt serious and irreversible damage to her psyche.

She had only been able to get past this disorder through long therapy sessions with Kurenai Yūhi or other vampire experts. The rehabilitation had been her teacher's idea, and despite the vast disapproval and disdain such a project had elicited, she had put it into place. And it had worked, although it had taken tremendous mental efforts and discipline.

Contrary to the Hyūga Clan's beliefs and affirmations, these kind of psychiatric problems were not that uncommon amongst vampires. However, those suffering from it often hid this "flaw" due to social and family pressure, which caused some of them to develop even more serious issues, sometimes turning into psychosis. Of course, Leaftown's vampire community had its fair share of mental health professionals specialized in treating disorders. After all, soldiers had to stay healthy in mind as well as in body. That being said, the impaired who had a tougher time healing would rapidly be removed from the active forces. Hinata herself had just barely avoided that fate on multiple occasions.

Hers was a cruel, harsh world. And she was about to dive right back into it, she thought as she walked up the wooden steps leading to the porch. Taking in one final, deep breath, and exhaling, she slid open the door of the estate.

I really wish we could have talked over the phone.

The next few minutes had been a blur. She vaguely remembered being greeted by servants - she hated to refer to them by that term - and politely reciprocating their bow. They must have relieved her of her bag and made her change into dryer clothes at some point (her attire was still wet from this morning's unrequested shower). Indeed, reality came crashing down on her as she was standing before the library's screened sliding door, clad in a navy-blue V-neck synthetic shirt and pants of the same color and material (the garb worn by most clan members for training).

If there had been another person in the vicinity, they could have sworn that the young half-vampiress' face had turned to an even milkier shade as she stood, still as a statue, her pearl-like eyes staring at the ornamented screen. Taking in a final, deep breath, she stepped forward, grasping the wooden frame and slowly sliding it open. She stepped inside, praying with all her heart that this meeting would be fast, if it did not go well.

She wandered down the lacquered-parquet aisles, brushing past bookshelves laden with literary works of all kinds: old and ornamented scrolls stockpiled together, musty tomes with yellowed pages, poems, novels, encyclopediae… This was one of her favorite places in the compound, the hideout where she could lose herself in imaginary worlds built on the power of words, forget any trouble she had encountered during the day, and simply dream.

Hinata didn't like feeling oppressed and anxious in a place she had so strongly associated with positive emotions. However, this was one of the common interests she shared with her father, who could also often be found in a corner of the library, nose buried in a scroll of some sort. Therefore, she had often encountered him in the narrow corridors; surprisingly, most of these meetings hadn't been unpleasant. That had given her another reason to love this age-old space, filled with the smell of paper.

Maybe Father wanting to meet in such a private place means he'd rather keep this on a more intimate level. Hopefully, that means not getting the old leeches involved, the former heiress mused, lavender-tinted pale irides scanning any nook and cranny of the place, searching for the clan head.

Finally, she stopped walking. As she did so, there was a brief movement in the aisle a few meters behind her, a soundless flash of fabric; however, Hinata did not appear to notice anything. Letting out a sigh, she closed her eyes for a moment, gathering the energy necessary to activate her White Eye. In less than the blink of an eye, a blurry, menacing silhouette materialized right behind her. Faster than the eye could perceive, the unknown figure reared its arm back, index and middle finger pointed in a deadly jab, targeted straight toward the half-vampiress's exposed back. More precisely, the exact space between her shoulder blades.

The first thoracic vertebra. The White Eye's blind spot.

Time seemed to slow down as the vague shape propelled the dreaded hand, the two fingers rocketing toward their target. If there had been a witness, they would not have had time to shout a warning. Hinata stood motionless, unaware of the danger.

And all of a sudden, the tables turned.

Quick as a lightning bolt, the young seeker leaned to the left, long strands of indigo hair rising in the air on the opposite side. The blow missed her spine ; unfortunately, she wasn't quite fast enough to completely dodge it, and the jab buried itself in her right shoulder muscle. Wincing in pain, she managed to spin around on her feet, completing a 180-degree turn in less than a second. As she did so, her left arm sprang up, initiating a back-handed knifehand strike. The blow traced a deadly arc toward her opponent's neck at blinding speed. However, before it could reach its target, a strong, calloused hand surged up, intercepting the attack by grabbing the wrist in a powerful grip.

Both combatants stood still for an instant, pearl eyes locked together. Teeth still gnashed together from the throbbing pain in her upper left arm, now dropping limp at her side, Hinata's sight had narrowed into tunnel vision. All she saw were inhumanely pale irides, a pupil faintly outlined in each of their centers, bordered by bulging veins on each temple. These frightening orbs gazed back at her with unbreakable concentration, under furrowed black eyebrows, bordered by crinkled skin.

Wait, she realized, white eyes? With bulging veins?

Her field of vision then widened again, allowing her to distinguish a milky pale face locked into a stern frown, mouth set into a thin line and jaw locked. The orbs staring back were identical to her own White Eye, except for their much milkier shade. Under a firm brow, a straight nose jutted out like a rocky projection from a cliff. An apt comparison, since the rigid mask of a face could just as well have been chiselled out of stone rather than flesh; this particular mask was made fearsome by the prominent veins streaking the sides of his face. The man's long dark brown hair, almost black, had been carefully brushed backward, leaving his face free of any strands, and fell down his back like a drape.

Hinata's beautiful face turned from resolved focus, brow knit and pupilless eyes narrowed, into an expression of shock and contrition. She pulled away, the other Hyūga releasing her wrist without a struggle. Taking a few steps backward, she bowed, her right shoulder once again pulsing painfully at the sudden movement.

"Fa-Father! You took me by surprise!" she stuttered, still facing downward.

"Raise your head, Hinata," a cold, commanding voice responded. "Do not bow before those that should assault you. By deferring to your aggressors, you will establish their superiority over you and comfort them in the idea that you fear them. Such behavior will only encourage them to assault you with greater motivation."

Cheeks slightly pink with shame, and her upper arm still hurtful, the young half-vampiress stood upright, facing her father, who had deactivated his Visual Prowess by now, letting his irides return to their base uniformity.

For a supernatural being holding such high positions in the hierarchy of the Leaftown community, Hiashi Hyūga wore surprisingly humble clothes when in the privacy of his home: traditional white robes, the top styled like a kimono shirt, leaving his pale toned chest exposed, with a green-brown overcoat draping his wide shoulders. (Strangely, this particular garb was mirror by his clothing when exposed to the eye of the outside world: a white dress shirt and similarly-colored pants with a more modern, elegant green coat over it all.) In such an attire, he quite a bit resembled a martial arts master. However, Hinata knew from personal experience that his ways of teaching were anything but gentle - ironic, given the name of the martial art he practiced.

Nodding, Hinata inwardly reprimanded herself, biting back a new wince of pain. This was one of the lessons ingrained in the education any young vampire of the Hyūga Clan received. However, in her own case, the respect due to her father and clan head, further augmented by her meek disposition, always outweighed this other teaching.

Opening her mouth to apologize, a sudden flash of insight made her reconsider. Not showing any deference toward her attackers also meant not offering any apologies, which would indicate she regretted defending herself and therefore made her seem vulnerable. Under her father's stern gaze, she instead chose to voice her interrogations.

"Could you please tell me your reasons for attacking me, then?" she inquired, straightening her back, her elocution devoid of any stutter. "If I wasn't in our home, I would suspect this to be a trap."

She had wanted to add "Actually, why did you want us to meet in the library?", but was afraid of overdoing her act and overstepping her boundaries. Gritting her teeth as another wave of pain spread down her arm and through her shoulder, she waited for the reply.

Nodding with approval, which quite pleased Hinata, her father answered: "In a way, it was a trap. A testing of your vigilance and reaction speed in case of a threat in a familiar environment.

The next words were a bit less gratifying. His milky white eyes narrowed, and his tone turned harsher: "You could say this was a consequence of the events relayed to the elders and myself earlier."

Hinata lowered her head once again, the throb in her shoulder a painful reminder of her double failure - her lack of judgement earlier this morning and her inability to successfully pass this test. This time, she could not hold back a slight groan as the fiery wave reached her neck. Her father seemed to notice her discomfort; wordlessly, he stepped forward, bypassed his daughter, and found himself standing behind her. The half-vampiress felt strong fingers gripping her right shoulder. Kneading the muscle with a vigorous but careful, if not gentle, touch, Hiashi relaxed the tense tissues and untangled the nerves which had been jammed by his strike. Hinata slowly felt her energy being Luckily for Hinata, he hadn't hit with the intent to kill. Otherwise, her right arm would have become essentially disabled.

Once he had finished, the Hyūga Clan's leader moved to stand in front of his eldest again, gazing coldly, though not quite harshly, at the latter. At first, the former heiress flet herself tremble a bit under his milky eyes; she feared her inappropriate response would end up in a much more difficult conversation. However, she reminded herself that her father seemed to have mellowed out, at least around her, during these past ten or twenty years. Proof of this softening was that he had chosen to relieve her of the pain from his attack before proceeding with the discussion. Therefore, she could allow herself to hope that things would go well enough for her not to receive some sort of punishment, or at least that it wouldn't be too severe.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply for the umpteenth time this morning, and straightening her posture, Hinata took the plunge and began a detailed accounting of this morning's incident, insisting on the fact that only a few students had glimpsed her when she had jumped, as most of their attention had been focused on the flames. She had hoped this wouldn't be necessary, but she had finally decided that giving out her full version of the facts would be a better option.

The half-vampiress finished her explanation: "... Only the other supernatural students in my class know about this. However, I don't know to what extent Sasuke affected the humans' memory. As soon as he broke eye contact, those who were staring at me looked like they had forgotten about me and began to talk among themselves. From what I saw, he could have either erased all memories of the incident in the stairs, or simply have made them forget about seeing me. You would have to ask him about that."

Despite her unwavering tone, she hadn't been able to muster the courage to direct her opalescent gaze directly into her interlocutor's, who had been silent throughout her report. Instead, she had chosen to stare over the latter's right shoulder, at the tag indicating the content of this section of the library. Apparently, it was old treatises, all related to… demons.

Hold on! she suddenly thought, pale eyes slightly widening. Demons? Was he reading these before I came in? Is that why he wanted to meet in the library?

However, before she could pursue her train of thoughts, Hiashi spoke up, redirecting her attention to him.

"I am aware of the way things unfolded," he declared, his face still a stone mask. "The young Uchiha's handling of the situation was commendable, and speaks volume of his capabilities and mindset. Yet this does not change the fact that you, Hinata, reacted in a way that endangered the supernaturals' secret. You purposefully used your natural strength in front of at least a dozen supernaturals, many of which possess superhuman sensory perception, and who were therefore able to witness your actions. They will no doubt inform their respective clans, which signifies most of the supernatural species in Leaftown have already learned about this incident, as you put it. Needless to say your initiative was less than wise."

Directing her moon-like gaze toward the wooden floor (for the umpteenth time since the beginning of this meeting), Hinata felt the all too familiar twisting sensation in her chest at her father's words. She knew full well what feeling it stemmed from: shame. The very situation she had feared before entering the compound was coming to life, but a thousand times worse than what she had imagined. The same self-depreciating, poisoned thoughts that had plagued her during her childhood came rose again from the depths of her mind, where she had tried to bury them forever. Again and again, the impression of not living up to the expectations anyone held for her crashed into her.

For the first time in over ten years, Hinata wanted to cry. Sobs were bubbling in her chest, pain tearing up her throat from the inside. She felt like her Adam's apple was going to burst at any moment, like all the blood she had swallowed over the decades was going to sprout from her stomach and splash from her mouth. She felt like if she parted her lips, a scream so loud it would destroy the entire compound, and maybe even Leaftown as a whole, would erupt from her lungs. The thorny vines mangling her insides were unbearable, and yet…

And yet her father's ice-like gaze, frigid as the frozen tundras of the Ironlands, were keeping her overflowing of emotions tightly locked inside of her as securely as steel chains tying her up. Her upcoming tears crashed against the ice wall built by decades of discipline, self-control, and ingrained deference toward the being who had given her life and education. Now, the idea of letting any trace of weakness slip through under her father's gaze felt utterly impossible.

Not daring to breathe in front of him, the young half-vampiress clenched her fists with all of her inhuman strength and gnashed her sharp teeth together. The powerful feelings washed back down her throat, still burning, but no longer threatening to overpower her. Then, they slowly dissipated.

When she raised her lunar gaze again, she noted her interlocutor's face was still a chiselled façade. All the while, he had been staring at her, pupilless eyes analyzing her every movement and reaction. Such unnatural stillness may have frightened humans even more, but this was one thing Hinata didn't fear - her vampire heritage had done some good after all.

Was this a test? she suddenly realized, dread pooling into her stomach.

The last remnants of her moment of self-pity were immediately replaced with immense anxiety. Why had she believed this would be easier without the elders?

However, much to her relief, her father finally turned away from her, choosing to face the bookcase to his right. The one filled with works about demons… That reminded her of the subject of her thoughts when she had first noticed the tag - a welcome distraction from her internal state. Why was her father suddenly so interested with this species?...

A metaphorical light bulb went off in her head: Of course! This must have something to do with yesterday night's mission. Since the demons are the ones holding Mizuki now, the classified information he'd acquired could have been compromised. Knowing Father, he's searching for a flaw in the agreement which puts the demons in charge of capturing rogue supernaturals. He wants to get Mizuki back before he talks too much.

"Additionally, Hinata," said vampire suddenly declared, breaking his daughter out of her thoughts, "this is an unfavorable time for demonstrating any weakness on our part. As I'm certain you remember, your team's failure to capture Mizuki yesterday night led to the demons taking him prisoner. You have been informed that the traitor had obtained extremely sensitive and classified intelligence."

The former heiress nodded, worried about what was to come. What kind of intel had Mizuki discovered? The Soul Stalkers had already been reprimanded for their incompetence; would there be more to follow? However, her father surprised her by branching off from the topic.

"My aggression from earlier was not simply a test to your reactions," he affirmed, directing his pale eyes back at her. "It was also meant to gauge your ability to defend yourself from an attacker who knew one of your weaknesses - the White Eye's blind angle."

Hinata's brow furrowed in confusion, before her own eyes widened in realization.

"He knows about the White Eye's weakness?" she asked, barriers forgotten, for once.

"Indeed," her father responded, fully turning to face her. "And there is a large probability the demons have managed to rip the information out of him. Which is why, as soon as I received your report, I petitioned for the Vampire Council to request the Demon Emperor to release Mizuki. As with you and your team, I only specified he had stumbled across extremely sensitive intelligence."

He must have pretended it involved the whole vampire community, the half-vampiress thought. That's the only thing that could have convinced them. And there's no way he'd say anything about the White Eye's weakness. The last thing he'd want would be word spreading to the other clans.

"The reason for that precaution is obvious," Hiashi went on, still gazing at her. "While informing you and your cousin Neji of the true stakes of this retrieval could have provided you with additional incentive, the clan could not risk your teammates learning about it. As the risk of you two involuntarily or not revealing this to them was too great, the elders and I decided against divulging any specifics."

Hinata nodded. It was logical; while the Soul Stalkers were under the Council's authority, Sasuke and Sai didn't hold any allegiance to the Hyūga Clan specifically. Over the centuries following the supernatural community's foundation, Leaftown's vampire clans had united under the Council's single leadership, with her family currently being the most influential. But this was still a game of politics, and there were factions who wanted nothing more than to take that spot at the top of the pyramid. These parties would take advantage of the slightest chance to weaken and endanger the Hyūga, and this was the largest potential opportunity they would have had for centuries. As such, informing non-Hyūga vampires about the nature of the compromised intel was absolutely out of the question.

Even though that's more proof that they don't trust Neji and me, either, she reflected, feeling quite discouraged. What do I have to do to get a little credibility? If another seeker team from the clan had been assigned to this mission, would they have been told everything?

"Hinata," her father called, capturing her attention again.

His ice-like orbs had become even graver, if that was possible, and the half-vampiress could have sworn his white stony mask had cracked a bit to let a sliver of actual emotion slip through - although she couldn't determine if it was concern for her (a very enticing possibility, but highly unlikely, she told herself) or simply worry for the clan as a whole (which was much more probable).

"You can probably understand the impact these two mistakes will have on your record and your reputation," he declared. "I regret to inform you that the subject of you being placed into the branch family has come up again amongst the elders."

Hinata froze. For a moment, one could even have believed she was a full vampire. Her complete absence of breathing or of any movement whatsoever made her seem like a statue, as well as the alabaster white tint of her skin. This sudden and abrupt immobilization, however, was understandable, given the words the clan head had just uttered. The latter had simply revived one of her worst childhood nightmares.

She had heard human children sometimes had bad dreams about monsters. Ironically, monsters themselves had their own share of nightmares, many of which were significantly more terrifying than the humans'. Indeed, unlike the latter's, most of the time, they was a large possibility of them becoming true. That was the case for this specific scenario. The kind of degradation her father had just mentioned came with an additional package of shame, coupled with a fate judged worse than death by some. Despite the vampires' love for their long lives, the sort of life this exclusion led to was one of eternal servitude, and that humiliation was sometimes too much for such prideful creatures to bear.

This was the cherry crop on top of the cake. Her efforts, her struggles to improve for the past decades had all been completely meaningless. Her tear, her precious blood, her pain spent on her training had been condescendingly shoved aside. Each hard-earned success she had fought tooth-and-nail for was about to be reduced to oblivion because of one mistake.

Strangely, her father proved to be the lifeline she needed in order to extract herself from the new surge of negative feelings. Once again interrupting the flow of her thoughts, he continued:

"While these tidings might be disheartening to you, remember that no decision has been taken yet. The minds of individuals, whether vampire, supernatural or even human, are easily influenced by circumstances. Just as the elders' opinion of your capabilities has tipped downwards," he pursued, seemingly spurred on by his daughter's interrogative stare, "you may shine in brighter light if you were to complete a task which would assist our cause."

Hinata noticed he hadn't included himself as part of the group that had been disappointed. Was there even the slightest chance her ice-cold father actually cared about her? More importantly, however, what task was he talking about? In her current emotional state, finding a way out of this situation felt impossible. And now, Hiashi Hyūga of all individuals was telling her he could offer her one.

"As I hope you've noticed," said clan head went on, unfazed by his interlocutor's reaction, "the section of the library we are currently occupying contains every parcel of information relating to the demon species that the clan has managed to gather over the centuries. It was no coincidence that I wished for us to meet in this location," he added, lunar eyes narrowing. "I'm certain you've deduced that this is linked to Mizuki's capture. At this point in time, we can pronounce the information the deserter had stolen to be compromised."

The young half-vampiress nodded, involuntarily bringing her gaze to the floor again. However, what came out of her father's lips next made her whip her head back up.

"Despite the appearances, that is in reality a positive element," he declared, utterly impassive. "This is due to the fact that we have the certainty the demons will not share this intelligence with any other faction. Their highly secretive methods and habits have left them isolated, with little to no allies amongst Leaftown's supernatural community. Therefore, we can safely affirm that no other species will come into contact with the specifics of these informations under any logical circumstances."

"But Father," Hinata dared to object, "how does that make this situation less compromising for the clan? Even with no other species knowing about it, can't the demons still become a major threat with this kind of intelligence? I-I mean… we haven't exactly been on the best terms for the past centuries," she finished, internally cursing her stutter for manifesting itself.

"You are correct, Hinata," her interlocutor replied, showing no reaction to her slip-up. "However, at the current moment, I am more at ease knowing the intelligence is in their hands than in anyone else's," he affirmed, showing no reaction to his daughter's gobsmacked expression

Never in a thousand lifetimes the latter would have seriously envisioned a Hyūga vampire saying those words - let alone the actual head! She had been playing down the bad blood between the city's two communities earlier. Resentment for the demons' extremely high position in Leaftown's hierarchy and the power therefore entrusted to them (as well as a fiercely denied fear of this species' phenomenal might) was so deeply woven into the clan's core that a member speaking about a possible peace between the two factions was immediately regarded with utmost suspicion by the elders. Her father himself, while never having been among the most radical anti-demons, had always been a defender of the clan's traditions. As such, hearing him speak this way was more than astounding.

"Let us truly broach the subject, once and for all," he abruptly declared, eyes hardening. "After debate, the elders and myself have come to the conclusion that Mizuki did not act purely out of greed or frustration from the vampire community's constraints. Neither his recent behavior nor his latest actions had betrayed any sort of prominent dissatisfaction of his position. Of course, we cannot fully rule out this possibility basing ourselves on that analysis. But certain evidence leads us to consider another hypothesis, which matches with the current circumstances."

Hinata's curiosity and impatience was reaching its boiling point. Despite his initial words, all her father seemed to do was dance around what he wanted to tell her. What was this new evidence that had pointed the investigation in another direction?

At last, he seemed to hear her unspoken question, and finally revealed: "We have discovered concrete proof of communications between Mizuki and the supernatural community of Cloud City. Although we cannot have any absolute certainty as of now, there is a possibility that Cloud City has set its sights on obtaining the White Eye again. And if this is the case, I am afraid you might be targeted, Hinata."

"No way!" Naruto exclaimed, vigorously shaking his head. "You've got a screw loose, Gramps!"

That remark was immediately met with a gaze that could have frozen hell over and a wave of bloodlust that had the young half-demon's knees rattling like a drumroll.

"Naruto, I've had quite enough of your familiarity and lack of deference for your elders and superiors," Ashina growled out - his controlled irritation was much scarier than an outburst of anger. "I've mostly abandoned hope of any notion of diplomacy getting through that thick head of yours. But that doesn't give you any excuse for bad behavior. It just makes your case worse. So if I were you, I'd work on keeping that loud mouth shut and sealed up. Understood?"

Paralyzed by the bloodlust, his grandson frantically nodded, eyes bulging with terror. Apparently satisfied, the demon emperor withdrew his oppressive presence, and the boy regained his breath, hands on his knees. Raising his head, he threw a glare at his interlocutor, who was sitting in his chair behind his desk, now looking completely he untied his sweat-covered kitsune-themed headband, a spot of red and khaki in the corner of his eye then caught his attention. Turning around, he discovered Jiraiya's unconscious shape lying on the wooden floor.

"Great! You knocked the perv out!" he accused, pointing his finger at his grandfather.

"Hmmm?" the latter let out, fingers crossed on his belly, eyes vaguely wandering over his old friend's supine silhouette. "I suppose you're right. He should work on improving his resistance to bloodlust; he's such a lightweight. Time for him to wake up!"

With those words, he traced a writing character in the air, the symbol appearing in glowing white lines. Once he was done, with a flick of the finger, he sent it hurtling toward the passed out body. As soon as it came into contact with Jiraiya's spiky white hair, the latter's body jerked as if it had received an electric shock. Eyes flashing open, the wizard immediately jumped to his feet, his head whipping from side to side, hands in a bizarre guard.

The trio was currently occupying a medium-sized office, located in a building which served as the main base of operations on the surface for Leaftown's demon community. Befitting the ruling family's demeanor, the furniture was far from elaborate, but the room was painted in a warm (albeit a bit aggressive) red, and many photographs and paintings were displayed on the walls. A wide panel of glass, almost spanning the wall's entire length, left an open view on the front of the property.

"Calm down, Jiraiya," Ashina spoke up, catching his friend's attention. "You passed out like a fresh-baked wizard apprentice when my bloodlust hit you," he added with a smirk (partially hidden by his mustache).

Rubbing the back of his head, one hand on his hip, the famed Toad Sorcerer seemed halfway between looking embarrassed and having just woken up from an alcohol-induced sleep (his crinled face indicated a throbbing headache). Sighing at the circumstances, he turned toward his godson.

"Kid, for the last time, could you please tune down whatever insane power you've got that makes every single person you talk to angry? I'm the one who's got to deal with the consequences!" he exclaimed, glaring at the blond boy.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," said hybrid dismissed, already focused on the initial conversation. "Gramps, I'm telling ya, there's no way Yugito did this!"

"Naruto, I acknowledge the fact that you're probably the one who knows her best in this city," Ashina began, leaning forward and placing his elbows on the desk, his gaze hard. "But despite your bond with her and the others, remember that she belongs to another community. As such, she has to obey the order that come from above, and as you know, Leaftown and Cloud City haven't exactly been on friendly terms during the past decade. I'm sorry to say this, but given the circumstances and the evidence the Head's forces have uncovered, she's the most likely culprit."

"Don't tell me you believe that kind of crap!" Naruto protested, clenching his fists.

Stomping forward, he slammed his hand on his grandfather's desk, causing the worn wood to crack. Unfazed by his interlocutor's sudden frown or his godfather's warning gaze, he did what he did best: speaking his mind loud and clear, his sky-blue eyes flashing with resolve and outrage.

"Listen, Gramps, I don't give a damn about what you, Master Kakashi or the Head think you've figured out. As long as you don't dig up real proof, like a recording of her saying she'll do it, I'll keep saying you're looking for snow in Windany!" he yelled out, glaring down at the demon emperor.

Jiraiya pinched the bridge of his nose, once again cursing his inability to teach his godson the vital survival skill known as tact. That talent would especially have been useful while facing Ashina, who, as a worthy upholder of the family's tradition, also had a bit of a short fuse. He could feel the headache from his latest loss of consciousness (which had only barely receded) already coming back at full force in anticipation of his old friend's next wave of bloodlust.

While he had grown to appreciate and admire his student's indomitable spirit and tenacity, right now, the boy was clashing with someone whose iron will was just as solid as his. And as Naruto should have learned from his physics class, an immovable object meeting an irresistible force always ended up… in a tremendous explosion.

Yeah… not a good way to continue the conversation.

This was why he wasn't surprised by Ashina rising up from his chair in a movement as swift as it was powerful, his pupils reduced to vertical slits, and his long white hair floating upward in filaments. A tsunami of murderous intent washed over Jiraiya, who, despite having the foresight of deploying his own magic power as a mental shield around him, was knocked unconscious again.

If he had managed to resist, his eyes would have met a sight that would have made them widen to epic proportions. Naruto was still standing tall and proud before his grandfather, seemingly unfazed by the killing urge that had just washed over the office - which had been at least five times as strong as the previous wave. The source himself, however, could see the young hybrid's throbbing temporal vein, as well as his teeth gnashing together to the point of turning into white powder. But his blue orbs, although now showing the fatigue due to the tremendous effort he had just made, still held that signature Naruto Uzumaki blazing flame.

Both slightly impressed and displeased, Ashina sat back down in his seat, his terrifying glare replaced with a gaze filled with curiosity and warning at the same time. He studied his interlocutor for a few additional moments, all the while during which the latter looked him back in the eye, before finally closing his eyes and sighing. Crossing his arms on the cracked desk, he visually ordered Naruto to sit down. Begrudgingly, his grandson ended up obeying, and plopped down in his chair, arms crossed as well.

"I can see the strength of your conviction, my boy," the demon emperor finally declared, his black eyes boring straight into the boy's blue ones. "This has both always been your greatest strength and a great weakness of yours. Your determination allows you to overcome many obstacles, yet it also makes you stubborn and hardheaded. That particular trait has interfered with your judgement on multiple occasions. Don't try to deny it," he warned, instantly cutting off his interlocutor's imminent intervention. "This is one of the main reasons why I can't call off this lead on Yugito Nii based on your opinion. Do you understand?" he inquired, his tone firm as steel but managing to stay unantagonistic.

Naruto, who had just opened his mouth to give the old demon another piece of his mind, immediately closed it. And, as such a miracle seemed to happen every thousand years, he chose to think over what his grandfather had just said.

After a long time of mulling things over (seventy-three seconds, a new record), he finally spoke: "I get where you're coming from, Gramps. And I guess I should do the same thing if I were you. But like you said, I know Yugito probably better than anyone in Leaftown, and I'm telling what happened at school doesn't look like her at all!"

"And why would that be?" Ashina questioned, his gaze piercing, leaning forward. "Are you telling me she wouldn't agree to attack our community out of respect for her kinship with us?"

"Well…" he hesitated, looking down at his knees. "There's that, but also…"

"Enough, Naruto!" his grandfather brutally interrupted, banging his fist on the table. "I would have believed your time with the hunters had made you less naive about the way of our world, but I guess I was mistaken. Yugito may be a demon as well," he pursed, his voice rising, "and a member of the nine noble clans, but she remains a supernatural of Cloud City! Despite the fact that the demon clans have maintained closer relations than other species, we are still aligned with different communities! She isn't your ally, Naruto, and there are few chances of that happening within your lifetime. This discussion is over," he added, tone as frigid as ice, ending any will to contest from his grandson. "The case will be looked into by a squadron of hunters you will not be a part of. Your mission remains the same: integrate and study the developments of the group of young supernaturals within Hashirama Senju High School. You are to stay out of the investigation concerning the explosion, and you are of course forbidden to relay any information about this affair you have learned or heard from our community. Understood?"

Faced with the full brunt of his grandfather's authority, sternness, and clear lack of consideration for his opinion, Naruto felt a mixture of emotions he was quite familiar with. Those were immense frustration, leading to anger, as well as hurt. These feelings were majorly what decided his next choice of actions. Rising from his chair in one brutal movement, he threw one last glare at Ashina, before spinning around on his feet and marching straight toward the office door. He had a very tempting urge to punch it out of its hinges, but even in his rage-fueled mind, he knew his grandfather's reaction wouldn't make it worth it. Instead, he chose to brutally pull the panel open, stêp over the threshold, and slam it shut behind him, causing the wood to crack around the corners.

Stomping through the corridors like a furious orange and black hurricane, the hybrid angrily pulled his headband out of his pant pocket, and abruptly tied it around his forehead again. And for an instant, the sewed kitsune on the piece of clothing almost seemed to glow orange as he raised his head, red flashing within his blue eyes under a knitted brow.

Screw you, geezer, he internally yelled. Don't want me to get involved with your precious investigation? Fine! I'll prove you wrong on my own. Because no matter what, I know there's something fishy about what happened today. And it wasn't Yugito!

HA, HA, HA, HA, STAYIN' ALIVE, STAYIN' ALIVE; HA, HA, HA, HA, STAYIN' ALIIIIIIIIIVE…!

Ahem. So… yeah. This story is still going on. I think you've pretty much gotten what kind of writer I am. No fourth-wall Author's Note with crazy shinobi trying to kill me this time. I think my subconscious got the message through loud and clear: I'm worse than Kakashi at being on time.

Kakashi: You should show some respect. Even I can keep a better schedule than what you've been doing for the past few months. Blabbering on about exams… If you're having trouble over written tests, I wouldn't want to see you participating in the Chūnin Exams.

TP: I SAID NO NINJA SHOWING UP IN MY HEAD!

You get the memo. Classes ending and all. Preping for the Bac. I know, I know, no more excuses. Well, not gonna make any promises. Thought this summer would be a good opportunity to get more writing time, but with Lady Inspiration's visiting rhythm and Writer's Block squatting most of my free time, I'd be happy to tell you a new chapter's coming in September. 2025.

Anyway, if some people are still reading this thing, leave a review, maybe fave and/or follow, and I seriously don't know how to thank you.

ThePunner out.