Authors Note: I was VERY busy

Kindly Deal with it XD

Sorry that sounded rude

Seriously though

I was veeeeeeeeeeeeerrrryyyyyyy busy :)

.

Now

Lets see if we can get the blood pumping again shall we?

And by the way things are going get severely crazy even by MY standards

Enjoy :)

And lets get started with:

The Last Protector

The Underground Root headquarters was hidden to all unwelcome eyes, accessible only to its own shinobi

Even the past two Hokage had no definitive knowledge of its location, instead choosing to give Danzo the secrecy he desired in exchange for his continued support and aid

Not that it mattered now

The Root leader was moving slowly towards the more secure and hidden of areas, which Root newcomers were disallowed from entering except after their inauguration…but if they had reached that far then they would have no further interest in stepping on such hallowed grounds…

The sound of Danzo's wooden cane echoed in the tight corridors as he approached his destination, and he moved with senescence, nobility…and veiled contempt

The sheer stupidity of the Hokage and that daemonic pest astonished even him

And the presence of the Akatsuki made the situation far more complicated…yet simultaneously was simple enough to remedy…

All that was required was another his Ways

Danzo stood in one of the most secretive and indeed most securely guarded area within the entire of the Root and quite possibly the entirety of Konoha itself, where 24 hour maintenance was in effect to ensure the slightest possibility of a breach was only possible by a former Hokage…but even then there was no clear mention of its existence, all records destroyed to ensure its security

The steel door opened as he approached, instantly recognising him by means too precise for any mistake to be made

Danzo approached a small keypad

Entering the code, a small compartment opened beside it with what appeared to be a pin facing upwards, which the aged shinobi promptly pressed down with his thumb, a drop of blood appeared which was immediately drained within the small device to be delivered elsewhere. After this small offering the several lights in the room lit up to allow ease of view, the sound of electronics burst into life as though eagerly awaiting use.

"What is the cardinal wish?" said a ghostly voice from, one which sounded more like a passing of cold wind

This seemed to be the final security system lest the others were somehow bypassed

One which asked a question which needed an immediate answer or the defence systems were activated within a heartbeat of hesitation

The Root head paid it little heed

"A Way is my order" Danzo answered

There was brief pause

"As is done…" said the etheric voice, accepting the answer

Slowly numerous forms of ambient green lighting came to life

The air was cold, the temperature kept low to allow the room's occupants a perfect environment for cryogenic suspension, the floor and walls were littered with metal to prevent the gathering of any heat

The screech of metal grates was heard underfoot as Danzo made his way through.

The room was filled with bright blue light emanating from the most cutting edge technology in the village or seemingly on the planet, most of which was unknown to the rest of Konoha, Tsunade, her shinobi and even the Leaf treasury had no knowledge of their purchase and creation, the contents of the room bought and paid for by the various feudal lords which have backed the Root in the past, as well as countless S-rank assignments that were not recorded in Konoha mission logs.

All of which took place within a space of a year

That and any funds not used during the last attempt he tried to reign control

Several large metal, human sized, tubes were held at angles resting on a large bulwark of machinery, littered with screens, tubes and quite notably seal formulas with whose contents were somehow being recorded digitally and input into them. The cold low hiss from ventilation cables were only mildly drowned out by the electronic sound of computer screens automatically processing near endless calculations of which purpose was for the development of the contents of each large cylinder to which they were attached.

Danzo approached one such tube.

The Seal on it gave the designation;

The Kanji on the able to be interpreted in numerous ways the concept of 'Nothingness'

Placing his solitary hand on a nearby key pad, he entered the necessary codes to allow access

Several plates of metal moved aside as vast torrents of light green smoke was released on each movement, revealing the inner glass cylinder which opened slowly, allowing a far greater amount of the jade mist to escape in a large bilious vapour

Within was a bare chested man, with long conduits attached to several ports surgically implanted into his very skin. His chest was littered with these channels, injecting several different liquids into his body...A method which was not dissimilar to the forbidden technology that the fallen Sannin was fond of incorporating…his forearms and hands disappeared beneath more cylinders which Danzo knew were filled with hundreds of needles, inserted into practically every centimetre of skin;

All for the cause of evolution

The man's face was hidden behind a mask, allowing none of his senses to be used, which more of the sickening machinery were attached

A series of horrific and slow metallic retraction like sounds were heard…with the unmistakable sound of bone…though the mask the shinobi wore and the pipes attached were being slowly removed from the pod's occupant's skull…

The mask was lifted in a series layered plates revealing the face beneath

His eyes were closed and static, and in appearance he was of an age either late adolescence or very early twenties. His hair was jet black and long, his features sharp and focussed and in seemingly perfect physical condition;

Yet there was not a breath to be heard nor seen in the cold air

No movement of the chest to signify life

Danzo looked on in disinterest, unmoved and unsympathetic of the extent of genetic modification the man before him undoubtedly had to endure…

The man's existence belonged to him after all

As did all Shinobi of the Root

And soon would all of those within Konoha

A barely audible sound was made behind him, the aged Root leader not bothering to turn

He frowned

"So your target still lives…" Danzo said disapprovingly

The new arrival was quiet

"Be silent, that was not a viable reason to leave" growled the elder "The compound was empty save a minor Hyuuga and a weak chuunin kunoichi…neither of which were of any threat"

An intake of breath was heard

"Hmm so the Akatsuki agent is allowed access to her ancestral home…" Danzo muttered focussing on the task ahead, inputting further codes into the keypad "It would be pointless to return, the Toad sage would see to it that compound is now almost impenetrable"

There was another intake of breath

This was long and slow

And came from the shinobi within the pod

His eyes opened instantly

Staring into nothing

Seemingly awaiting something…

"How will the Akatsuki act?" Danzo inquired, though the Root shinobi within had simply appeared before him as any other

There was a few heartbeats length of pause

"She will look to the defence of her own" answered the shinobi looking onwards

His eyes were blank and dry, yet seemed to see further and beyond then what was in the room

The reply was clear, plain and monotonous…yet there was an undeniable hint of disguised genius in the voice…

Danzo had calculated the likelihood of the action himself, whilst he had deemed it the most logical action; he was now certain

"And you will see it undone…my Way of the Void" Danzo commanded, his voice deep and authoritative

In a large series of disconnections, the many pipes attached to his body forcefully expelled themselves from the Root shinobi's body, and retracted back into the machine itself, each with a long needle to implant deep into human tissue.

The Way of the Void paid them no mind, though pain itself had no place or presence with him

The chamber opened fully to reveal the bare shinobi within

He took a few steps forward onto an outwards expanding series of flat rings on the ground before him, which appeared to be another addition to the room itself.

Another technological marvel bought and paid for behind the backs of the leaf shinobi

The computer screens flared into life, initiating the next process for the pod's occupants

A computerised female announcer declared the process's start

"Initialising Armament Program"

On physical activation the rings began to glow, and instantly varying sizes of straight lines made of blue light started to rise towards the ceiling above the shinobi, and another identical series of rings which corresponded to those on the ground

'Way of the Void acknowledged, prepare for Elemental inner suit'

The shinobi stood motionlessly at the command

And as though from thin air, a tight dark blue body-suit appeared on the shinobi, which looked to be made of interwoven cloth and elemental resistant plastics. Its function appeared to be designed for the appropriate element of the shinobi. Thin identical lines travelled on either side of the Root's chest, occasionally moving in sharp turns and travelling down to the feet. The most peculiar aspect of the suit was the identification of the chakra core, as many of the lines began from the centre of the stomach.

"Phase 1 Complete, prepare for outer casing instalment"

Next two thin rings of light travelled from above the shinobi's head and below his feet, blanketing him as they eventually crossed paths before turning back. As they crossed, a further layer was added on top of the body suit, made of a denser material used to stop direct blows. The additional layers gave the appearance of armour, whilst not limiting the wearer's movement in the least, almost clearly defining the body's muscular definition of the shinobi.

The colour scheme was a foreboding black as dark as the colour of night

The forearms of the suits took longer than the rest to assemble, as rays of lights appeared adding the extensive circuitry in perfect place. The hands were covered in the same thick alloy whilst the shinobi's finger tips were curiously defined and lightly raised for a purpose not yet clear.

"Phase 2 Complete, Final phase commencing, Ritual Armament and weaponization"

The lights returned, this time a different colour, a red hue which followed the same pattern of movement as previously.

From thin air, a three foot Katana was fastened to the Root shinobi's back, clasps on the armour he wore secured their position flawlessly. Around the waist appeared a belt with six pouches, two on the side with four on the back, these too were made of the same material as the rest of the body suit. And finally two metallic attachments were connected to the flat of both forearms, arrow like in appearance, with a flat nose above the wrist with a horizontal slit, whilst the rear was closer to the elbow, dipped in the shape of a point giving the contraption similar to the ballistic weapon which their appearance would suggest.

Danzo observed these with slight interest

They were perhaps the most intriguing of the suits weaponry and would certainly help in tipping the balance.

The next step of shuriken and ballistic advancement

The shinobi throughout this entire process remained without a mask, though the final addition was the most relevant

And on cue plates of metal folded themselves from body suit and armour he wore, folding over his face. Several hisses were heard from around the helmet to mark the completion of the transition;

From mere Human to living Weapon

The mask was more akin to a helmet, encasing his entire head to prevent any identification…

Which was a slight possibility should it be removed

It was similar appearance to those typical of Root ANBU, with lines travelling from above where the ear would, moving in angles to travel past the chin, with sharp rhombus shaped eye slits, which glowed with a light blue. And on the forehead of the helmet was the Kanji of the shinobi's namesake;

Void

"Final Phase complete, Operative ready for deployment"

The Root head surveyed the shinobi before him

The Way of the Void

It was…Acceptable to him…yet he knew what stood before him could quite comfortably out-perform ten times as many of the rank and file ANBU shinobi of the Hokage, and many times more jounin.

Silently he rethought his decision

He stood before the next step of evolution for all shinobi

And yet it was truly an embodiment of what shinobi should always have been before the notion became polluted;

The knives in the dark…

Bringers of the poisoned chalice;

The far reaching daggers of war

Danzo lifted his remaining hand, and summoned a miniscule scroll, less than an inch in length and barely three centre metres in width, yet was expertly imprinted with his desire

The Root agent before him bent to one knee, lowering his head, placing the fingertips of his left hand on the ground whilst lifting his right hand towards his master, expectantly and obediently waiting

The tiny scroll eerily flew into the outstretched hand, which in turn deposited the scroll into a small slot within his wrist-guard

A moment later a formless opaque puddle began to grow beneath the shinobi

Danzo gathered his cane and turned towards the door, not wanting to wait any further

Knowing the Agent had already gone

The Root head's visible eye turned slightly to newest arrival

Realising that perhaps simple assassination may not be necessary…

"Your Objective is to observe and manipulate…Your target must not be mentally fit for the coming battle…tire him…break him…and when given the opportunity…end him" Danzo ordered, choosing not to give the recipient a second glance;

An abnormal, guttural breath was heard before it too was gone

Leaving its master alone in the chamber

He looked around the at the remaining pods

The select few who were capable of becoming literal embodiments of his 'Ways'

Three were now empty

His pieces were now moving and it was his advantage;

The king was being surrounded…

XXXXXXXXXXX

The atmosphere in the Hyuuga compound was as cold as death itself

A stilling silence which only seemed to highlight what had transpired in a single hour

The Hokage and the Seal Sannin had both hastily arrived with grim expressions as they were made aware of the situation.

Both having seen the body for themselves, they had neither explanation nor prior knowledge of the techniques that Danzo had brought into place to allow the successful infiltration, subterfuge and tragic murder within a place previously deemed impossible to enter without a family member noticing or the triggering of the ancient security seals put in place.

Tsunade and Jiraiya were situated in an undamaged area of the Hyuuga Branch family area, near the recovering Tenten who was seated comfortably on a carpeted floor with Neji close at hand whilst Hinata stood a few metres away, having summoned her cloak from her room on the event that further attempts attacks from the Root took place;

Not a completely absurd notion considering some of the most prominent village shinobi were present.

Hinata stood arms folded watching as the Hokage healed the injured Kunoichi, especially the large bruise which she had travelling from the her chest to covering her stomach

The Dark kunoichi noted some suggestion of internal bleeding as blood noticeably travelled down both sides Tenten's mouth.

The Hokage had retrieved a blood sample, hoping to isolate and study the strange toxin introduced into her system.

For her part, Hinata had difficulty interpreting the chemical compounds used in its formulation

Yet both realised it was actually not toxic, but acted more of a paralytic

"Kami…I haven't felt this…beaten up in ages…" Tenten said carefully, occasionally pausing mid-sentence due to the pain in her chest

"Don't try to talk quite yet, I'm almost done…"Tsunade said softly, noting the size and indentation of the bruise was actually created by a foot

That was at least 15 inches in length and 6 in width

Considering the depth of the depression, amount of damage, either the creature had truly enhanced strength

Or it weighed more than 300 pounds

…probably both

She also couldn't help but notice the severe damage it had caused to the young kunoichi's rib cage, and forearms for that matter which indicated that Tenten attempted to shield herself by placing her arms in front of her chest to block.

The bones were clearly broken but were simple enough to remedy to ensure Tenten could make a full recov…

Tsunade realised something

Tenten blocked it….

Meaning there was something to block

That raised a question

Pleased with the level of recovery her chest now had Medic risked it;

"You should have the ability to speak without difficulty now" Tsunade said calmly, moving to heal the weapon-user's arms "Did you see what did this?" she asked

Tenten sighed slowly, before looking back at the Hokage, disappointment evident in her youthful face

"I'm sorry but no" Tenten said, watching the bruise on her forearms slowly disappear

But there was anger in her stare

"But then how did you manage to block?" Jiraiya asked curiously, realising the motive of the question previously

"I mean I didn't see the thing itself…but…" Tenten said slowly "I saw a black mist…but it wasn't a mist…it was as though the thing that attacked me was able to draw the shadows to itself…" she recollected

"Like the Nara are capable of doing?" Tsunade asked, suddenly cautious

"I doubt a Nara is behind this attack…" Jiraiya said thoughtfully "They have been loyal to every Hokage since Konoha was officially created…they would never side with Danzo"

"And if it were of the Nara…" Hinata interjected…

Drawing all faces to her, though she was partially in shade, her eyes seemed to glow in the distance as she stared at them

"Neji Nii-san and I would have been able to detect them" she said though the flaw itself was a mystery even to her

"Neither of you could see him?" Tsunade inquired, looking from her to Neji

"No…" murmured the genius, his voice a hollow resemblance of its original form "The creature is able to employ a technique which renders it undetectable to normal vision or the Byakugan"

"Really…?" Jiraiya said in slight awe

"What kind of Shinobi can do that…?" Tsunade began before Tenten interrupted

"Who the fuck cares!?" she yelled, startling the village head out of her thoughts "We just need to find him, pin him down, AND CRAM MY BO-STAFF UP IT'S FREAK ASSH..!" spat through her teeth

"We are not hunting this individual" Neji said bisecting her anger effortlessly

Tenten's head snapped towards him as his words suck in

"This thing killed your uncle, why don't you want it dead?!"

"We know next to nothing about it…It may currently be too powerful to kill" said the Hyuuga darkly

There was silence

Jiraiya turned to look at the Dark kunoichi standing a short distance away who stared emotionlessly back at him, knowing that they both had roughly the same thought;

Danzo had created a monster

A genuine Abomination formed from the darkest of imagination which was capable of truly grotesque methods of death, for which purpose was at the moment unclear…

Another question came to his mind but was also one which he was not comfortable asking at the moment;

Who was the intended target?

As tragic as it was, Hyuuga Ko was a victim of being in the wrong place at the very wrong time…

He looked from young face to young face…

The Akatsuki agent

Even if Danzo had planned for this months in advance, she was the most obvious option

Although…

The weapon specialist

Who only survived by the most narrow of margins

And then

The Hyuuga Genius

All three were perfectly noteworthy targets

He lowered his head in thought

Tenten had finally calmed down and stared at the face of the village head

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama, I didn't mean to yell…" she said dejectedly

"There is nothing to apologise for" Tsunade said softly

Tenten smiled slightly

"If I may ask Tenten…I realise this may not be the appropriate of questions but what exactly happened?" asked Jiraiya asked politely, giving the young kunoichi a wide enough berth to decline answering for the time being

Tenten stared with a pained expression, indicating the healing had not yet allowed her to fully recover

She stared down at the ground and tried to recall the last terrifying hour

XXXXXXXXXXX

The weapon kunoichi walked through the front entrance of the Hyuuga compound to the branch family area

The smiling face of Hyuuga Ko greeting her as she turned the corner

"Tenten-san, how nice to meet you!" he said cheerfully carrying some large stack of clean sheets to their appropriate place

"Good to see you Ko-san, I hope this isn't me being impolite for coming unannounced?" she asked

"Of course not!" Ko answered kindly "Hyuuga-sama always allows you freedom to come and go, it is no bother at all" he said as he continued to his destination "It's a nice change of pace considering Naruto-kun took Hanabi-sama to train elsewhere, leaving me alone for the time being"

Tenten smiled with a bow

Hyuuga Ko had the type of personality and demeanour that made it almost obvious he would never have a real issue with her

But he had been lied to about the condition of the Hyuuga heiress

Tsunade and Neji agreeing that the knowledge of the existence of Hinata would lead to a lot of questions and actions…More so that her older sister was somewhat responsible for Hanabi's current comatose condition

As he walked past, Tenten continued on her way

"I'm assuming you are going to be meeting Neji-kun later?" Ko inquired

"Yeah, we were going to be meeting in the dojo later" said the weapon user

Ko smiled knowingly

"Where else?" he said playfully causing Tenten to lightly slap his arm as she made her way

Ko was typical for a Hyuuga shinobi

Not quite as skilled as his nephew in combat but easily as farsighted

But he did have one of the more peculiar techniques of the Hyuuga known as the Chakra displacement technique...he even tried to explain the logic behind it

It essentially involved creating a chakra after-flicker when you…

She began walking before a question arose

Something she noticed when she entered the compound

"Say Ko, pardon me for asking but…" she began as Ko deposited the sheets in their proper place and turned towards her curiously

"Have you been cleaning?" Tenten asked brushing her nose lightly at the sheer extent of chemical scent which was now in earnest in their area

"I was a short time ago, but now that you mention it I think I see what you mean…" Ko said looking around them "It appeared while I was taking care of some business"

He activated his bloodline

"I don't see anything…and I don't use anything or nearly in the same quantity to produce this kind of odour"

Tenten quickly surveyed the immediate area…

They were stood close to the main hall of the branch members meeting room and consequently close to their living quarters and also Neji's bedroom.

She noticed that the compound had gotten strangely dark…

Considering the time and the amount of cloud in the sky it was unnatural…

There was a sound of a door creaking behind them

A titanic form…

An inky mist…

There was a face in the shadow

A large pale hand moving towards her face….

XXXXXXXXXXX

Tenten rubbed her brow though the memory brought back physical pain as a side effect

"I'm sorry…I can't right now"

Tsunade sighed slowly

She wasn't particularly surprised

From her mission reports

She doubted Tenten was prepared to go face to face with the creature as she did…

To be honest with herself she was not sure if even she had fought against anything which came close to the description she was hearing

She looked at her old teammate who responded in kind, his was one of agreement as though she could read her thoughts

"I'll have you escorted to the hospital for recovery…" began the Hokage

"No!"

She looked at the young kunoichi

"I just want to get home, I'm working something which will…help in the coming battle" explained the injured Weapon user, taking a brief moment to catch her breath

"I don't really think that's wise…you've received extensively severe blunt force trauma…" began the medical expert

"Try training with Lee and you'd be surprised to know that blunt force trauma is a byword for causal training" Tenten responded rubbing her arm instinctively

"I'm still not sure…"Tsunade began before being cut off

"LOOK, Root may attack tomorrow and I'm not going to be caught out by sitting in a hospital bed or taking some time off" said the weapon summoner resolutely, slowly moving stand. It was slow and careful, all the while holding onto the impact point of her chest with her left hand

But she stood tall

"And besides…" Tenten said slowly, looking directly into the eyes of the village head

"I want another crack at that big, misty, biotech made FUCKER!" she roared, her teeth sharp and fierce

Tsunade burst out laughing

Jiraiya smiled

"You know I think the Old man created something truly special" said the medical sannin to her teammate

"That he did" nodded the Toad sage

Tsunade looked at Neji

He seemed strangely quiet

And it was not the usual case of serenity and nobility that he did so…

But someone who was on the verge of making a painful decision, he was staring into the ground though deep in thought

"Neji"

The Hyuuga genius turned towards the village head

"Now this may be the most distasteful and tactless request I could possibly make right now but…" Tsunade began

"Take him"

Everyone stared at him, wide eyed and disbelieving

As did the Akatsuki, who's slit like eyes returned

Like a pair of glowing shards in the shadows

And yet the most unnerving aspect of it was the manner of how the Hyuuga genius gave his response

Without a hint of emotion

Though he was simply giving back a completed mission report

"Neji you can't be…" Tenten she started sadly though trying to understand his need to cover his emotions

He looked back plainly

"If what you said is true…the creature may have left some kind of residue in Ko's body to explain such quick absorption, if not then the body may give other clues concerning the Root shinobi that will be of use" he said logically and without a hint of doubt

A slight shift attracted the attention of all present

Directly at the Dark Kunoichi

"Such moronic insouciance does not suit you, Nii-san" Hissed the Akatsuki

"Regardless, you know as well as I do that Ko can still help us, and though you may not know this, but even the slightest iota of information will be invaluable in the current situation"

"Then you are a fool" stated the Dark kunoichi, her mask like face returning as she stared at her cousin "And you appear to have misplaced a rather obvious clue in this Nii-san…"

"Which is?" he asked calmly

A sliver hint of a smile appeared on the statuesque face, though the clay had a mind of its own, eerily done in its execution

"Before I answer I would like to know where are the other Hyuuga? Other than yourself, Ko and my sister I sense no other in the entirety of Konoha" she said, concealing the fact the irregularity had been in her mind practically since she had arrived

"Hiashi-sama has taken the clan to attend an ancient festival of allegiance and alliance to the Fire country and its head…" Neji began

"The summons of the Silent Fire" Hinata stated, narrowing her eyes though the idea bored her

"Of all times…" Jiraiya said from the side, attracting the attention of all present

"This is to do with the Hyuuga, and we can't really argue…" Tsunade said, folding her arms in thought

"Well we can't really argue when we're all dead and Konoha is given over to the hands of a deranged senior residential dictator can we?" he countered

"What is this Silent Fire meeting thing?" asked Tenten

"It is ancient tradition within the Hyuuga, whereby notable heads of smaller clans and business renew or cement their association to the Hyuuga meet with its head" explained the fallen kunoichi to the weapon user

"That's sounds a little vain…"

"That is because it is" answered the Dark Hyuuga, she looked back at Neji

"Though the timing of it is suspicious…It seems my Father hasn't changed in the slightest…or in the very least he reverted to the antiquated fool he always was…" the hint of bitterness was light but still noticeable to the sole other Hyuuga in the room

"If you truly believe that then you are the one who changed for the worse" countered Neji

Drawing uncomfortable glances from the non Hyuuga members present in the compound

The air was thick with the clear familial tension which forced the onlookers to quieten their breath unless they drew attention to themselves

"…you would do well not to fan my ire nii-san…" she hissed

He appeared unmoved

"Your father is a great man…" Neji said simply

Hinata chose to remain silent, slowly moving her head downwards, coupled with what little light was in the room, the action covered her face in shadow, unreadable to all

"But if it was the Summons…" stated the Dark kunoichi looking back at her cousin, her silver eyes the only visible feature of her face, glowed a ghostly hue "Considering she is in theory the next clan head, why was Hanabi not taken, and why were there only three of you..?"

"Hiashi-sama wanted Naruto to train her, and due to her youth also knew that he would be able to teach her the proper procedure in time when she came of age…and in regards to my and Ko being here, he was assigned to…"

There was an uncharacteristic pause

Hinata slowly cocked her head

"To…?" she said hoping to lead to the answer

Neji took a deep breath

"Assist the Head of the Branch members…" he said slowly

The Dark kunoichi's eyes widened a fraction

"You are the current head of the Branch Family?" she enquired, realising that no one had yet mentioned the fact to her

She looked at both Sannin in the room

It was the Hokage who spoke

"Neji was given the role as Head of the Branch Family little over a year ago, and it was officially sanctioned by Hyuuga Hiashi" said Tsunade, though realising they may be getting slightly off track

"I see…" acknowledged the Akatsuki

Her crystalline gaze moved back towards her cousin

"I recently came to the conclusion that…" she said, thinking back to all available clues and hints that the situation gave her, there was no other answer

"You were the target" Hinata said with unnerving certainty

The room was quiet again

Neji himself was seemingly frozen

"What..I…I…but no…" he stuttered, though the confusion and horror of the scenario was numbing him from thinking clearly

Hinata looked at the floor, gathering her thoughts

"It was able to hide from a doujutsu capable of insight on levels no other clan in history are capable of…" her head turned towards the door which was still in small pieces after Tenten had been through "It possesses inhumane strength which as you know is a perfect opposing force to the Juukin we employ…" she continued "And it seems able to gather genetic material which could possibly be used to interpret and unlocking the secrets of our bloodline, possibly even bypassing the curse seal technique"

The shards of glass were upon him again

"And as far as I can tell, during my absence you yourself have given Danzo plenty reason to fear and plan for you" she concluded

"It was created and bred specifically to assassinate you"

Neji was lost amidst a storm of realisation and horror

The Akatsuki turned towards the Village head

"But why would Danzo attempt to create a creature to destroy the Hyuuga?"

It was Jiraiya answered

"During the last Root insurrection, The Hyuuga clan proved highly influential in disrupting and bypassing their technology and techniques…it looks like Danzo created something to counter their abilities…or it could be simple revenge"

Hinata eyes widened in slight realisation

"And there may be more for each of the Konoha 10…perhaps that is what Shikamaru-kun read when he mentioned 'Earthblood'?" she enquired

"If it is then the name makes no sense…" Jiraiya noted, scratching his head "But Danzo would be smack dab in the middle of his Alzheimer's if he wouldn't consider some kind of failsafe or method of defeating our elites" he said moving to nose scratch his neck

"That's not funny" Tsunade chastised

"It's a little funny" Jiraiya mumbled

"Enough"

Both turning to look at the Dark kunoichi, her apparent soulless eyes penetrating each to their core

"Keep your childish bickering away from this place, else I forcefully blind you both" she hissed, flexing her seemingly dagger tipped fingers

Jiraiya sighed and nodded once in apology

And though on cue

There was sound of hurried running coming from around the corner

"What took them so long?" Jiraiya asked his old teammate

"Kami only knows" Tsunade answered

Gai and Lee and entered the Hyuuga grounds with a storm of questions, the more notable being the absence of Ko, the odour on the air…and the apparent desecration of the home of Konoha's most ancient noble family

The responses left them pale and speechless

Lee's hand went to his mouth in horror; he surveyed the scene around him somehow putting in place his mind what had happened himself

"A…creature…did all this?" he asked fearfully "And Ko-san is…."

Jiraiya nodded slowly

Lee looked down to the ground feeling emptiness, fear and shock in equal measure

He looked towards his teammate with utmost sincerity

"I am so sorry Neji-kun"

"Thank you" he responded plainly, the manner he had done so made the Taijutsu specialist blink repeatedly in confusion at the swiftness of his response, as though to clear whatever fog had clouded his eyes to what he was seeing

Neji was standing perfectly still, occasionally he would blink, but it was though he was looking at an inanimate object

Lee looked between him and Hinata

The eerie symmetry of their mannerisms at that moment was…disturbing

"Neji-kun you are allowed to be upset by this…"

"Not now, we have a task before us yet"

"And you are allowed to care about your relatives!" Lee exclaimed, gesturing around him horrified of what was being said

"Not now" Repeated the Hyuuga

And in that one statement…Lee saw the younger Neji before him again

He who cared for no one;

The aloof perfectionist

Who believed the mission was all and any emotional attachment was a weakness

…or perhaps there was something else behind his current manner

Maito Gai stepped in

"Lee…Tenten"

His protégé looked at him instantly

"As hard as it may be to accept Neji has of a point, the instant we lose sight of the goal, we have lost the struggle…we have taken a loss, but don't forget we are essentially at war and tragically losses will occur" Gai said slowly, using utmost caution in what was clearly a delicate scenario

Remembering a certain great man come to him and his teammates' rescue many years ago against a number of Mist Jounin

Lee swallowed hard and Tenten's mouth dropped

"But that said…Neji"

His pupil looked towards him

Gai walked forward and stood in front of him and placed his hands on the young jounin's shoulders

"Do not let your sorrow burn away what made more than just a mere shinobi, becoming close to the being that did all this…always remember what it is that makes you a comrade, a friend…and most of all a human being"

The corner of Neji's lip let out the very slightest of quivers

Unnoticeable to all except his sensei

He let go of him and stood so he was between all three

"All three of you need to understand that we must remain steadfast in the face of such adversity, but never lose ourselves doing so…not one of you are Genin anymore, Konoha looks towards you in its survival"

Gai turned towards the Akatsuki

"And that includes you as well, Miss Hyuuga Hinata"

The dark kunoichi focus seemed to sharpen with a glance

"So what do we do now, Gai-sensei?" Lee asked

"We arrest Danzo for murder and treason" Tenten snapped

"There is unfortunately not a single piece of evidence to connect him to this" Jiraiya said quietly "Root are all about smoke, mirrors and lacking finger prints"

Tenten's mouth shut tight at the realisation

Tsunade stepped forward

"The Hyuuga compound will be quarantined, Neji, I believe it would be wise if we arrange some temporary accommodation for you"

"I can help, he can stay with me, Tsunade-sama!" Lee said resolutely moving to Neji's side and placing a hand on his shoulder

"No"

All eyes turned towards the Hyuuga genius

"I will not leave" Neji said quietly with a shake of his head, slowly removing his teammates hand

"I am not placing this up for discussion Neji, it's an order" said the Hokage

"And I refuse to follow it" he countered "This place is my home and I will not leave it"

Tsunade brow deepened in angered disapproval but before she continued, the young Jounin's sensei stepped it once again

"It not the time for insubordination Neji, it is a suggestion to ensure your wellbeing" noted Gai

"I was given instruction by Hyuuga-sama to watch over this compound and I will, regardless what threat lies at its doors or in its halls" said Neji

Jiraiya sighed thoughtfully

"Even if I were to strengthen the seals on the front door and walls" he said analytically "The Root…creature…will most likely find some way to either bypass or break through them…again…and you won't be able to see it coming, and it will come straight for you"

"I believe that is Nii-san's intention"

Everyone looked towards the Dark kunoichi

"I believe he intends to use himself as bait to study the creature…so when he falls…he himself can be used to gather more research material to defeat it…" probed Hinata, staring at her cousin directly

"He desires to be a martyr"

As soon as she finished Tenten walked up to Neji and slapped him hard, his head jerking to the right, stunning all except the Akatsuki and the Hyuuga himself

"Is she right?" ground out the weapon specialist

Neji let out a small humourless laugh

"You ask me this before striking me?" he asked curiously

"Answer me" she spat, moving to slap him again before Lee moved forward to clasp her arm

"Let him explain himself" Lee said gingerly

"Hyuuga-sama has instructed me…"

"Enough with the excuses Nii-san" hissed Hinata, exuding an aura of annoyance and anger "Your intention is clear as day"

Neji looked at his cousin

"So is yours…" he countered

"How articulate of you…" mused the dark kunoich, brow slightly raised in amusement "So tell me, after you have been used and expended for the sake research, and after the long line of martyrs who follow you, before they themselves are used and expended, what would you have them do…write a book?"

"Regardless of my intention I will stay here, the legacy of the Hyuuga clan runs in these halls and I will not leave this place undefended" Neji said plainly, staring directly at the village leader

Tsunade folded her arms

"I cannot agree with this Neji, you are going to get yourself killed" she warned

"Then I will stay with him" said Lee resolutely

"Absolutely not" Neji began before his teammate moved a foot away from him

The Juuken user and the Taijtusu specialist stared at each other with unmistakable tension

"You are not acting like yourself Neji" said Lee with a shake of his head, "With everything that's happened here you are allowed not to right now, but you need to stop trying to shoulder all of this by yourself, I'm your friend and I'm staying"

Neji exhaled heatedly but remained silent

"I'm staying too" Tenten added

"No you're not" said Neji vehemently

"Actually I may need to agree with him on this" Tsunade interjected "I still need to give you a proper examination, and soon on the off chance Danzo has a desire to add insult to further injury"

"You don't mind them staying here?" Jiraiya asked interestedly

"I can tell that his mind is set…not to mention that I would catch hell if Hiashi learnt I left this place empty" she replied

"And I can come and check on them on hourly intervals if necessary" Gai mentioned, giving whatever aid he could "I would rather not let the Root realise there is still a large Shinobi posting here"

"Then it's settled, you three may stay here…Hinata currently already has a place to stay in the time being, Jiraiya will strengthen the wards surrounding the compound" Tsunade finalised

All heads baring one nodded

The Dark kunoichi looked to be contemplating a number of scenarios in her mind

"Might I speak you and your old colleague privately, Hokage?" she asked softly

Tsunade and Jiraiya looked at her with undeniable curiosity

Though even the scant courtesy they were receiving was odd to them

"Alright, the rest of you get moving…I will send someone shortly for Ko…" said Tsunade looking at the deceased's relative with sincerity in her expression

Neji nodded once, the stoic nature slightly returning in place of the clear lack of emotion he displayed earlier

As the group split up, Neji walked alone though his ancestral halls, politely requesting a few moments with his family…

Ko was now on the floor, a quilt was draped over him and the cloth on his face still in place

Neji kneeled at his side and placed his hand on the head of his mother's brother and realising this felt heavier then he thought it would be;

"I am so very sorry uncle, I promise I will not let you down again…" he said simply, before removing his hand, though his eyes was fixated on his chest

He found he couldn't bring himself to weep for him anymore, he needed to stay strong for the entirety of the Hyuuga clan. When he was named the head of the Branch family, he had striven to achieve what was expected of him; the same honour, dignity, respect and strength that his ancestors had as they lived and fought as the aegis of Konoha throughout the centuries of his clan's existence. He had to be the comrade his friends needed him to be as well as the jounin the shinobi of his homeland needed him to be.

Lee had been right

He was allowed to not be himself;

But he was also wrong in one respect

This was his burden to bare…and he would not allow anyone else die in his stead

He would not ask his comrades to share this task;

Anger welling inside him

Not when there was still a beast to slay…

XXXXXXXXXXX

Hinata lead the two sannin to a secluded area of the compound to converse on a topic she was somewhat hesitant to mention, but one that had stayed on her thoughts constantly since the change of circumstances

It had become slightly darker in the day as the sun moved further in the afternoon, the compound seemed to be slightly recovering over the initial breach, the cherry blossom trees within the courtyard moved tranquilly once more, and the original beauty of the compound returned fully, uncorrupted by artificial creations

They stopped in one of the small meeting areas that had remained unchanged in Hinata's memory, Jiraiya closing the shoji paper door behind them

"So what's on your mind?" he asked politely

"Is it about Naruto?" asked Tsunade carefully

"He has been acting somewhat…uncharacteristically sullen of late, did something happen between you two?" asked Jiraiya

"He does not concern me" answered the Akatsuki agent; absently adjusting her wrist guards "Neither does his opinion"

The Sannin shared a look of caution

"Where is my sister?" asked Hyuuga Hinata

The question taking both aged shinobi by surprise

For in that moment;

She seemed more human then she had previously since returning

The Akatsuki waited for a response

"Well?"

"Why do you want to know?" asked Tsunade

"Answer me" hissed the Dark kunoichi

"She is still one of my Kunoichi, I am allowed to know why"

Jiraiya stepped past his old teammate

"She is in a medical facility deep within the Hokage tower surrounded by several teams of ANBU shinobi, as an heiress and one of the two only members who carry the Byakugan currently in the village without protection, we wanted her protected at all times while she recuperated"

Tsunade grabbed his arm and spun him to look at her

"What are you doing!?" she hissed through clenched teeth

"What are you doing!?"Jiraiya spat back "How is withholding that kind of information from her beneficial?"

"It's classified information!"

"Classified from even her own family!? Who actually wants to know she is being looked after!?" he countered

"Now is not the time!"

"It is the ONLY correct time!"

"It's not like she is not going anywhere any time soon!"

"But she might" Jiraiya said pointing at the Akatsuki, who frowned at the insinuation that she may either leave…or fall…after the battle with Root

Both Sannin breathed heavily

Tsunade eased off first and looked at the Akatsuki

"We mentioned earlier have been trying to neutralise the seal you placed on her, but both of us are having some difficulty doing so, more so with the incoming Root assault, she is kept under close guard in the meantime"

"We can possibly arrange you come visit her if you like?" Jiraiya asked politely

Hinata nodded once, it was slow with a hint of authority though she was giving an order

"But is it wrong to know why you want to see her?" asked the Hokage, ignoring her teammates tut

"The Root shinobi may focus their strength and attempt to retrieve our bloodline from her" replied the Hyuuga

"That can't be the only reason" pondered Jiraiya hopefully

"It is the only important reason" admitted Hinata

The Seal sannin's eyes noticeably saddened at the reply

He knew she cared far more then she was currently letting off, even for Naruto. The past few days had been strenuous on her and those around her who should have rejoiced at her return, have instead fought against her to the limits of their strength and in some cases close to the border of death…He decided to give her a little time, hoping that all things will balance themselves out amicably;

Unless her meeting with Naruto later today was a catastrophe…

The toad Sanin had openly voiced his concern of the pair staying within the same residence, and especially considering the current friction between them was a volatile situation just waiting to happen to say the very least

Because as much as he would love to say otherwise, and with all the teachings of defiance and an unbreakable will he could impart;

It looked as though Naruto had given up on her…

Granted this was far more complicated than a duel to the death or battle against overwhelming odds

And though he would never vocalise it, especially how tacky it sounded;

Theirs was a duel of the heart

"I'll be coming with you when you see Hanabi, I'm on the only one who can actually deactivate the security around her" he said finally

Hinata moved towards the door, wrapping her white robe around her, and summoning her straw hat from nowhere and placing it serenely on her head

"You want to go right now?" Jiraiya asked slightly surprised

"This was my sole reason for speaking to you, and I would have this simply done with" said Hinata, moving towards the door

"You can stay here for another thirty minutes, you don't have to visit her right this moment…"

"I have no reason to stay here"

"You can stay with Ko a little longer?" Tsunade offered

The Akatsuki turned towards them, the cold air returning as her gaze turned to ice

"I am not another one of your shinobi to be coddled, Tsunade" she hissed, as cold as winters breath "And Neji has seen to Ko's body, you and I have nothing else to discuss" she said turning, swiftly reaching and opening the door before stepping outside, the shoji behind her seemingly on its own volition, though knowing the two would need to converse further

The Hokage turned to her old teammate who had pulled out the necessary scroll which was the first point to unlocking where Hanabi was being kept.

Writing down the necessary seal before cursing on getting a paper cut, a drop of blood falling to the wooden floor

He raised a brow at the irony of it potentially being used against him somehow and immediately cleaned it away with some alcohol and a cloth

"I don't like this you realise" Tsunade said at her teammates back

"You don't like a lot of things, but at least I can take the top spot" Jiraiya said with a smile "Relax, we'll be in and out before anyone knows we were there" he said stepping outside, leaving the Hokage alone

"This is not going to end well" she said out loud, silently hoping he heard it

XXXXXXXXXXX

A distance away, an unknown being had heard the conversation

'Target located, moving to pursue'

It shifted position moving from roof top to tree, to the balcony and then another building slightly further away within the compound. Its movements did not even shake a single leaf, move a grain of earth or stir a single blade of grass

'Maintaining acceptable distance, two threats acknowledged, position uncompromised' it thought with near computerised clarity though its mind was being recorded…

As they most likely were

'Calculating…moving to new position to await access' it's thought with clear efficiency

In an instant, it moved over a mile from its current location and lurked out of sight of all

'New position located, standing by…"

XXXXXXXXXXX

Jiraiya took Hinata deep within the Hokage tower, far beyond the point that sunlight was able to reach

Finally they approached a door flanked by shinobi, judging by their animal masks and general garb were two ANBU loyal to the Hokage. Their hands instantly went to their swords as they saw the sannin being followed by a slender, and unidentified, individual wearing a white equivalent of an Akatsuki agent, the slightest glimpse showed she worse a ghostly half mask…

Her eyes remained hidden….

She didn't seem to be move by walking and rather glided alongside the Sannin

And felt the palpable, etheric cold which she drew around her even though they were almost too deep for a breeze to reach them…

Hinata refused to raise her head or remove the straw hat concealing her face

Jiraiya raised his hands peacefully

"Easy there, she's with me, a visitor granted access by both myself and the Hokage" He said peacefully, smiling pleasantly

The two ANBU, one eagle masked and the other a tiger, were first slow to respond but lowered their arms and saluted the Seal Sannin, placing their right fists on the chest and dropping to one knee, lowering their heads in acknowledgment

Jiraiya smiled and looked over his shoulder at the 'Visitor'

"Our ANBU are loads better than the Danzo's bunch" he said, his smile slowly lessening "They remember that regardless of what happens they are still human"

Behind the straw covering her face, the dark kunoichi's brow tightened slightly

The ANBU stepped aside from the door letting the pair pass by unperturbed

Jiraiya led her down one last set of steps before reaching a door which had a simple keypad attached

Or perhaps not quite so simple…

"I hate this part" Jiraiya said quietly, placing his hand and inputting the correct code, a new small liquid red dot on each

Hinata noticed on each button was a small needle for extracting blood, a somewhat barbaric practice she didn't much care for

"Could not this be bypassed simply by stealing the scroll you used and severing your arm?" Hinata asked dryly

Jiraiya chuckled at the near instant use of her bloodline in the split second she had left the Hyuuga meeting room

"No actually, the door is attuned to my chakra signature as well as my DNA and finger prints in addition to the door code…and my left arm is going nowhere thank you very much…"

Thought only her eyes were visible over the coat, her eyes narrowed as she slowly cocked her head

A Five stage locking system?

'Interesting…' she thought, noting the rarity of such a thing as she recorded the code used as they walked though, the door closing behind them automatically with glowing seals to indicate increased security against destruction

XXXXXXXXXXX

'Agent standing by, infiltration accomplished' noted the Hidden

'Method of entry recorded, 5 stage method identified, processing physical body to compensate'

Out of sight, its suit changed the body within…

'One of the alpha targets…marking….marking successful…'

XXXXXXXXXXX

The Akatsuki turned to look over her shoulder

Her Byakugan activated, she scanned the immediate area and saw nothing

But her recent experience with the Creature she and Neji encountered, it would be foolish to assume it was the only one amongst the Root which was capable of evading her sight

"Is there a problem?" Jiraiya asked politely

"I sensed an unusual presence just now" she said quietly, turning to face the doorway she had just passed through

"Unless there is a Root able to literally copy my body and reach into my pocket to undo the seals, we're fine" Jiraiya said with a slightly proud smile

"We will to turn back" Hinata said frankly

"It's safe" Jiraiya pressed

"Do not force my hand, old man" said the Akatsuki, but even this was said in a ghostly whisper

Jiraiya sighed and ran though some hand seals

"Toad Fire Barrier technique" he intoned before placing both hands to the ground

Instantly Three walls of flame erupted behind the Akatsuki who made no motion to move, as though foresight told her that she would be unharmed

"There we go, now we're safe"

"I was not concerned for us, and walls of flame are could hardly be considered a defence" said the dark kunoichi sceptically

"A normal flame wall, certainly…but this is of the techniques of the Toads of Myobokuzan and is said to be impenetrable"

"Said to be impenetrable?" repeated the Dark kunoichi

"Miss Hyuuga, I will have to remove it when we leave, but for the time being I can guarantee even you wouldn't be able to get through that" Jiraiya said, folding his arms and a smile on his face

Though his word was somehow insufficient, she walked to wall of flame and slowly drew her blade, moving its tip towards the flame

Instantly her hand was thrown back by a small explosion, burning her sleeve up to her forearm and causing 2nd degree burns up to her elbow

"Was that entirely necessary?!" Jiraiya half yelled but instantly stopped his step forwards when he saw the flames on her arm be forced off, the skin of her arm healing instantly regenerating and the sleeve regenerating itself though it was made of some kind of liquid polymer

All the while Hinata did not show even the slightest indication of pain or irritation

Or even slight disturbance

"It will suffice" she said simply

"Miss Hyuuga…"

She turned to look over her shoulder to see the Sannin arms folded but with a look of slight disappointment on his face;

"I know that you might not trust me, Tsunade, Naruto or in fact trust anyone else on this entire planet…but sometimes you have to take things on faith"

"A poor coin to use in times of death and murder...used when hope and logic fail…you suggest one looks towards faith?" The Akatsuki asked before shaking her head "No…I will not…such a concept died in me a long time ago"

She withdrew her blades and faced him fully

"And if you could kindly save your aged candour to yourself from now on…I will never be one of your students" she reminded

Jiraiya said nothing but blinked slowly as though saddening realisation that trying to reason further was futile

"We're here" he said finally, turning around to open the final door

XXXXXXXXXXX

It approached the flame barrier technique after the one of the alpha targets had been notified of the possibility of its existence

'Anomaly detected, S-rank technique in place, unbreachable, doorway inaccessible'

Its mind running through numerous calculations not dissimilar to that of a high end computer

An answer had been discovered while examining a few cracks in the wall

'Agent standing by for re-entry…'

XXXXXXXXXXX

The room was unlit save for one lamp above a hospital bed with attached life sustaining apparatus which monitored the sole occupants heartbeat, blood pressure among dozens of other readings including chakra levels

'Ones position as an heiress Konoha's oldest families seemed to have its benefits', thought the wraithlike kunoichi noticing the costly equipment in place

But this was barely a thought to her at all

A small and insignificant realisation compared to the room's occupant

"I'll just be outside' Jiraiya said thoughtfully, as he walked out and closed the door behind him, this door also glowed to show security and silence from both inside and out

Hinata didn't watch him leave, she removed her hat and moved towards the sleeping kunoichi

Part of her wondered why the older shinobi had said and done that.

The Akatsuki was curious why she needed to stay when she could have simply left after recognising that the promise of her location was true

And the other part wanted to discover something for herself;

"Hanabi" said Hyuuga Hinata

The Akatsuki silently realising she had said that out loud as she moved to two feet away from the bed itself

Her sister was, like everyone had mentioned up to that point, in a comatose state, cloth covered her eyes which had upon it had written seals of recuperation, tranquillity, physical and mental restoration among some others she was not quite familiar with. On her mouth she had an oxygen mask, her breath steaming the inside at regular, albeit slow intervals

She was dressed in a simple vest, to allow easier access to the arteries and veins of her arms with a thin blanket resting on her midriff, and the temperature in the room was warm enough without overheating or freezing…

But Hanabi was akin to a corpse

She was deathly pale, her face a near skeletal look to it, the fullness of her cheeks gone and her lips were dry and almost devoid of colour

Silver eyes scanned the readings of the machinery around her, some of which suggested a very low body temperature, an abnormally slow heart rate, weakened immune system;

All of which were just outside the range to require immediate hospital attention

Hinata activated her bloodline to examine her chakra signature, also taking note of the various readings on the machinery around her which acknowledged her findings;

It was dangerously fragile

So much so that any normal shinobi would be unable to fight or be on the brink of…death…

The Dark kunoichi attempted to piece this together logically…every outcome was…far from being satisfactory

'I was the architect of all this…?' Hinata asked herself, her composed nature slipping slightly as though the damning truth dawned on her

Before her was practically the one person she could never bring herself to harm…

Regardless of what conditioning she had been forced to endure

And yet

The proof was before her;

She had done

Hinata had hurt her little sister

Worse yet

She had inflicted this much damage?

The Akatsuki shook her head once

"It was a calculable risk, she is unharmed" she said plainly to the almost empty room

Was she?

Activating her bloodline once again as though to validate herself, as though she was incorrect the first time

The same weakened signature appearing again

She was told of the usage of the seal she was given

Told in depth what it was capable of, and even been allowed to research it so she could create it herself;

The one she had used on Hanabi had been made by her own hand

What had she missed?

The Akatsuki's hand moved to her head, slowly massaging her right temple, a single shudder followed as thought she could almost feel the cracks in her psyche forming…

Did she miscalculate something?

"Impossible" she said resolutely

The seal formulae ran though her mind effortlessly

She knew of every nuance, every cause and effect

Hyuuga Hinata knew exactly what the seal did when she used it on Hanabi

'No' she thought sharply

She refused to accept that conclusion

Regardless what had happened, she swore to herself that amidst all the fury and near untameable desire for bloodshed she felt towards the Pink haired RAT and all who fought for her…

She swore that Hanabi would never be harmed

That she would never so much as part a strand of hair on her head;

But she did

She had broken her promise

Her hands moved and gripped her head tightly, her seemingly bladed nails almost stabbing into her skull

Her serenity dropped entirely she staggered a few steps away, Her breaths slowly at first but eventually building in speed, came out fast and hard, her teeth biting hard as her face warped into one of confused rage and anger

She dropped to her knees as her legs gave way

This should not have happened

It was impossible

…NONE of this should have happened

'IMPOSSIBLE!' she repeated loudly inside her mind

She did not make mistakes…

SHE DID NOT MAKE MISTAKES!

Her eyes began to hurt…

A suffocating heaviness settled within her chest

A single tear travelling down her left cheek

What had she done…?

"Why did you hurt her…?" asked a small voice

The Akatsuki's head snapped up, her sinuous body moving to one knee and drawing both of her wristblades downwards in one lightning quick fluid motion, before the source of the voice caused her to lower her arms

Her eyes realising that the room itself had gone, she was now in some strange dimension travelling endlessly in all directions. The floor was the same as the room as she was once in but only the hospital room items were present, seemingly hanging in mid-air in some cases whilst around it was a darkness stretching elsewhere

"Once more towards insanity's edge?" she spat in disdain, moving to stand, roughly wiping her face with one hand

Each action made with annoyance and irritation

The voice belonged to a small child…spoken in utter purity and innocence…and one all too familiar to her;

Her child-self had returned once more

The Akatsuki looked at the 5 year old of herself, wondering if she was actually young once…her memories of the time a faded blur, she was dressed in a child's kimono…one the Akatsuki vaguely remembered she owned in her youth

The Younger Hinata looked at her older self with a hurt expression; she stood on the opposite side of the bed to her, and lightly held Hanabi's hand in both of hers…a slight trace of tears in her eyes

"And once more I travel within the confides of my mind to battle my own personal daemons…" the Dark kunoichi sighed "Have I been truly reduced to this…?"

She looked to the younger girl in the room who seemed to appear from nowhere

"Begone, misbegotten runt…!" hissed the Dark kunoichi, her eyes looking at the little Hyuuga with complete derision "You are not real, just another figment of my past which refuses to rot quietly"

"But you said you would never hurt her!" said Hyuuga Hinata, her voice high pitched like a child who was on the border of breaking into a fit of tears she said moving to the other side of the bed "You promised…!"

"There was an error with the scroll which was used" said the Akatsuki simply

"You're blaming the parchment!? You're the one who got it incorrect!" screamed Hinata, waving her arms in front of her in a childlike fashion

"I do not make mistakes…." Repeated the Akatsuki

"But you did!" Screamed the tiny Hyuuga, tears flowing down her cheeks her breath coming in and out in quick succession

The Dark kunoichi looked away, one hand held her face, her ghostly eyes practically letting off a mist through her fingers as her nails tore her skin, and her hand clasped tight as no other response could be made at the moment

Her hard breathing slowed as though some sickening understanding came to her;

…It was Hanabi's fault

Yes

That was it…

Though the pair were having a battle within her own mind, she knew that the greater the advantage she held could allow her to physically act as she chose fit…

She decided to prove that now….

In the Real world The Akatsuki had lifted herself off the floor and made her way towards the bedridden Kunoichi, her eyes glowing bright as her malice made itself known through her bloodline. Her chakra radiating off her circulated with this, completely drowning what little light there was in the room and almost forming what seemed like dark-feathered wings to appear from her back which flexed and drew inwards in anticipation for her coming act….

The seal and jutsu covering her coat were similarly washed away revealing the ominous black cloak once more, the blood red clouds visible again

The child Hinata suddenly fearful, clasped her hands tightly to her chest and took a step back towards her sister

Offering what little protection she could provide her…

The Dark Angel's intent to kill actually seemed to move in a fast circling mist around the bed and the young child, radiating from her like a ghostly wind and causing Hanabi's hair to move away

It was HER fault

"Vainglorious child…" ground out the Akatsuki

All this instability

This indecision…

ALL THIS PAIN

She planted this seed…let it fester and grow inside the Dark kunoichi like a Cancer

Ever since they were children, Hiashi's little favourite had to have it her way

"No…no she did nothing wrong! She loved us!" screamed Hinata, like some small part of Hinata's psyche tried desperately to remind itself that it was forming false memories and emotions

The Akatsuki lost within her rage didn't hear her

Taking slow steps forward

With an intent for Murder

"It will all end with her…"

XXXXXXXXXXX

Though Jiraiya was oblivious to what has happening due to the Door seals, a short distance away;

Naruto's eyes snapped open

Something was wrong

Sitting bolt upright from his bed he quickly wore his shinobi sandals and stepped out to his balcony

'What in Kami's name am I sensing?'

He had never sensed anything so bloodthirsty in his life…

But he knew that if it was actually on the air, he wouldn't be the only one sensing it and there would be a flood of movement from all the village's shinobi as they responded to the threat

But Konoha was completely silent, its citizens walking around peacefully

"The rage is reaching its zenith, Brat" echoed the daemon within his mind

"Then why are we the only ones sensing it?!"

"Actually I don't think it's a sensing issue…I think it's more an emotional kind of connection you feel" corrected the Kyuubi

"Emotional?" Naruto asked "Where is it coming from?"

"I can sense chakra, but some strings even I cannot see"

Naruto looked around desperately but feeling helpless

Praying that all of his friends were safe

XXXXXXXXXXX

Few steps more and it would be done

The Akatsuki realised that meeting her sister once again had caused this turbulence within her and it had to stop

She was obligated to make it STOP

And such a debt could only be paid in blood…

Hinata ran forward and grabbed onto the sleeve of the Dark angel

"Stop this please!" she begged "Don't hurt her, please!" pulling at the older woman in vain "She would never hurt us, she was so happy to see us again, she wanted us back!"

The Akatsuki kunoichi paid her no mind at all

Coming closer yet

"We were happy to see her again, she was praying for us, talking to our picture, you know she was upset!"

The Akatsuki ignored her

"SHE LOVES US!" screamed Hyuuga Hinata

The Akatsuki grabbed her from her front and drew her face to face

The child looked into the face of what appeared to be that of a Banshee from the depths of shadow

"…And her love will not save her" uttered the Dark kunoichi of the Akatsuki, tossing the child savagely to one side

Drawing her blade upwards to strike

"Just as it didn't save me…"

XXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto grabbed the metal bars of the balcony hard, as though the rage and suspense tore at him

The whirlpool of dread he could feel inside of him reached a crescendo…

XXXXXXXXXXX

"No, please PLEASE!" screamed Hinata from the floor realising she couldn't stop her

The blade lunged forward

And at that moment

As though History repeated full circle and fate itself could be changed

The Young Hinata screamed with all of her strength

And in the real world;

Time stopped

Within her mind however;

The Dark Kunoichi's eyes burned with the sudden light that appeared, forcing her to close them slightly

A thud followed

The Dark angel realising her arm was being held in a grip of sharp iron, feeling something cutting into her

She followed her arm to realise a feminine hand gripped hard onto the inside dip of her elbow, its nails cutting cleanly through the cloth of her Akatsuki robe.

The Dark kunoichi felt another hand clasped the back of her coat's neck and pulled, tossing her backwards, her training allowing her to spin in mid air and slow her movement, her nails and wristblades causing a metallic screech across the hardened floor, she lifted her head to see her assailant

Her eyes widened in shock and confusion

Before her was a being seemingly donned in fine crafted steel and light itself, which glowed majestically, filling the room with its splendour. Her robes moved slowly flowed on their own occurred though the power the being possessed gave them life. The armour she wore covered most of her body and was detailed in fine golden filigree in the shape of leaves and vines, all the while the beauty of the robes was seamlessly woven to move between the plates, all of which shone with an elegance and beauty that gave the appearance of it not made of this world

Like an Angel made ready for War

The previous light that blinded her came from the individual she realised, light which shone bright enough causing a pillar travelling skywards and filled even the endlessly dark dimension they stood in, creating an artificial sun in its brilliance

Within the confines of her mind and in the Little Hyuuga's plea

A miracle had occurred

And now?

An Incarnate of light was before her

The last form of defiance from the lost Konoha kunoichi formally known as Hyuuga Hinata

And it had her face

But one utterly untouched by the ravages of battle and suffering

What she once could have been…

The idea only served to aggravate the Akatsuki further

"What is this banal stupidity!?" demanded the Dark kunoichi "Who are you!?"

The newcomer seemingly ignored her for the moment and moved slowly towards the fallen child, seemingly weightless grace followed every movement she made and every step she took. Kneeling down she gently placed a hand to the young child's face, lightly brushing away the tears she had in her fear, but now blinked slowly as though trying to register who was before her

The Incarnate of light looked at her and smiled, the serenity of this simple movement made her eyes glow with otherworldly beauty

"Are you harmed?" she said softly, sincerity touching every syllable, her voice identical to Hinata's adult form but was spoken with kindness and purity

The Young Hinata shook her head timidly as the newcomer offered her hand to her

"Then on your feet little one" said the Incarnate, allowing the Little Hyuuga time to gingerly reach out to her and be aided in coming to a standing position

She looked up at the Heavenly apparition who had saved her mind and soul

"Are you feeling confused?" asked the Protector

Hinata nodded reticently

"You called me here, and I answered, nothing further need yet be said for that which is plain to see" answered the Incarnate who slowly shifted her attention to the Dark Kunoichi in the room and moved to stand between her and her sleeping sister

"You are not welcome here, Dark one" she said, her eyes narrowing sharply

The Fallen kunoichi glowered at the statement

"Do you wish to know who I am?" asked the Incarnate of Light to the Embodiment of Shadow

The Dark kunoichi seethed with anger, her teeth tight and furious

The corner of her lips twitched slightly, changing fury to humour

And let out an unholy laughter which echoed with unseen force, her face insane with mirth and unseen amusement, her bloodline in full effect, warping her previous pristine appearance into something bestial and daemonic, whilst her eyes were soulless and pervading

The Young Hinata moved behind the Incarnate in fear, whilst the white robed saviour was unmoved by the sudden outburst

"Oh but please…allow me a moment to guess…." Requested the Dark kunoichi with rotating her hand before her in feign courtesy, her laughter trailing off slightly, looking to the little Hyuuga and back to the newcomer "She is our innocence, or to be more precise….the Innocence we had and somehow not lost in our 'convalescence' among the Red Cloud, who is governed by 'We', her Light and Dark selves….correct?"

"You will actually find yourself mostly incorrect in that analysis" answered the Incarnate of Light

"Indeed?" smiled the Dark kunoichi, crossing her arms, lightly drumming her fingers on the fabric of her Black coat

"You and I should not exist at all" said the Incarnate "Hinata's mind was fractured following the treatment and pain caused by the Akatsuki, whilst I am her last selfless promise to herself made manifest…to watch over that which Hinata promised she would protect should you arise and attempt to destroy them"

The Dark Angel laughed eerily at the answer

"A promise created you?" she mused, a smile of utter venom formed on the face of porcelain

The newcomer responded with a delicate smile of her own

"If remember correctly…an oath made of suffering and a baptismal of blood and fire created you"

"How very fanciful…so tell me….protector of all things good and pure…why did you only decide to step in now? Why not come earlier to save Naruto-kun or Sakura?" rebuked the Akatsuki, the last name mentioned with a scathing hiss

"Our will was not strong enough…" said the Incarnate of light, looking sadly at the little Hyuuga currently hiding herself behind her, who looked back fearfully

The Incarnate smiled and moved her arm around her, softly brushing her cheek with her hand

"But it is now" Said the Incarnate, looking back at the Dark kunoichi, her eyes glowing white "And you have dominated this mind for far too long, forcing yourself on her and granting yourself free reign to kill and maim who you will on a whim, even our old comrades….and those who we love…and still love…" she said pointing to the right

And instantly the dimension the three stood in changed and all the three could see was a memory hidden deep within their subconscious

It showed Uzumaki Naruto

First as a very young boy, smiling mischievously at them with a hand behind his head, wearing the goggles he used to. Next came the Hyperactive blond as a Genin, wearing the out of place orange coat he used to wear, a fore head protector with the leaf sign, and the somehow an identical smile he had when he was younger giving them a peace sign…and more recently his current self…strong, handsome…fearless…clutching her face begging her to stop, their first kiss…and a brief glimpse holding each other during their night together…

The Incarnate stopped the memory there, her point made, but smiling slightly as she noticed the young Hinata blush at the sight

The Dark kunoichi instead scorned the memory

"He is beneath my interest…he, Hanabi, ALL PEOPLE ARE BENEATH ME" spat the Dark kunoichi "THEY ARE NOTHING TO ME!" she roared, the consuming darkness which surrounded her returned slightly, rage flowing from her like a tsunami of malice and hate soaring several miles high in the endless dimension the three were situated in

Which crashed on the unmovable bulwark of the Incarnate who stood sideways, aiming an open hand towards the oncoming pall of night

Her light spilling forth to counter the Dark equally before dispelling it utterly

"You allow your rage to blind you to the truth…as you have done for years now" said the Incarnate sadly

The Dark Angel controlled her breathing, and instantly the shadow drew back inside of herself walking slowly forward towards her nemesis, whilst her opposite responded in kind

And the pair stood two feet from each other

"And you are also blind to our own suffering, and if I made others suffer it was done out of justice…." She said harshly in the Incarnate's face "The Justice we so rightly deserve to give!" she said, gesturing to the left and bringing up a memory of her own;

Sakura running away in a dark forest, a thunderous dance of rain and lightning stormed overhead as Hinata's trembling hand, smeared in water, dirt and her own blood feebly reached out to her in vain as her blurred due out of pain…

Begging for a friend to help her

For one she loved to save her

…for anyone to rescue her…

"If I made others suffer it was because THEY DESERVE TO SUFFER!"

"Vengeance and justice should never go hand in hand…their very nature constantly oppose each other" Said the Incarnate, though somewhat troubled at what she was being showed

"So what would you have us do?" hissed the Dark kunoichi "Forgive the betrayer?"

The Incarnate of light frowned slightly as the Embodiment of shadow moved an inch away from her face

"Would you have us forgive Sakura?"

The Incarnate said nothing for a moment, choosing to stare directly into the eyes of the self which had been forged by war and quenched in blood, suffering and pain…which eventually allowed herself to give way to hate…

The Incarnate looked over her shoulder at Hyuuga Hinata

The child looked back between them and timidly awaited her answer

"Haruno Sakura will undergo the appropriate punishment after the battle with the Root is complete, but it will be punishment matted out with the Laws of Konoha and not your ire" said the being of light

"And what if she doesn't?" countered the Dark kunoichi "What if she is forgiven by all in accordance of her service and the word of our 'comrades'?"

"The Truth is known now…she will not escape her punishment, whatever form it may take…"said her opposite

The Dark kunoichi sneered and turned around abruptly walking a few steps forward

"You said I was 'Mostly' incorrect yes?" inquired the Dark kunoichi, her eyes like thinly shattered shards of sliver staring over her shoulder, looking at the little Hyuuga again

The Incarnate followed her stare and the both looked at their younger self

"I did" said the Incarnate "She is our innocence…the self which refused to die thought all the torment which created you, and defiantly held onto hope"

The Dark kunoichi smiled darkly

"She should be allowed to die…."she said, startling Hinata slightly "Her existence only serves to weaken us"

"Her death would cause the end of us both" corrected the Incarnate

"WHAT!?" exclaimed the Akatsuki "How would THAT PEST'S death possibly be of an importance to us!?"

Her nemesis looked back her slowly

"I said she was our Innocence…but perhaps I need to elaborate further…she is Hyuuga Hinata, the real kunoichi lost years ago and whose self was fractured into the two of us…as you can see she may be fragile now…but that is the work of the Akatsuki" explained the defender

"Destroy her…and you destroy the mind itself…" she warned

The Dark kunoichi threw her head back let out another howl of laughter, her shadow aura enveloping around her like the setting of the sun

"Ah to think our mind is in such a way…" laughed the Dark kunoichi, before looking back at her nemesis again

She crossed her arms as a malevolent smile appeared in unseen realisation

The Shadow Aura appearing again, filling the dimension they stood with darken clouds which moved quickly in their minds sky, occasionally blotting out the sun that the incarnate had created

"So I must kill you to progress…?" she asked politely, her mouth turning into a wide smile as the insanity in her speech returned

The Incarnate shook her head once

"Regardless of what you heard, you still act out of self-interest…" she said sadly

Her face hardening, her eyes sharp and glowing bright

"But make no mistake…you will NOT hurt my sister" said the Incarnate firmly "Hinata is correct in this, Hanabi is innocent and I WILL keep her out of your wrath's way"

The Akatsuki's smile faded

"You were wrong and you miscalculated" stated the defender "In your ignorance for her to stand aside from this path you walk, you made Hanabi another victim, one which has narrowly evaded death and I will see that she continues to do so"

The Dark kunoichi uncrossed her arms, and drew both of her wristblades to their full length, a fell mist emanated from them, wreathing them in the malevolence which matched their wielder

"Hanabi planted these thoughts in my mind…MISDIRECTING them as she has always done…"

"Always done?" Repeated the Incarnate curiously "How much longer must you delude yourself until you realise you are fabricating your own madness?"

The Dark angel breathed out harshly, and seemingly a dark mist followed as though the area around her had drastically dropped in temperature

She took a step forward

The Incarnate's open hand shot up instantly

"You may attempt to kill me if you wish… but know I WILL fight against you so long as I exist" said the Light wreathed Defender, closing her hand instantly gripping a 5 foot long kitana of unnatural power, the bladed tip pointing at the Dark kunoichi "Until my death or yours"

The Fallen kunoichi and the Incarnate of light stared at directly in each other's eyes, the little Hyuuga almost surprised how different in appearance they were

One was light given form, another Darkness personified

But both had essentially the same face

One warped by pain

The other created from hope

The plane they were currently in shifted accordingly, where she stood was bright and the sky reflected the benevolent nature of her protector…

Whist the Darkness stood in what appeared to be the abyss…a suffocating shadow which made the Akatsuki herself almost impossible to see…were it not for her eyes glowing in the dark…

The little Hyuuga began to understand what Haruno Sakura was so fearful of…

The Banshee hiding in the mist

She waited with bated breath

As though fate eagerly waited for a response from either the Saviour or the Destroyer

Surprisingly…

It was the Darkness that relented

Drawn back into its source, light returned and the fell aura withdrew

The wicked blades withdrew back into their holsters as though to lie in wait

The Dark kunoichi laughed quietly

The Protector waited, bladed aimed straight ahead

As though waiting for the inevitable storm which followed darkened clouds regardless of the fact they had dissipated

"This is not yet over…" said the Dark kunoichi, summoning and placing the Akatsuki straw-hat back upon her head, from the shadows a silver sliver gazed upon the child Hyuuga "Fate abhors a paradox…" her form slowly blurred before she vanished entirely

The sentinel lowered her katana at last, sheathing it in a scabbard which phased into reality as the blade had done

Hinata looked upwards fearfully, looking for answers

"She still holds much dominion here…but her power is weakening…" said the protector

Turning to face her

"But now at least, you do not have to face her alone" she said smiling, placing her hand on the Child cheek

"It was hope which summoned me and it is that same strength which will defeat her"

Hinata smiled in return

"Now…let us see if we can make our sister any better shall we?" said the Incarnate, looking back at the sleeping Hyuuga

XXXXXXXXXXX

In the real world, Hyuuga Hinata had stopped

The conversation between the triad of personifications of her psyche had occurred inside a fraction of a millisecond

Her wristblades tips were aimed less than an inch from her sister's throat

Slowly

Very slowly…

She withdrew them

The fell blades sliding back with an audible slither of deadly steel

She blinked in rapid succession as though the realisation of what she was going to do finally came to her

The murderous thoughts had gone entirely

But her purpose was far from over

She at least could make amends

Placing her left hand at Hanabi's temple, whilst her right thump was placed gently on the spot between her eyes

Her palm resting on the forehead as she studied what the Hokage and Seal sannin had done so far;

It was extensive she admitted

And they were quite close to healing her fully

But an application of her family's direct Jutsu manipulation would have been required for a complete recovery

Which she decided to provide

Activating her bloodline, she sent a surge of her own chakra through the points of her fingers, ensuring it travelled to the appropriate points

Hanabi let out an audible breath

Like someone whose heart had been restarted after a cardiac arrest

After a moment the length of a few heartbeats her colour returned

The fullness of her cheeks and original hue of her lips returning fully

Hinata examined the whole body and looked back at the medical equipment surrounding her

Her vitals were stabilising

Her chakra flow returned fully, travelling unencumbered and now repairing what was damaged

An onlooker would not be able to see what she had exactly done for her unless a much more in-depth analysis was done;

Hanabi was now a regenerator

…or rather half-way to being a regenerator like her sister was

Realising that the scroll she had used had horrific effects on the body, its seemingly only counter was a very specific form of increased immunisation;

One which could only be done via close blood relatives

It was a fell technique which had been developed to extinguish all hope for those far from hearth and kin

But regardless of the distance in their geographical locations;

Hinata would not allow the Akatsuki to take Hanabi away from her

Especially now was going to make a full recovery

She suddenly felt a strange sensation on her face, moving her hand to inspect herself before seeing her reflection on a clear glass of a monitor;

She was smiling

Hinata almost didn't recognise herself, she looked back at her sister

"Thank you Hanabi" she said quietly

She found herself moving close and lightly kissed her on the forehead

"Sleep well little sister"

There was a knock at the door behind

The strange feeling she felt build in her chest soon faded and disappeared

She looked back at her reflection

Her smile was gone

The mask had returned

At least for now….

The door opened behind her as she summoned and placed the Akatsuki straw hat once again on her head

"Sorry to bother you" Jiraiya apologised on entering "I would prefer you be allowed all the time in the world…but…"

"I understand" replied Hyuuga Hinata without question, and turned around and walked past him

Taking Jiraiya back slightly at the ease her response and action

He took a brief glance at the medical equipment

And felt his jaw drop

Quite possibly through the floor…

And The floor beneath that and outside the other end of the planet

The aged shinobi's head zipped back and forward between computer screens to monitors surrounding the deathly kunoichi

Or rather previously deathly kunoichi

It was miracle

It now looked like a completely different person was now in the bed and the previous inhabitant was instead hiding elsewhere

Before realising how such a change came about

Reading the chakra maintaining equipment screens;

He felt a huge grin force its way through his lips

"It's good to have you back…" he said over his shoulder, knowing she was already gone

'I knew you were in there somewhere' he thought with a smile

Taking his time to walk out of the door, and closing the seals behind him

It's been an eventful day

And he found he couldn't wait to tell Tsunade the good news!

XXXXXXXXXXX

'Alpha threats have left the area' thought the agent

"Scroll seal unlocked without discovery"

'Blood sample received on scroll discovery….' The agent's seemingly computerised memory remembering the 'paper-cut' he had caused had broken the Sannin's skin when he opened the scroll, the drop of blood drawing attention away from him while he kept the necessary DNA sample

'Alpha target limb reconstruction successful'

The hand and arm of an old man was in the place where his own had just been

Finger prints identical

DNA identical

The agent had scanned the finger pad terminal before him

Remembering the precise positioning of the fingers when they were being pressed, though soft enough to make it difficult for an ordinary human, it was a trifle thing to him

Security Seals were unlocked

The flame wall had been dispelled, and the agent hid within the smallest of crevasses whilst both targets moved past, stopping its own heart temporarily and freezing his chakra core until they were out of range of possibly detecting him

His heart had restarted as predicted

His core aflame once more

The Root shinobi slithered into the hidden room

Evading all possible forms of detection and security though he simply had walked into an open room

Materialising from the floor effortlessly and without a sound

He moved towards his goal

The target had been found

'Way of the Void, reporting…Mission successful' stated the agent;

'Hyuuga Hanabi has been captured'

XXXXXXXXXXX

Authors Note: I hope you enjoy my 'Ways' :)

And if I may make a brief comment about the manga in general:

There isn't enough Tech!

Or bio enhancements

Well at least not on my level ¬¬

But I re-read this chapter SO MANY TIMES and now im beginning to think I went too much into the armament scene

And in regards to my Incarnate of light….

Would you believe at the point of writing this I had never watched 'Inside out'?

And the draft for this is even older

But that said

Light vs Dark is an ancient rivalry I thoroughly enjoy to no end

regardless how unbelievably cheesy it may have been in this instance XD

No promises I will update in a quarter of the time, but I do wonder occasionally how many readers I've lost due to the length of time I take to write these chapters XD

There is actually no Manga spoilers this time

Anyway!

Stay toasty :)