So, after much internal debate, I have decided to 'reboot' "Dynamics Of A Future." This is that reboot. Numerous factors played into this, not the least of which has been my feeling that I have done the story a disservice in the past with a fragmented presentation and a lack of elemental focus. Basically, I was trying to do too much without doing anything.

I'll spare the updates about my life - you're not here for a biography (much as my ego wants to believe so). This is going to be a Naruto and Hinata pairing with a huge focus on the Hyuuga. I have been developing my 'theory' on the Hyuuga role and standing within the Naruto Universe for quite some time, and I'd like to delve into the portions of Naruto that are typically not explored. The Hyuuga are typically depicted as relatively shallow, rigid, and static.

My goal is to work with the canon to create a more dynamic stage for a restructuring of the War Arc - but we will see how that plays out.

That said, on with the story:

A Destiny Entwined

Chapter One: Koi

A set of stern, pale orbs met his own. "How do you expect to go anywhere in life when you fight like a rampaging boar?"

His stance hardened. "This... This... Man" the thought curdled his brain.

"A man who fights against his destiny is a man who swims against the stream, Hiashi." The older Hyuuga slid under Hiashi's stance, delivering a swift blow to the younger Hyuuga.

Air was forced from Hiashi's lungs as he stumbled backwards. In their battle, he had wandered closer to the pond than he had felt wise, and his suspicions were rewarded. His foot collided with the decorative granite and his inertia carried him, backwards, into the pond.

"Hiashi," the older Hyuuga's voice could be heard through the splash of water, "Strength comes in many forms, as does weakness."

Hiashi's lips curled. "Are you implying that I am weak?" He nearly laughed at the older man's silence. "Weak for rejecting the sealing ritual? For insisting that my twin brother, who is as much me as any person can claim, should not be sealed!? I have the same eyes as you, old man. I can see our destiny as clearly as you can!"

The older Hyuuga sighed, "Simply because a man accepts his destiny does not mean he is unable to choose his fate."

"A father who would betray his son has no right to lead the Hyuuga!" Hiashi screamed.

"Nothing is done, Hiashi." His father's words echoed into memory as he strode away. "But nothing is left undone."

Hiashi cursed such mindless rhetoric as he thrashed to a stand. It was the same drivel the old men always used as an excuse to do nothing. He would not sit by for his brother to be taken as a lower class servant.

A gentle brush on his leg startled him from his brooding. A Koi, pale silver splotched with vivid orange, shimmered past. "Such wisdom." Hiashi said to himself. "That a lowly fish contradicts it." He took a moment to straighten his hair and expression before exiting the pond.

He stopped, frowning for a moment as his water-laden garb. A cloud of mist soon exploded away from the young Hyuuga, his chakra blasting the offensive liquid into vapor. "I have seen it. The Hyuuga are destined to change with me. Hizashi is to die in service to his own beliefs. I just need more power..."

The girl across from her sleeked a lock of hair away, revealing familiar pale orbs. Their depths painted an interesting expression of eagerness and regret. Hinata wiggled slightly, her muscles tingling with anxiety. Her father's eyes loomed like a hawk in the back of her mind.

Her thoughts drifted to an old memory.

Hinata fumbled in her new pajamas. They were a warm, fuzzy material that she liked, but a bit too long to walk in. The bunny ears would also droop in her face, and she was always leaving the carrot behind, somewhere. She padded slowly down the hard, wooden floors; mother would surely be able to help her get to sleep.

"Hiashi, don't you think you are over-reacting? She's only three years old." Her mother's voice echoed around the corner.

"And the elders will be screaming to have Hanabi's sealing ceremony marked on the calendar before the month is over." Her father sounded upset.

"So, let them scream. Hanabi and Hinata need their father, now. I need you, now. Some bridges are meant to be crossed when you come to them." Her mother said, softly.

Hinata padded a little closer to the corner. Some instinct in her told her not to go fully around.

"I was too young, back then, to keep Hizashi from being branded, and now his son is condemned to the same fate!" Her father edged his voice.

"And why must it always be your place, your responsibility, to stop the madness of the elders?"

"Because it is-"

"Your destiny? What about your place; as a father?" Her mother sounded upset, now.

"But you see it, don't you?" Her father asked as if he needed something.

Her mother sighed. "Yes, Hiashi. I see that the Hyuuga are to change, and I've seen Hinata's destiny, as well." There was a moment where her father should have spoken. "But," Her mother edged. "Nothing is done, and nothing is left undone."

"You know how much I hate that phrase." Her father sounded defeated.

"Such is your nature." Her mother's voice was reassuring. "For now, at least."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Teach Hinata well. The fate of far more than the Hyuuga depends on it." Her mother said.

Hinata would return to her bed, still unable to sleep. It didn't seem to be a good time to interrupt. Her father had taught her not to interrupt. She would learn from her father, her mother made it sound important to do so. A part of her would always long for the moment, the last time she heard her mother's voice.

The years would come, and Hinata would learn. It came time for Hanabi to learn, as well. For reasons Hinata was never quite able to understand, she was supposed to be a fighter without human parallel. At least, that seemed to be her father's expectation. When Hanabi showed just how adept she was at learning the combat techniques of the Hyuuga, it was inevitable that Hinata would have to square off against her younger sister to see if theory held to practice.

The way the fight was going would seem to indicate Hanabi's theory was superior to Hinata's practice.

Hanabi angled into Hinata's stance, making a wide sweep with one hand while jabbing sharply with the other. Hinata shifted her stance, turning a duck into a lateral roll. She cursed her clumbsy recovery to her feet as Hanabi caught her flat-footed.

Hinata yelped as her sister's chakra exploded into her body just below her right collar bone. The younger girl's strikes were still imprecise, but she made up for it with her name's sake. Hinata slunk her shoulder away, pivoting to deliver a strong open-palmed strike to Hanabi's solar plex with her left hand.

The younger girl sprang backwards, visibly strugling with her temporary inability to breathe. Hinata took the opportunity, charging rapidly toward her sister. Hanabi had recovered more quickly than expected, rotating rapidly to deliver a hard blow to the girl's abdomen.

Hinata ricocheted to the ground with a yelp. The hit from Hanabi hurt, but her heart sank into the depths of her soul when she saw her father look down, shake his head, and leave the room. Hinata laid there for a moment if indefinite time before she slowly climbed to her feet.

"Hinata?" Hanabi called, worry in her voice.

Hinata turned toward the door. She didn't know where she was going, and she didn't care. Perhaps part of her felt like she was supposed to walk through that door. It really didn't matter, at this point.

"Hinata!" Hanabi called, again as Hinata crossed the threshold. "Sis!" Hinata was already sprinting down the path out of the compound. Tears streamed, unbeckoned, from her cheeks as the ache in her heart drove the pounding of her feet. Hinata didn't understand or care for the talk of destiny... A child's nature is to seek the approval of her parent. The young Hyuuga knew what her father expected, and it was not what happened back there.

At some point, she had crossed into the park maintained by the village. Her vision still clouded by tears, Hinata collided squarely with a stocky teenager, an ice-cream cone landing with a splosh on the ground.

"Hey! Watch where you are going!" The older boy jeered.

"I'm sorry..." Hinata squeaked.

"Hey! Look at her eyes! I bet she's related to that prick, Neji!" Hinata had recovered to see that there were three teenage boys in front of her. Apparently they were not fans of her cousin.

"I'm -" Hinata started.

"I bet she's got a broom just as far up her ass as he does!" The third boy suggested.

"Is that so? Do you think you're better than us?" The stocky boy leered at her.

"N-No... I didn't mean to, I swear." Hinata's voice wavered.

A stiff hand landed on her head and forced her to her knees. "Beg!" The stocky kid commanded.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." She began begging, tears forming in her eyes. She could see her father's lowered gaze; his disappointment if he were to see her, now.

"Hey, Knock it off." A new voice cut through her sobs.

"Oh, look, it's the ass clown." Hinata heard one of the boys as she looked up.

"Oh? Keep talking," the blonde menace smiled "What did you say your name was, again, Lord Lard? I'll ban your whole jelly bellied family from the village once I'm Hokage!"

Hinata, for her part, wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation. She'd seen the blonde, before. He was always alone, and she was always dissuaded from so much as acknowledging the presence of the boy. The villagers seemed to curse his very existence for reasons Hinata was never told of. The Hyuuga elders didn't seem to be as harsh, but they liked to think themselves above gossip.

The kids laughed. "Yeah, right. You'll become Hokage when trees threaten to destroy the world!" One boy mocked. For her part, Hinata saw a small spark of irony.

"I guess I will start by turning your fat ass into fertilizer!" The blonde bellowed, forming a hand sign for ninjutsu.

The teenagers tensed. Hinata guessed it was something to do with the idea of the 'demon brat' using techniques as powerful as ninjutsu. As the young boy charged his chakra, however, the young Hyuuga felt it.

It wasn't proper to say she saw it, she didn't have her Byakugan activated. It wasn't proper to say she felt it, as she wasn't gifted with the sensory arts. But an essence of the boy stood out in a way only meaningful to a Hyuuga. Laid before her was Naruto Uzumaki's destiny.

It was a concept both familiar and alien to human cognition. To see something so deeply ingrained into the universe but so maleable by choice; Hinata could never hope to put it into words. It was clear to her, though: This "Demon Brat" would hold the fate of humanity in his hands.

"Clone Jutsu!" The blonde shouted.

The older boys began to turn to flee just before the smoke cleared. They didn't turn far before a pair of hideously formed clones wobbled, their entire existence wrinkled and flushed pale. A chorus of laughter erupted in response.

"Ha! I distracted you!" The demon brat lunged at the stocky kid, knocking him to the ground with a punch.

Hinata stood, getting ready to move to her blonde samurai's aid. "Lady Hinata!" The familiar voice of her personal guard, Ko, broke through. Hinata felt a hand land on her shoulder. "Come, Lady Hinata. You are needed back at the compound."

"But..." She protested.

"Pay it no mind. We need to go, now." Ko instructed, pulling her away.

Hinata looked back to see the boys had turned the tables on the blonde, beating him mercilessly into the ground. In that moment, she felt she understood. He's... Like me...

Hinata stood outside her father's office, studying the grains in the floor. Hiashi was willing to bet his daughter could map the compound by the floorboards. "You realize, Lord Hyuuga, that Lady Hinata has been recognized as a Ninja of the Leaf. She is eligible to go on missions, now." Kurenai Yuhi addressed him.

"I am well aware of that, Miss Yuhi. Though I appreciate your concern for the standards of appointment to Head Hyuuga status." No one ever laughed at his jokes, much to Hiashi's dismay.

"As her sensei," Kurenai rebounded without pause, "I am concerned about her safety and what that means to the Hyuuga-"

So, here it was. "As her sensei," Hiashi interrupted. "It is your responsibility to teach her. She can die a hideous death at the hands of foreign enemies, if that is to be her fate, but I will no longer require her for Hyuuga training."

Hiashi could practically feel his daughter's heart clench. Kurenai couldn't hide the daggers in her eyes. "Very well." She composed herself. "I will undertake Hinata's training from here on out." The young woman pivoted smartly and exited the room with all the edge of a razor blade.

"Come with me, Hinata." Kurenai's voice tried to soothe his daughter.

Hiashi closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The only words of comfort for him came from the past: "Nothing is done, and nothing is left undone." He fought a tremor in his facade as he slid shut and latched the door.

Age had humbled the destined man. The power he sought took away his wife, Hizashi died a free man while fulfilling his destiny, and it soon became clear that the destiny he saw for his daughter held him as a background factor. He'd once railed against the elder's for their constant use of paradoxes and lack of action. Now, he was beginning to understand.

Or, he really hoped he was starting to understand. Hinata was not... There wasn't really a verb or subject to that phrase; Hinata simply was not. Not for lack of trying, bless her heart, but Hiashi soon began to see that Hinata's destiny lay beyond the Hyuuga. There was something more he saw, something he couldn't quite peg - but he knew that he was not the one to inspire Hinata. Her destiny, for the time, required she believed she was failing.

Hiashi noticed his vision had blurred and drops patting gently against his folded hands. The words echoed through his mind: "Nothing is done, and nothing is left undone." It didn't stop the tears. It was a father's nature to cry when his child is suffering.

Her cousin's words burned at her very soul. "You know you can not win this fight. Your father has taken up training your younger sister because he no longer believes in you." He paused with a slight chuckle. "You don't even believe in yourself. Your stance has lost all composure, you've become completely withdrawn. Your very existence is an insult to the legacy of the Head Branch."

Hinata couldn't help but agree with his words. She wanted, longed for them to be false... But she wasn't even a challenge for Hanabi in sparing matches, anymore. A cold, calculating prodigy like Neji would bat her aside at the word "Go."

"Seriously!?" A voice increasingly familiar to Hinata rang out. She turned to look at the blonde. "Who the hell does this pompous douche think he is? Kick his ass, Hinata!"

He's... Like me... The memory slammed into her mind. In that moment, Hinata understood. Nothing is done.

Hinata found her stance and activated her Byakugan. "Cousin Neji, we fight."

Hinata stared into her cousin's eyes, saddened by the pain and anger she saw within them. She coughed, blood coating her lips, before collapsing to the ground. There was a considerable amount of commotion As she felt her body being shifted and picked up. At the edge of her hearing, Naruto's voice broke into what little remained of her consciousness.

"I swear..." The voice betrayed a marginally constrained demon. "I swear that I will beat your ass to kingdom come!"

Nothing is left undone.

A hot gust of wind blew through the Hyuuga's garmets as the sun beat down on the parched dirt. "You honestly think you can become Hokage?" Neji choked back a laugh. "The Hokage is not something you become, it is something born into destiny."

The mark's on the blonde's face, that could only be described as whiskers, seemed to become more prominent. "I will show you!"

Neji couldn't help but laugh. "Show me what? Your chakra points have been closed. This fight is over, just as it was destined to be." He smirked. "I could see it from the moment I met you. You and Hinata share the same destiny. You are both weak before the likes of myself."

It had been certain in the older Hyuuga's mind. Granted, it did surprise him that Hinata had decided to fight - but one can not change their destiny. Hinata, despite the effort, lost. Neji saw it the moment the blabbering blonde gave encouragement to his cousin; the two did share the same destiny. Proof of that stood before that assessment right now; the blonde was left with harsh language and not an ounce off useable chakra.

Or so it should have been. The blonde seemed to reflect on something... Perhaps a few things, and the result was anything but what Neji thought would happen. A foul, truly monstrous chakra swirled inside the boy as his features seemed to transform into a truly ferral appearance. For a moment, Neji could perceive the depths of the chakra at work, and the mass of it left him paralyzed with incomprehension.

He didn't have time to begin appreciating the implications before he was forced on the defensive. Why did fulfilling destiny always require so much damned work?

Hiashi tried to keep his expression softer than was typical. Neji stood across from him, the gentle gurgling of the Koi pond in the background. "Uncle," He started, obviously uncomfortable. "I held you and the Main Branch in contempt that was undeserved. I give my deepest apologies and am deeply ashamed for my behavior." He ended his statement in a formal bow.

"Neji," Hiashi's voice carried an unfamiliar warmth "I can not be upset with you for acting according to your nature." The younger Hyuuga's face contorted, briefly, in confusion. Hiashi's response was obviously not of the expected variety. "Little was done, by myself or others, to teach you of your father, my brother, and of his life." He paused, allowing the statement to sink in a bit. "You are, indeed, a prodigy with fighting prowess that will soon rival any in Hyuuga history. It is only natural for you to seek to end injustice, as I once did."

The younger Hyuuga's expression betrayed curiosity. "Uncle, you...?"

"You are not the first to fight against the Seal. From what I have seen, you will not be the last, either." Hiashi admitted. "Destiny," he started with a sigh "is not a static property to be observed. It is dynamic and in many respects truly alien. It is always shifting and changing with time but its course is always consistent."

"I ... I think I understand." Neji admited. "So, Lady Hinata..."

Hiashi took advantage of the pause. "Yes, I saw it, too. She and the Uzumaki boy both share the same destiny. Understand that destiny is never to be taken for granted. There are many ways to fulfil a destiny, especially those that are shared destinies."

The younger Hyuuga seemed to be lost in contemplation.

"I think you will figure it out before I did." Hiashi said, reassuringly. "With that said, I would be honored if you would allow me to instruct you in the arts of the Head Branch."

"Uncle?" Neji inquired.

"Just because destiny can be unexpected does not mean it should not be prepared for. You are still destined to be at your cousin's side in battle. That she shares a destiny with the guardian of the Kyuubi means you have your work cut out for you. Or did you expect destiny to hand itself to you?"

Neji smiled. "After the fight with Naruto, I wonder if there is such a thing as destiny. Why would anyone who can see their destiny desire to work for what is guaranteed?"

Hiashi gave a light chuckle. "I have often wondered the same thing, until I realized that we are destined to see that which is necessary to see."

"I think my head just exploded." Neji groaned.

The concrete shifted beneath his feet as he climbed the small summit. "Lady Hinata!" Ko called to his charge. He stumbled closer as the sun caught the glint of her navy blue hair as its strands unfolded in the wind. Her Byakugan was active and her mind clearly focused on the center of the crater.

"Lady Hinata..." He placed a hand on her shoulder. His vision wasn't as good as hers, but he could tell the battle down there had shifted against the blonde. She didn't respond to his presence, her demeanor suddenly shifting uncomfortably.

He tigthened his grip on her shoulder. She wouldn't... "Lady Hinata... You must not..."

She motioned to take a step forward, only looking his direction when he held her shoulder firm. "The foe is too strong, you will only-" His sentence would not be finished. Sharp pain shot through his elbow and knee. Hinata struck with inhuman speed and precision, closing a few of his chakra points around his extremities.

As he crumpled to a knee, she turned to him, her eyes betraying a mortal sadness. "I am sorry, Ko. There is nothing left undone."

Ko was stricken slack as she turned and dashed into the crater. With only the most basic of human reaction reclaimed, he screamed. "Lady Hinata!" But he already knew it was a scream for his sake. The girl he had guarded like a child of his own, from the time she was in a cradle, would now step into her grave.

Cerulean orbs, framed with the most pure form of desperation, burned across the distance. She could drink each emotion flowing from them, and her heart truly ached for the pain she had caused, that she knew would come. She forced herself up; he couldn't see her give in. Her arms burned and shook uncontrolably as her teeth grated across the packed clay of the crater.

"Hinata... Just... Stop, please..." The blonde lowered his eyes.

Hinata felt her heart stretch across the ground to the blonde. She knew neither of them could stop what the young man knew would break him in two. She clasped the rod pinning his hands to the ground, panting for breath. "I don't..." he looked up as she labored for breath "go back on my word." His eyes stared up into hers, the rawest form of horror painted upon them. "That is my nindo."

Her stomach was abuzz with wings as her entire body was relieved the strain of gravity. Hinata lost sight of Naruto as she flipped and spun up into the air. It was a surreal sensation, and would have been enjoyable - even thrilling were it under different circumstances.

"Hinata!" His voice screamed as she caught sight of him once more. The ground rushed forward, filling the entirety of her vision before she slammed, limp into the ground. There was a sound of unsheathed metal, and cloth whirling toward her.

She shrieked with a scream as she felt the rod pierce her lung. Her arm flailed to grasp the unwanted intrusion and her knees curled reflexively.

It was a moment before she realized that her hand grasped nothing and that everything was dim. She was panting, gasping for breath, blankets thrown askew in her bed. A waxing moon shone brightly through the window, glistening off of the midnight dew on the tree leaves. She collapsed backwards onto her bed.

"I... I was supposed to die..." She said, softly, to herself. She curled around her pillow instinctively, strangling it for comfort. Never had she been more sure of her actions and the outcome than when she set foot in that crater. In the moment, she could see it clearly; her sacrifice would be the breeze that signaled a hurricane, the divine wind of salvation for the Leaf.

Instead, she had survived. Not that she wanted to sound ungrateful, but she certainly hadn't counted on being around to have flashbacks. Or worry about how Naruto would react to her, now. When it came to the blonde, recently, she wondered if she really had died since he seemed to ignore her.

She was annoyed with herself for being irritated by that fact. She wasn't exactly supposed to be alive for him to interact with. It was hardly fair for her to feel irritated by his lack of... What? A sudden proclomation of love? For him to show up at her window some night with horny teenage fantasies? The Hyuuga sighed, pulling herself from bed. There was absolutely no way she was going to get any sleep like this.

Hinata dressed in a hurry and dashed from the compound. Once again, she found herself sprinting through the village, or what remained of it, without a direction in mind. She found a set of trees still standing and made a short 'game' of dashing between them in figure-eights. Another whim caught her and she leapt into the trees, bark sliding beneath her hands as she flipped upright to perch atop a branch. Hinata paused for a moment, scanning the cannopy.

A spontaneous spark sent her rolling off of the branch, glancing off of a tree before drawing a hand full of shuriken. Hinata activated her Byakugan, eying the suspiciously innocent tree stump a few meters away as she zagged an oblique angle away from it. She flung two shuriken, reversed direction, threw three shuriken, angled a reverse to close direction, and sent two kunai to follow.

The stump couldn't help but be awes-struck, its stature frozen even as shurken and kunai embedded themselves into its bark.

Hinata frowned as she slowed to an awkward gait. Honestly, she wasn't quite sure why such an emphasis was placed on shuriken and kunai. The damned things never seemed to work as advertised. The theory was nice - a ninja's skin was just as vulnerable to being cut as any other person's, barring special abilities. Therefor, even the most powerful of threats could be silenced with a well placed piece of sharpened metal.

Hinata was convinced the practical meaning was more symbolic than effective. "The unheeded threat can be even more costly than the most obvious of the impending threats."

Not that it stopped the likes of Tenten. She took the phrase: "Accuracy by volume" quite literally, and to the extreme. If the chance of success was 1%, ten salvos of ten kunai put the statistical odds of success at "favorable."

The Hyuuga stopped short of the stump and reached for her kunai. Motion in the crater caught her attention and she focused her consciousness on the disturbance. "Naruto..." she couldn't help but whisper aloud. Her features softened as she saw his face contorted in a conflicted state of emotions, wanding about the crater.

Naruto sighed with what could only be described as a shiver. No matter how many times he came here, even after a day of rain, her blood could still be seen in the sun-baked clay. The hole where the rod had punched clear through Hinata and into the ground was still there, too.

It had all been so fast, it had all been too much to handle. He stooped, touching the stain of blood across the clay. "I'm sorry..." He choked. Naruto could still the look she'd held in her eyes, that day. It haunted his dreams. She knew that she would... No... She knew that she needed to die.

"But... Why?" He asked, aloud, again. "You... Didn't have to." Everything he did... It was to protect his friends, those he cared about. "No one should ever have to die for me." Truth be told, Hinata scared the living hell out of him. It was easy to work himself to the bone under the harsh and critical stares of people who hated them. He would admit that a part of his determination came from the desire to spite those in the village who had looked down upon him. The other part of his determination came from his desire to protect those who were important to him, those who did seem to appreciate his existence. If he died keeping those people safe, he could die in peace.

Somehow, he could see that same determination reflected in Hinata's eyes. She would have died, at peace with the world, trying to keep him from harm. "How..." he allowed himself to wonder aloud, "am I supposed to keep you safe?"

Naruto gave a frustrated sigh. No matter how many times he walked here and relived the moment, it brought him no answers, and even less comfort. He sat down on the ground, folding his legs. For the time being, there was one thing that helped him find some stability. For a brief moment, he ceased being independent from nature as he took the essence of the universe into himself. The breadth of the crater he was in filled his bones, the trees tickled his skin, and a light whisp of wind stirred behind him.

"S-So... What is it like?" Her small voice practically exploded through the crater.

Hinata scolded herself for sneaking up behind the blonde. She really didn't intend to, but she was not known for being overt in her actions. She caused Naruto the pain he felt, though. She couldn't leave him to deal with it, alone.

"It is kind of hard to find words for it." Naruto's response was unexpectedly calm and detached. "When I do this, I can feel how small my body is, but I also feel how big everything else is and take that feeling into myself."

"Interesting." Hinata walked around to sit in front of him. "And you can sense the world around you?"

Naruto's face twitched for a moment. "Yeah... I ... Was glad to realize you were alive when I returned to being... Me."

"Naruto..." Hinata wasn't sure what to say, but she tried to put comfort into her voice.

"Thankyou, Hinata..." the blonde said, still in his meditative pose "I ... I ..." Silver streaks shot down his cheeks, spawning a cascade of glistening orbs.

Naruto was trying really hard not to break down. He knew that he would have to face her at some point... He knew that it was wrong to avoid her... But his mind was completely frozen on the fear of losing someone who would stand with him on the brink of death so naturally.

"I ... " he stammered. He felt the fluid flowing down his cheeks, his breath begin to hitch and choke. He kept his eyes closed, as if it would somehow keep the girl in front of him from seeing.

A warmth rested itself on his left arm. "It is okay, Naruto." A familiar, light whisp of wind fluttered from her warmth. Somehow, he felt it call to him, asking him to respond. He hesitated for a moment before another flutter of wind sent its call straight to his bones. In it was a twinge of loneliness, even desperation.

He cycled the chakra in his body, a thunderous echo of chakra calling back to the whisp of wind. A mild breeze seemed to stir his whole body, and his thunder seemed to reply in harmony. A storm soon whipped through his essence; not destructive, not creative, the storm simply was what came naturally. In the wind, he could feel the young Hyuuga. She swirled around and enveloped what was important, howled of what was empty, and pushed firmly on her resolutions. Her ground split and shook where his quaking fears lay, the echo of thunder was joined by the chorus of a thousand gales.

Slowly, the storm died down. As the final echo of thunder faded, Naruto opened his eyes. "Hinata... That was... Amazing. What was that?"

Hinata blushed. "It... It's an old art that my family used to use."

The blonde looked down at his arm, quizically. "That didn't feel l ike any Gentle Fist strike I've ever felt." He shot her a sly smile.

She stifled a giggle. "It is different than the Gentle Fist. It isn't supposed to shut down or activate chakra points. It is meant to help heal another person by working with their chakra. Not many Hyuuga practice it, anymore."

Naruto thought for a moment. "So... That really was you..." His mind drifted beyond his words.

The blush on Hinata's cheeks accentuated a curt nod.

Naruto felt himself react on pure instinct. Before he could fully comprehend his actions, he had positioned himself next to her, wrapping both his arms awkwardly around her. He tried to find words as memories of her gentleness played without form through his mind. Words... Words simply didn't exist. There was only one thing he knew. "Hinata..." he said, reinforcing his embrace around a shocked Hyuuga "Someone as gentle and amazing as you are deserves to be happy."

Naruto felt a pair of hesitant hands trail up the sides of his back before settling in a gentle embrace. "And a person as bold and inspiring as you should not have to be alone, Naruto." Somewhat to Naruto's surprise, she shifted to allow for a more proper embrace. A chill Naruto had long stopped shivering from faded before a new warmth flooded over the blonde. Even the vaccant spanse of the crater felt full with the young Hyuuga in his arms.

A patch of blonde hair tickled the Hyuuga's neck as its owner shifted. Hinata smiled, a touch of contentment warming her features. The Naruto who looked so tortured an hour ago was now peacefully asleep on her shoulder. Looking at him, Hinata couldn't help but think it was the first time he'd truly slept in a very long time. A more instinctive part of her was absolutely elated to be the one to settle Naruto's fears, but she quickly cautioned herself of such a mundane thought. Naruto's happiness is what was important, not her importance to him.

It was odd, though. She certainly thought she would be more nervous, to be scared, to be 'Hinata.' Sure, it was a bit different and more awkward than she had imagined it would be. Naruto's hip had found a way to pinch her thigh and drive her whole leg to go to sleep after she'd cradled him almost like a baby, but her heart wasn't hammering in her chest, she was pretty sure she hadn't fainted, it was as if this was a normal thing. Once she knew what Naruto needed, it all just flowed naturally.

Hinata tightened her embrace for a moment, reveling in the sensation of the blonde's presence. "Perhaps," she whispered "I have been alone, too."

The young Hyuuga looked up into the sky, admiring the features of the full moon. Even the light must return to shadow.

Hiashi took a protracted breath, soaking in the aroma of the tea before him. He liked to think he could touch the depths of sleep even when he had to be awake. The old Hyuuga never did figure out how to become one of those 'morning people.'

"Uncle," Neji started across from him. "I am concerned about Lady Hinata."

Hiashi let the tea wash over his tongue, savoring the slight tinge of bitterness as the liquid left a soothing sensation in his throat. The pollen this spring was promising to be a torture to his sinuses. "Is this above and beyond the normal concerns?"

Neji seemed to sharpen his brow, halting his tea just beneath his chin. "She has been acting a bit... Lost." He allowed Hiashi to finish another sip of tea before continuing. "Ko has also expressed his concerns."

"Has he?" Hiashi allowed himself to sound amused as he poured another round of tea.

"He was there when Lady Hinata..." Neji seemed to be searching for a word.

"When she chose to sacrifice herself for the Kyuubi container." Hiashi completed for him.

The younger Hyuuga seemed to pause for a moment. "Uncle... I believe Naruto deserves more consideration than such a title implies. He-"

"Then do not hesitate to use his proper name." Hiashi interrupted to look straight at Neji. He paused before returning to his tea-sipping ritual. "If you are going to use the darker arts of diplomacy, you will not get very far by so obviously betraying your true beliefs."

There was a knock at the door. "Lord Hiashi..." Ko's voice could be heard from the other side.

"You may enter, Ko." Hiashi instructed.

The door slid open, Ko gave a brief bow "Lord Hia-"

Hiashi's brow furled. "Ko, how many times do I have to tell you not to waste my time? Join us at the table." The older Hyuuga caught Neji bury a smile into his tea glass as Hiashi poured the new arrival a cup of his own.

The branch member seemed to be mildly confused as he walked to take a position next to Neji. "Thank you, Lord Hiashi." His eyes darted around and his posture shifted continually.

"Tea calms the nerves, Ko. Perhaps you should have some before you tell the tale of how you came to seek my council." Hiashi deliberately placed himself into a meditative posture.

Ko warily raised the tea, obviously suspicious of the whole ordeal. "This morning, a few of the servants reported that Lady Hinata was not in her quarters."

The elder Hyuuga looked at Ko through lidded eyes. "And what has become of my daughter?"

Ko nearly choked on his tea. "No harm has come to Lady Hinata, Lord Hiashi!" He fumbled with his cup for a moment.

Hiashi seized the opportunity. "Forgive me, such an obviously nervous person who starts his visit with such information..."

"W-Well..." Ko eyed the table as if it were ice to be treaded. "I managed to locate Lady Hinata early thismorning in the company of the Uzumaki boy."

"Interesting..." Hiashi laced amusement into his voice while dropping to a dangerous tone. "I sincerely hope she was not bringing shame upon the Hyuuga."

Ko almost spilled his tea. "Nothing of the sort, Lord Hiashi!" He fumbled for a moment, shifting his position. "Lady Hinata would never be so indecent." Neji seemed to shift uncomfortably. "It is just that the Uzumaki boy is..."

Hiashi allowed himself to perk an eyebrow in Ko's direction. "Is...?" He prompted.

There were several tense moments, the click of pendulum shifts could be heard against the backdrop of bird chirping. "I believe Ko is expressing concern over Naruto being seen with such a close affiliation to a Hyuuga member, Uncle." Neji offered.

Hiashi leveled a gaze at Ko. "Is that your concern?"

Ko sat stiffly, eyes studying the hands braced firmly on his knees. "Yes, Lord Hiashi. I - I tried warning her-"

Hiahsi couldn't hold back any longer. He allowed himself to interrupt Ko with a round of hearty laughter. Neji averted his eyes, the faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Ko, for his part, just stared blankly. "Oh, forgive me. It's been so long since I've laughed like that." Hiashi choked. "I think Hinata has made it clear that we would have to kill her to keep her from seeing the boy."

"I ... Expected a bit more resistance." Ko sounded utterly bewildered.

"I believe, Ko, that Uncle has expected this to happen for quite some time." Neji offered in his typically cool tone.

"I suspected it amidst Hinata's participation in her first Chuunin exams. Those two resonate with the same destiny." Hiashi confirmed. In truth, he'd begun to suspect something even back in the days of the academy. It became clear to him that something far more fundamental than training was affecting his daughter. It wasn't until the Chuunin exams that he realized specifically what was going on.

Ko had sharpened his brows, his lips curled slightly; "Then... All of this time... I should have-"

"Ko, do not fault yourself. Things are as they should be." Hiashi interrupted. His breath halted for a minute as he shifted to stand. The old Hyuuga turned, allowing his gaze to fall upon the old family portrait hanging on the wall. He could feel the awkward stares of Neji and Ko behind him. "This does all bring up a very interesting question, though."

Neji seemed to catch on, "I have often wondered how Naruto came to be selected as the host of the Kyuubi, myself."

"I am not sure I understand..." Ko rustled.

"While I am sure there were many orphans made that day" Hiashi strode to the far side of the room. "It would still be odd for The Fourth to grab just any screaming infant he found and decide to seal a demon inside him." Hiashi had been a part of the council discussions in the aftermath of the Kyuubi attack. There had been a hell of a lot of unknowns and The Third Hokage made damned sure to keep it that way.

"Are you suggesting...?" Ko drifted beyond his words.

"One thing is for certain." Hiashi slid open the large exterior bay. "The Uzumaki boy is far more than a run of the mill orphan. I believe it is time for his lineage to come to light."

Author's After-word:

Those of you coming from Dynamics of A Future will recognize some plot elements, here. I think some of you will immediately realize why I decided that my understanding of the Hyuuga has developed to the point that a complete re-draft is necessary. I also plan to address the recovery and build-up to war (am I the only one who noticed that the Leaf looked completely rebuilt in the latest chapter - complete with the Hokage's office? ).

So, what happened to Dynamics of A Future? A lot. When I first started the series, I had a relatively shallow grasp of the Hyuuga and of the events that created the Naruto universe. The more I analyzed the drafts of Kishimoto's work and analyzed the development of his main character, as well as a few other oddities... The more profound the implications were.

I've read many stories centering around the Hyuuga... And while many authors do a good job of making a particular character like Hinata or Neji work/fit... They always have a very awkward and static Hyuuga clan. Granted, Kishimoto doesn't give us much to work with - but no one seems to quite know what to do with the Hyuuga as a whole.

There is a lot I want to develop in this story, the hardest part will be resisting the temptation to spew it all out in a frantic mess as opposed to integrating it into a deeper environment. We've all read those stories that would have been great... Except the author structures things to tell us about the story rather than experience the story.

For those who are fellow authors and/or aspiring authors - there is a critical difference between talking about a story and telling a story. "Naruto was disappointed, he wanted the candy" is a relatively flat statement. "Naruto stamped his foot, that candy would have really hit the spot" is a statement that allows the reader to perceive a behavior that implies disappointment.

That isn't to say that direct/flat statements are bad, but that too many of them can make a great story a poor reading experience. In a similar way, explaining everything that goes on in the story directly or all at once can do the same thing.

Regardless, I have prattled on far longer than necessary. Like the story? Love it? Hate it? Think I should draw and quarter myself in the town square? All reviews are welcome and appreciated.