Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Lacking Sight ❯ Dreaming and Fear ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Cloudy skies had settled over the village Hidden in the Leaves. They were dark, ominous clouds that swirled above the numerous shinobi heads like the manifestation of some dark promise. Shopkeepers made themselves busy with buffering their wares against any sudden gale or downpour that might strike at any moment. Despite their suspicions, however, no rains had fallen from them since they had arrived, and no wind other than the occasional lazy breeze made itself felt. Still, there were those who could not throw off the feeling that something was lurking behind those black clouds.
But no cloud, however black, could deter Naruto from his course. He strode confidently through the cool afternoon like a beacon of summer light. Some people that he passed–the ones that had come to respect him–caught his radiance and had their own rekindled, thanking him with waves of hello or just simple smiles. Others, who had come to fear him over his fifteen years of life–including the diminishing Naruto-is-a-demon population and the increasing number of old folks and perverts whom he had given heart attacks–shied away from it, retreating into whatever shelter they could find.
If Naruto noticed the profound effects that he was having on Konoha's people, he did not show it. But the girl who emerged from the Hokage tower as he was passing did, and she had every intention of letting him know... just as soon as she got over being amazed at the fact that the one who, at the start of Team Seven's first truly difficult mission, had been called “the midget” was now several inches taller than she was.
Gathering herself back together, she called Naruto's name. Watching him turn and seeing the surprised, then ridiculously happy face brought back old memories, and she couldn't help but feel glad as well. Three years ago, her team had been shattered, her teammates leaving Konoha for places unknown. With Naruto's return, her life felt a little bit more whole.
“Sakura-chan!”
“Welcome back, Naruto,” she said.
“Eheh, thanks,” he replied. “You missed one hell of a reunion party a couple of days back. It's a shame you were off on a mission then.”
“Well, it couldn't be helped. We couldn't exactly let the Kazekage, our strongest ally, die, and most of the other medical ninja were already in the field...”
The mention of the Kazekage seemed to draw Naruto's interest. “Yeah, I heard about that,” he said. “How's Gaara?”
“Fine,” replied Sakura, “He's alive, though it cost an old woman her life, and the demon that was supposed to be living in him got taken out...”
Sakura thought she saw a shiver go up the spine of her old teammate, something that she had rarely seen before. “Naruto?” she asked, “Is everything okay? You didn't lose some of that annoying overconfidence out in the wilderness, did you?”
The effects of whatever had been bothering Naruto vanished quickly. After only a moment's hesitation, he had recovered himself.
“Yeah, Sakura-chan, every thing's all right.” And the way he said it, it looked like it was. Sakura let it go, dismissing it as probably some bad memory about the old Chuunin exam.
“So, Naruto, where are you headed? Got yourself a mission already?”
“Nah, Tsunade-baa-chan is letting me get settled back in, I guess. I'm going to go see a friend of mine in this neighborhood.”
In this neighborhood, so near the Hokage tower? Sakura's thoughts cast about for a while, trying to remember who she knew that lived in these parts. The nearest to this neighborhood she knew about was the Hyuuga family, but even they were a few blocks away. Most of the living areas around the tower were occupied by the elder Council members and other influential members of the village government.
“Do you mind if I walk with you?” she asked. Curiosity had gotten the better of her this time. That, and she hadn't had a chance to talk to her teammate in years.
Naruto grinned hugely. “Sure! We got plenty of catching up to do, after all!”
And so they walked together around the tower, heading for one of two small residential lots embedded between the sections of busy village that surrounded it. As they walked, Sakura began to take notice of the effects that the years had had on her comrade. He was still a laughing buffoon, sure, and completely hopeless in the more subtle shinobi arts. This suited him just fine, however; now he could back up his boasts with a strength that was palpable even through his loud orange jacket.
And one more thing was palpable to Sakura: his apparent shift in attitude towards her. In their early days under Kakashi-sensei, Naruto had pursued her relentlessly, hoping to get her to go out with him. It had annoyed her to no end, and there were many times when she had been forced to express her annoyance violently. Now, though, Naruto walked and talked comfortably with her, making no trouble at all. He was tolerable–moreover, he was actually pleasant! He didn't exactly treat her as she had seen him treat their other friends–namely Kiba, Shikamaru, and Chouji, to begin with–but it was a slight difference only, just a slight softening of mannerisms in her presence. It dawned on her that he was now treating her like Naruto's version of a dear friend, rather than a love interest.
The knowledge was both a relief and a surprise to her. While she inwardly celebrated the death of the annoying, uncouth little blond, part of her wondered what had brought it about. Ino had once teased her, telling her that “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” that she would never be rid of him. Sakura had, of course, hoped that it would prove untrue, but now that it had, she was perplexed.
Had someone replaced her in his heart? Had time simply withered away his affection? What if he hadn't given up on her at all, and was instead trying to win her over in a smarter, subtler way? These questions and more cavorted through her mind as she tried to fathom why Naruto had begun to treat her like a very-close-but-not-that-close friend, like...
Like...
Like he had often treated Hinata, back in those days between the Chuunin exam and his departure. This new train of thought dominated all the rest. Could she have...? Already? No way.
Naruto, meanwhile, was having completely unrelated thoughts. Occasionally his attention wandered to such mundane things as the conversation with his teammate, or thoughts of Keisuke's upcoming examination, or marveling at how much had changed in his home town. But mostly, he focused on what Sakura had told her at the beginning. “...And the demon that was supposed to be living in him got taken out...” So Gaara and Shukaku fell to Akatsuki after all. It's good that Gaara survived, but it doesn't mean much; Akatsuki still proved their point. They've got enough power now. They think they're ready to take me. It wasn't a happy thought.
He dealt with it in his usual style. They can try. I'm a lot stronger than I was before, and I'll be stronger yet by the time they get here. They won't bring me down! Not Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage. Never! Resolving to work harder at his training, Naruto banished the thoughts of Akatsuki from his mind.
It was at the perfect time that he did so, for at that moment they arrived at their destination. Keisuke was walking out of his gate, dressed in his usual gear, waving a greeting to them. His sunglasses still perched on his nose, hiding the emptiness of his eye sockets, and his oaken hair waved in the breeze. Naruto noted, however, that he now sported a Konoha headband and the standard issue shinobi vest that was given to every ninja of the journeyman level and above. Naruto's grin expressed his appreciation for the additions to Keisuke's ensemble–the blind man made Konoha's colors look good.
“Hey, Naruto!” he called. “Come to check out my new place?” Indeed, it appeared worthy of checking out. It was what appeared to be a small compound, with the main building flanked by a garden on one side and a small side building on the other. There might have been more, but the rest was blocked from view by the walls.
“You know it, Keisuke-nii-chan!”
Standing proudly before each other, their mutual radiance seemed to cast Sakura into shadow. She'd heard of this man from Haruka, the Hyuuga woman who'd joined her party at Suna, and from numerous sources of gossip in the village. She'd been told that he had been running around with Naruto and Jiraiya for much of their time away, and had beaten some notorious brigand in lands far away. But she hadn't expected this man and Naruto to be on such friendly terms. They regarded each other like siblings, and Naruto had even called him “Brother.” Yet, they'd only known each other for about a year, maybe two, by Sakura's estimate. And something about those sunglasses... he looked the type who she would have been suspicious of.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Keisuke. “So, who's your girlfriend there, Naruto?”
Sakura was about to protest, but was cut short by Naruto's mirthful laughter. “She's not my girlfriend, Keisuke,” he said, “That's my teammate that I told you about, Haruno Sakura!”
Sakura, once she recovered from the still-fresh surprise at Naruto's new attitude towards her, held her hand out for Keisuke to shake. He took it, a big grin present on his mien. His grip was firm, but not crushing, as Naruto's might have been, and within a second, Sakura felt it slacken a little, adjusting to match the strength of her own.
“Of course, the kid's told me countless stories,” he said. “You can tell he's got his heart in the right place–I almost thought he'd never cease telling me how great things were back in the days of old Team Seven. It was annoying, sometimes, but it shows he cares for his teammates, which is more than I can say of many ninja I've met. He told me extensively about you. I'm honored to make your acquaintance, Sakura-san.”
Sakura was charmed. He may be a suspicious looking kind of guy, but he certainly was nice. “Oh, the honor is mine, Keisuke-san,” she said. “Anybody who can put up with a guy as obnoxious as Naruto for three years deserves my respect.”
The latter sentence produced the reaction she'd expected. “Hey!” Naruto complained, “I can't have been all that terrible. I mean, I know I was immature, but...”
“You were.” The reply came from both Keisuke and Sakura simultaneously, both of whom had had their share of the twelve- and thirteen-year-old Naruto.
Exasperated, Naruto grumbled, “Geez, I'm not that bad anymore...”
“That's for sure, kid.” Said Keisuke. “You're head and shoulders above where you were previously. Figuratively and literally.” Naruto brightened a little, stretching up to his full–and indeed, head and shoulders above that of his former self–height, while Sakura silently agreed.
The introductions performed, Keisuke went on, “I can't show you around just yet, unfortunately. I still have to visit the shinobi registration office, and then I have more things to do today...”
“Oh, yeah, your examination!” Naruto exclaimed, his face bright with hope.
Knowing what his “little brother” would be wanting next, he said, “Sorry, Naruto. The test is supposed to be just me and the examiner, to avoid outside interference and the possibility of injuring bystanders. You can't go to watch it.”
“Damn, I thought it would be that way.” Naruto's face betrayed only a sliver of regret, though everyone present could guess what was going on in his head. He was already growing bored, and not only that, he was worried that he wasn't going to be ready to face the challenges ahead of him. Witnessing a high-level battle involving the other possessor of his unique power would help both problems.
“Hey now,” Keisuke said, “I'll tell you all about it later, when we practice. And I'm sure you can find something to do for the next few hours...” His words trailed off as he appeared to sense something familiar across the street. Then he smiled widely. “Hey there, Hinata-san!” he called, “How are you this afternoon?”
Naruto and Sakura turned around and, sure enough, there was Hyuuga Hinata on the other side of the street, several bags in her arms from the store she had just exited and sporting a deer-in-the-headlights look in her pale eyes.
“Ah, Keisuke-san, Sakura... Naruto-kun...”
“Oi, Hinata!” yelled the blond, “What's up?” The warm smile upon Naruto's face did not escape either Keisuke or Sakura, and the two of them exchanged meaningful grins. For a moment, nobody could find anything to say.
Sakura was the first to break the short silence. “Hinata-chan, heading home for the day?”
Hinata gathered herself, shook off her surprise, and said, “Hai, I am going home, but then I will be meeting Shino-kun and Kiba-kun for practice... Ano, Keisuke-san, you live here now?”
Keisuke nodded. “Yes, I've just finished moving in. A big place for one person, but the new residential area that's being built doesn't have any free houses right now. Hokage-sama will continue to have the property cleaned and maintained for me while I live here. It's very comfortable.”
“Ah, I see...” Hinata said, struggling to keep her eyes from wandering anywhere but to Naruto. They had not spoken since the reunion party; Hinata was still trying to figure out what she wanted to do about the fact that Naruto had returned.
Keisuke smiled again. “Well, I've got to get going. Say, Hinata-san... Why don't you have Naruto go with you to your practice session? He's been bored these past few days, and could use a good workout.” Among other things, Keisuke thought.
Hinata froze. This was as good an opportunity as any to show Naruto how far she'd come in three years, but...
“Ano... um...”
Sakura joined in. “I think that's a great idea, Keisuke-san. Naruto, we'll catch up some more later, maybe after Kakashi-sensei is better. I need to get back to Tsunade-sama. Ja ne!”
“Sayonara,” said Keisuke. Both of them walked away, back towards the Hokage tower. They left behind a grinning Naruto and Hinata, who watched them go, regarding them both with hurt looks, like they'd betrayed her.
Then Naruto walked forward. “Well, Hinata, should we get going? I'll help you lug this stuff back to your place, and then we can do some catching up of our own on the way to practice, huh?”
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Keisuke walked alongside Sakura down the street. The streets near Hokage tower were busy despite the looming clouds, which still had yet to drop any rain. Those people nearest them gave them wide berth–Sakura was the respected apprentice of Godaime Hokage, and Keisuke was a stranger, though he somehow, amazingly, wore the Konoha leaf after being there only a few short days. They walked unmolested, and their talk was uninterrupted.
“So, Sakura-san,” Keisuke began, “Were Hinata-san and Naruto like this before?”
“Not at all,” replied Sakura. “Though, there was definitely a a foundation for it by the time Naruto left. Hinata-chan's loved him for as long as I've known them both, and Naruto started acting very kind to her after our first Chuunin exam. I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd gotten together after a while, but...”
“Then Naruto left,” Keisuke finished.
“Yeah.”
Keisuke pondered for a moment. “Well, I can't say I'm not glad that he did leave. After all, if he hadn't I'd probably still be off in the less known parts of the world, sitting on my hands, letting life pass me by. Then there's Haruka, who's been wasting her time almost since she could walk. If not for Naruto, I would have been stuck with a bottle of sake for a practice partner.”
“And without a such a nice girlfriend,” Sakura commented. She'd assumed, from the way Haruka had expressed her appreciation for Keisuke's skill and her satisfaction with him as a “partner” that the two of them were together. But Keisuke just stared at her like she'd broken his favorite coffee mug.
“Ehehe...” Sakura changed the subject back to Naruto and Hinata, sensing that this was dangerous ground. “So, Keisuke-san, do you think they're going to have time for a relationship now?”
Putting a nonchalant look on his face, Keisuke bought into the change of subject. “I'd say it's possible. Granted, there's still the matter of your other teammate–Sasuke–to deal with and much of his time is devoted to strengthening himself for that purpose. And now that Akatsuki seems to be on the move, his reasons are twofold. But Hokage-sama doesn't seem to want to send him anywhere at the moment, for reasons she hasn't yet explained, so he's confined to Konoha to train. With that said, it's likely that Naruto will have plenty of time on his hands for training... and for Hinata-san, if that's the way it happens. Personally, I hope it does–for multiple reasons.”
Sakura stopped walking and gave Keisuke a questioning look. “Multiple reasons?”
Keisuke looked over his shoulder, and lowered his voice a little. “It's true that I want Naruto to be happy. He's become my second family, a driving force for my life. I know that Hinata can be useful to him, as a fighting partner as much as a lover. If Haruka's told you anything about the potential of the Rokujuuyon Reiude and the Byakugan together, you know of what I speak.”
In fact, Haruka had told Sakura quite a bit about that subject, in great detail, on their trek from Suna to Konoha. She had to agree that if it was true, then it was very impressive.
“But, truth be told, I have an ulterior motive,” he said. “With three exceptions, and three only, I despise the Hyuuga. Not for their individual character, mind you–Haruka and Hinata-san both have shown me the potential for goodness in them. No, I hate them for their clan-wide capitulation to their blasted system of preservation. They've gone so far as to place a curse–a curse on their own blood!–on the foreheads of their 'Branch House' members, a curse which they can use to kill. And kill they do, to preserve their precious Byakugan.
“It's senseless. They sacrifice their own kinsman to a life of servitude and pain and–if they deem it necessary–death. All for the sake of protecting what they consider more holy than life itself: their bloodline limit doujutsu, which is no more holy than the demon within a Jinchuuriki.”
Sakura stared. She'd never heard anyone speak so passionately against the Hyuuga clan. Certainly, she wouldn't have chosen that system herself, but the Hyuuga were the Hyuuga. They were only one family, and a powerful one at that. So they were left alone, either out of fear or lack of real concern.
“Keisuke-san,” she asked, “Why should you be concerned with the Hyuuga? I mean... they're only one family out of hundreds in Konoha. They aren't forcing their methods on anyone else. Why is it your problem? I'm curious.”
Keisuke's face went ashen, then stony. “I have a certain attachment to them,” he answered. “Not by my choice, but the matter was out of my hands.” He clenched his fists. Sakura began to think that perhaps this wasn't easy for him to talk about. She pursued his reasons no further.
“I don't know why I'm telling you this, Sakura-san. Jiraiya is the only one I've told before, and he refused to be involved. I fear letting Haruka or Naruto know. Naruto doesn't like being manipulated, and Haruka, as far as I know, cares little for clan politics. She could mock me. But you, Sakura-san... a good friend of Naruto and, apparently, of Hinata-san, you can be trusted. You can be a help to me without being affected by the consequences of failure. I ask only one thing... you must not tell either Naruto or Haruka. If they must know, I will tell them, when I feel I need to. But for now, I prefer my manipulations to remain secret.”
Sakura took in all of this, and felt her head start hurting. As if there weren't enough complications in her life, here was Naruto dumping more into it through one of his friends. Yet she endeavored to be stoic. Suppressing her headache, she nodded for him to continue.
Keisuke took the nod and went on. “Naruto and Haruka have told me that Hinata-san is to inherit the seat of power in the Hyuuga clan. As you said, it seems likely that she and Naruto could get together. My hope is that, if that relationship progresses, Naruto will marry into the Hyuuga clan, where he can help Hinata-san to cast down the system of Main and Branch Houses.”
Keisuke saw the look of concern on Sakura's face, and knew what she was thinking. “I know... It's not as easy as I'd like it to be. Hiashi has shown a little of his better half by acknowledging his daughter, but there is still little chance that he would accept someone like Naruto into the family. There will be much resistance, possibly to the point of violence, from the Hyuuga clan. Getting Naruto to go pursue Hinata will be tough in itself; he's still working on Sasuke, and likely won't turn his attention anyplace else for very long. And while Akatsuki threatens, there won't be many safe environments for Naruto or anyone who attaches themselves to him. And even if it gets that far, undoing eons of tradition, even bad tradition, will prove almost impossible.”
“Not to mention the fact that Naruto is completely clueless about Hinata's feelings. So they'll need help,” Sakura concluded.
Keisuke nodded. “Yes. A great deal. Lots of help.”
A long pause occurred, which neither seemed to have the will to break. Finally, the clouds above them parted for just a moment, allowing a sliver of sunlight to break through. It illuminated the distant Hyuuga compound. Seeing it, Sakura found her voice.
“Hinata-chan has been waiting long enough for Naruto. I know that I'll have to wait a lot longer. The best I can do is to see my teammate and my friend find their happiness. If for nothing else, I'll help you for their sake, Keisuke-san. But the Hyuuga clan is your problem.”
“Nor would I ask you to make it yours,” Keisuke said, bowing his head in thanks. “It's enough that you do what you can. Who knows? Maybe the power that they find in each other can help us retrieve Sasuke, stop Akatsuki... end all this complicated misery.”
Sakura inclined her own head. “There are two people I think you should talk to. One is Neji, the Branch member you met at the reunion party. The second is Haruka-san. Even if she doesn't care for her clan, she might help you if you ask the right way.”
“I appreciate your help, Sakura-san. I'm sorry for keeping you from your mistress.”
“It's nothing. Ja ne, Keisuke-san.”
She walked into the tower. Keisuke stood alone for a moment, smiling to himself. Then he went into the building himself. He'd won himself an ally, but it would be wise to win himself the Jounin rank before he went any further.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
A clear, cool stream that bubbled up from its source not far from the mountain of the Hokage monument flowed tranquilly through a dark, secluded grove of evergreens. The trees were ancient, their mighty boughs reaching hundreds of feet upward, intertwining with each other and forming a canopy that nearly hid the whole sky from view. The wide trunks, all wider in diameter than most men were tall and then some, ringed this particular section of the stream almost like a fortified wall, and the tall, thorny bushes between deterred most people and animals from trying to enter.
But Haruka, who had discovered it in her early childhood and often come here to play, was one of the few who could find the place where the thick ivy concealed a gap in the bushes, the only way into the grove that did not involve jumping at least a hundred feet into the air or the pain of several thorn scratches. Any ninja could have blown it to bits with ninjutsu or explosives, of course... but then the means by which the grove was well-hidden and secure would be gone, the natural protection obliterated. This was not Haruka's goal; she had come here to use that protection.
By slow recollection of memory, she felt for and eventually found the opening, and wormed her way through the ivy into the grove. It was pure and untouched by human hands–as virgin as she had left it long ago. The stream flowed down from the small, silent waterfall and moved cheerfully through the center of the small enclosure, disappearing through the thorny wall at the opposite end.
Haruka's lips parted slightly in a thankful smile. She would be undisturbed here, in this peaceful place. Throwing aside her cares for the moment, she stripped off her clothing and waded gleefully into the chill waters of the stream, memories of her girlhood resurfacing in her mind. At the stream's deepest point the water came up only to her waist, where it once came above her neck. Naked under the shade of the canopy, Haruka reveled in that old, sweet, innocent glory. Long had it been gone, and she would never have it again. But here, she was able to remember it and enjoy the memory without consequence.
Shortly, though, the weight of her problems found their way into the grove after her, replacing itself squarely back upon her shoulders. She huddled in the shallow water on the bank of the stream, not against the chill of the water, but against the chill in her heart. The way those people–her kinsmen–had looked upon her that day tore at her, despite the fact that she had never known most of them before today. She had thought that she might find a family here, at least amongst the Branch. As it turned out, those that she had most counted upon for welcome abhorred her in every sense of the word.
And for the life of her, she had been unable to figure out why. She knew of the oppression that her fellow Branch housers had faced, though she had never been a real part of it. She thought that the common suffering would have united all of those Hyuuga bearing the Caged Bird seal. Haruka had been more wrong than she could have possibly imagined. Fortunately for her, Hiashi, being an old friend from their childhood days, had kept them at bay, this time.
“But I cannot keep them from you forever,” Hiashi had said. “I can be in only one place at any time. The Branch family are numerous, and they are a bitter, spiteful lot. They obey me here, where I can command them, but cross paths with them on an empty back alley, and they will have no qualms against hurting you very badly. Oh, they will not kill you,” he had said, noticing that her face had gone paler, “Even they would not kill one of their own. But their resentment of you is very great, and they will stop at very little to gain what they believe to be retribution.”
“Hiashi-sama,” Haruka had said, “I have done nothing to harm them! I bear them no malice, no, not my kinsmen, no matter how distant. Yet they look at me with such scathing animosity... No human has ever looked at me so.”
“Their faces are those of men and women who feel themselves betrayed,” he had answered. “Part of it is to do with the fact that you have lived outside the village for most of your life. You have been free of the suffering, the responsibilities that Branch members in the village are forced to assume, while they have remained behind. To them, you are...”
“An outcast, a Kin-abandoner,” Haruka finished. Her face was ashen with sorrow.
“The Branch house considers those who flee the village to be outcasts, yes. But the name of Kin-abandoner they have given to only one person before you,” Hiashi said. His eyes had locked with hers then, the silver-white pupils commanding attention. “That person was your father. To them, you are the remnant of his betrayal, a treachery so shameful and so wounding to them that forever after they have never spoken his true name, calling him 'Kin-abandoner' whenever they talked of him in public.”
Haruka did not need to ask; Hiashi launched into the story without delay. “It was sixteen years ago now. You were about fourteen... I was about to be married. It was several weeks before the wedding ceremony would have happened that my sister was kidnapped.”
Gasping, Haruka had said, “So that's what happened to...”
“Yes. It was kept quiet at the time, of course. Our other enemies would have taken heart at our display of weakness, and our own clansmens' morale might have slipped. Thus you were informed that she was taken ill, and the truth was not revealed until after you were gone. Now, she and her lover were being held at swordpoint by a terrorist organization, the Rotting Blood, whose leader you have recently destroyed, as I heard. The villains demanded no money for their ransom. Instead, they wanted the two assassins that had killed their former leader–your parents.”
Comprehension had begun to dawn on Haruka's face. The realization was horrible, and Hiashi did not need the Byakugan to detect her growing unease. “You begin to understand. Your father had known that at first word of my sister's capture that this would be the result. Before the ultimatum from the Rotting Blood was delivered, he took you and your mother and fled Konoha to live in the outer world. Things were unstable within the clan hierarchy at that time–a power shift was imminent, and outside forces were threatening the clan's way of life–and so they evaded the strictures that prevented most Branch members from leaving. Thus, when the Rotting Blood's demand came, the Hyuuga were not able to meet it.”
Hiashi paused for a moment, as if questioning the relevance of what he would say next. Then he said it: “The older woman you met at the front gate–her sister and her sister's husband were disguised and sent in place of your parents.”
The present Haruka, sitting in the cold stream, remembered these words, and then remembered the woman's cold face. She shivered.
“The Rotting Blood managed to see through their disguises, and both they and my sister were murdered together. Then the murderers chained my sister's tortured lover to the three corpses, and released him to drag them back to Konoha. He arrived seven days after your parents' doubles departed, bloody, beaten, the body of my sister in his arms, the failed dopplegangers dragging behind his feet. Thus it was revealed to all how your father's cowardice had rendered the sacrifices of the Branch meaningless, and added the name of a Hyuuga main family member to the obituary.”
“I can see outrage in your eyes, Haruka. It is a just rage; you had nothing to do with the slaughter. But the Branch refuses to see anything but your father's cowardice and treachery within you, and because they cannot revenge themselves upon him, they seek to punish you instead. I can constrain them within these walls, for now. But I am human; I must sleep, and there are those among the Branch more than capable of taking you silently in the night. You will find no safe haven here, Haruka, however much I would like to offer you one.”
And so it was that Haruka had come here, to seclude herself from the cold, hateful eyes of her kindred, to bathe in the clear waters of this stream, cleansing away physical dirt–along with the sudden feeling of filth that her past had laid over her. Shaking in frustration as much as from the chill, she dunked herself deep, deep beneath the surface of the stream, hiding herself from her problems, her past, her people, and the world. In here, she was safe from all things human.
Or so she thought, until the other person who remembered the grove found his way through the ivy portal.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Keisuke wandered the forests outside of Konoha, seeking a place of solitude to clear his mind, focus his mental strength in preparation for his examination later that afternoon. His venture into the shinobi registrar had gone smoothly. He carried with him a temporary identification card and the scroll of official orders, to be given to his examiner. He was armed with kunai, shuriken, a number of explosive tags. His body was well-fed and rested, energetic and tense in anticipation. A little too tense, in fact; such was his reason for coming out here.
He remembered a time long past, just after he had left Konoha the first time, he had fled the Hyuuga pursuers through these woods. He had defeated three of the five of them, an effort which used up most of his strength. He had retreated as fast as he knew how, eventually finding a small grove enclosed by trees that were saplings when he was a child, ringed with thorny bushes that looked quite intriguing. He had stumbled through the thin section of ivy by accident, but it was enough. Burying himself in the stream running through its middle, he had lost his Hyuuga chasers.
It was this same grove that he was looking for, and after much probing around, his extended chakra feelers found a section of ivy with no thorns behind them. He pushed this aside, clambering through the hole with some difficulty, and stood within his old safe haven once more. He could hear the birds singing, the water rushing, and was enthralled by its tranquility. Thinking himself alone, he withdrew the tendrils of his Sixty-Four Ghostly Arms back into their tenketsus for the first time in years. Now truly blind, Keisuke let the gentle forest ambiance wash over him, lulling him into calmness.
Already feeling more at peace after the day's stress, and deriving a strange comfort from the blackness, he put all thoughts of the Hyuuga, of demons, and the relationships of Konoha's youth out of his mind, and allowed the water's rushing to guide him to the stream to drink.
And then, Keisuke realized that he'd dropped his guard too carelessly. His thirsty lips touched not the cool water they sought–they touched warm flesh. Before he had a chance to re-extend his Arms and figure out who was beneath him, the owner of the flesh reacted... violently.
With a cry of rage that was unmistakably that of a powerful woman about to fend off a molester, she slammed her palm into his exposed gut before he could get his arms up to block it, and Keisuke felt a bolt of chakra pulse into his abdomen. This resulted in his guts vibrating and squirming very uncomfortably. However, this was a tickle compared to the forceful kick that landed squarely in his groin. As all men do when struck in this area, Keisuke doubled over in agony, moaning as only a man so wounded can, and fell hard to the forest floor.
His attacker huffed furiously, speaking words layered with venom. “To have witnessed me unclothed would have been forgivable, an accident... but purposefully defiling one of the Hyuuga is...”
“Why...” Keisuke croaked in a broken voice, “Why would you... do that... to a blind man!”
Then and only then did Haruka look carefully at the one who lay at her feet.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Twenty minutes later, Keisuke was still on his back, nursing his injured pride and fighting not to retch at the unbelievable pain that still pulsed back and forth between his groin and his Jyuuken-addled guts. Unable to stop himself from groaning, he had tried many times to rise, but had not been able to do so yet without becoming violently nauseous.
“For the last time, Keisuke, I apologize!” said Haruka, having been forced to endure his complaining repeatedly since the incident.
“Gods curse you, Haruka!” Keisuke groaned, having failed to rise for the umpteenth time. “Read the rules before you play the game! Before you play Stomp-The-Pervert, you have to make sure that your victim is a legitimate target! Blind men don't fall into that category!”
“Oh, shut up,” Haruka snapped, “I have told you already–I had a lot on my mind, and I was already in a sour mood. I didn't feel much like following the rules.”
Keisuke could not retort, as he was too busy trying to stop himself from throwing up. Haruka sighed. They rarely spoke to each other in such snarling tones, even when discussing the sensitive subject of the Hyuuga clan, to which Haruka was–until this day–ignorant of if still loyal to, and which Keisuke loathed.
Well, it serves him right, she thought. It was his own damned fault that he was careless enough to plant his face on... Haruka flushed with embarrassment and rage at the memory. Idiot...
She fumed for a while as Keisuke struggled with the double pain of the Jyuuken and his other injury. But when Keisuke finally managed to pull himself onto a rock in a sitting position, panting heavily, Haruka's anger began to recede. Well, I suppose I was careless, as well. Who knew that he'd been here before? And I was ducked under the water, moping around, oblivious to his presence. In a sense, it's as much my fault as it is his.
Both of them sat on their separate rocks in silence for several minutes, each having completely forgotten the stresses of the emotional day which had sent them here. Both of them nursed their sundered pride (And in Keisuke's case, a splitting headache), all thoughts of the complications of their lives blown away in the uniquely painful moment. Neither of them had imagined that this was how their first meeting would be following their separation before returning to Konoha.
Finally, simultaneously, each one remembered their reason for being here.
“Keisuke,” Haruka said, “You have said that you despise the Hyuuga.”
“With a few notable exceptions, yes... I do.” Keisuke responded. His pain had finally been reduced to a dull ache. He would be uncomfortable for a few hours, but he would be able to face his test.
Haruka's face was grim, a reflection of her new and bitter regard for herself. “I believe that I finally understand why.”
Keisuke's eyebrows arched. Here was something that he had never expected in his life to hear.
Haruka continued, not bothering to look up into his face. “I possessed the Byakugan before. But now I know that the Hyuuga's doujutsu is not all-seeing. In my life away from the village, I was ignorant. I have been blind to the suffering, the sacrifices of my kinsmen.” Sacrifices made in vain, thanks to the cowardice of my own flesh and blood, she thought. Her feeling of self-loathing and filthiness came back to her on black wings, circling her head.
“But worse,” she went on, “I thought before that I did not return to the village because I felt that my exile was my true home. When I saw my clansmens' faces, the anguish upon them, I felt their pain in my own heart. I grieved for their suffering, though I showed it not.”
She breathed in deeply, her breath almost rattling in her chest as she shook with imagined cold. “And then I knew, as assuredly as I know night from day, the true reason I waited so long to return: Fear.”
A tear fell from her silver eyes, then was followed by more. Her head hung low in deepest shame.
“I feared coming back to my home because, though I chose to ignore it, I knew my clansmen were in pain. I had feared to see their anguish, and to have revenge taken upon me for not sharing in their pain. I am a coward, Keisuke! A coward and a fool.” And there Haruka stopped, waiting for Keisuke to reprimand her, agree with her. Indeed, you are a coward, he would say. He would laugh. He would gloat as he always did, exulting in his superiority.
But the laughter and exultation never came. Instead, she felt a gentle rapping on the back of her skull. Turning, she saw the blind man standing there, his armored fist being what had tapped her.
“Behind you, idiot,” he said gently, “You are no coward. A fool, yes you are. And you're an inferior fighter, a nuisance that I can't get rid of. But you aren't without courage. How else would you have survived practice with me almost every day for the last eighteen months? If you are a coward, why the hell are you here facing the clansmen you feared now? Open your eyes, Haruka. You're a fool, but you've had brains enough to recognize your mistake, even if it took you half of your life.”
He spoke the same words that he always spoke in their rivalry, insulting her, degrading her wherever he could. But his voice was haggard, his expression pleading. He hated seeing his partner like this. He was used to the stronger Haruka, the one who joined him in their playful rivalry, yet who became a serious, dependable, and deadly fighter when the situation called for it. Keisuke was not happy with this weakened, guilt-wasted Haruka, and it showed.
Keisuke's silent plea reached her. It sang to Haruka's stronger half, rallied it, and drew it to the surface. Drying her face, she stood up. Keisuke smiled, and moved towards her. He saw an opportunity to gain another ally. Readying his proposal, he opened his mouth...
And the words died in his throat as Haruka suddenly spun to face him, her low kick sweeping his legs out from under him. He fell flat on his back, the wind leaving his body in a rush at the impact with the ground. Stunned, he was unable to prevent Haruka's foot from planting itself on his sternum.
“Who's the 'inferior fighter,' Keisuke?”
“Damn it, woman!” the blind man growled. His earlier hurts had sapped him of strength that he had not yet fully recovered; he could not remove his partner's foot from his chest. “Let me up! I've still got a test to take.”
Haruka's face was set in grim determination. “On one condition, partner,”
Keisuke was in a hurry. “Name it!”
“Help me change the Hyuuga.”
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Hinata walked silently next to her secret love, who was lugging along a great deal more ninja tools in his pack than was probably necessary. Perhaps excitement to be training again had caused him to overdo it when he was preparing, as it had occasionally when he was younger. Hinata found this particular behavior amusing, entertaining, but nerves prevented her from laughing.
She was burning with anticipation. Now, after three long years, she finally had her chance. If she could amaze the young blond ninja with her hard-earned skill, she would be granted the opportunity to win favor with him. From there, she might convince him to come to more practices with her, which would lead, possibly, to more private sessions without Shino or Kiba. She would be able to tell him, in private, where all her new strength had come from–the nindo, the ninja way, that she had learned from him.
After that point, having secured his attention, she might have developed the courage, maybe, to ask him out for an evening...
Her blissful thoughts were interrupted. It seemed that Hinata was never allowed to daydream for very long, these days. Naruto had been hailed by his old jounin sensei, Hatake Kakashi.
“Hey, Hinata,” he said, “Can you wait here a moment? I won't take long. Kakashi-sensei just wants a quick, private word, that's all.”
“Ah... Of course, Naruto-kun.”
“Great. I'll be back sooner than you can say 'Byakugan.'” He dashed away to join his teacher.
Now, Hinata wasn't normally the type to invade people's privacy. But when it came to Naruto, she had a worrisome curiosity that had been with her since her first memories of him, which she had never quite been able to rid herself of. This worrisome curiosity got the better of her at this moment.
She could not hear what they said to each other, but her time with Neji had been very useful to her in more ways than one. Under his tutelage, she had become and adept lip-reader. Kakashi's lips were covered by his mask, of course, but this presented little challenge to the heiress of Hyuuga, who had all but X-ray vision. Murmuring “Byakugan” softly, she looked through the mask and heard–or saw, rather–their conversation.
Hey, Kakashi-sensei, she saw Naruto say, Can you make this quick? I kinda had plans to go practice with Hinata's team... I don't want to be late.
Kakashi replied, I will be quick, Naruto, if you pay attention and I don't have to repeat myself. Listen carefully. What I'm about to say may shock you...
Aw, I've been all over the world, sensei. There isn't much left that can shock me.
Hinata watched Kakashi sigh impatiently, leaning more heavily on his crutches. Naruto, listen. You don't need to be concerned with looking for Sasuke anymore...
“WHAT! YOU MEAN YOU'VE FOUND HIM!” Hinata didn't need to read his lips to hear that one. The shout drew the stares of all the people in the general vicinity.
Be quiet, Naruto! Kakashi warned, waving off the onlookers casually. This is secret information for a reason! If the ordinary villagers found out, there would be a panic!
All right, Kakashi-sensei, I promise I won't tell anyone, said Naruto, quickly controlling himself. Apparently, Uchiha Sasuke was still quite a delicate subject with the blond; enough so that it could drive him to revert to the wild, barely controllable state of mind he'd been in when he had left.
So, where is he, sensei?
Kakashi looked carefully over his shoulder, making sure nobody was listening. He's here, Naruto. Sasuke is hiding in Konoha, hiding under our very noses. What he wants, we can only guess.
OoOoOoOoEnd Chapter 8oOoOoOoO