Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Lacking Sight ❯ The Sundered Sky ( Chapter 15 )

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

As usual, the chakra of the demon fox worked its subtle magic upon its container in his sleep; when Naruto awoke from his exhaustion-induced nap, he was completely whole, without the faintest sign of any lingering damage. He sat up in the bed, surprised to find himself in his own apartment. It was cleaner than normal, that was true, but it was unmistakably his own bed that he'd been sleeping in. Looking around, he spotted a masked ninja guarding his rest, sitting hunched over a book in his chair by the door.
“Kakashi-sensei?”
Kakashi looked up from his book. “Oh, so you're awake, Naruto,” he said. “How are you feeling?”
“Same as always, sensei,” Naruto said, giving a grin. “Where are Sakura and Hinata?”
“They helped bring you here. Sakura did what she could for your injuries, then went looking for your companion, Keisuke. Hinata has gone to retrieve her pack; the ANBU are holding it for her, as she had to drop it while carrying you. There is also medicine within it that she wants to give you, though I doubt you need it.”
“Eh? You made Hinata carry me, Kakashi-sensei? Geez, you're lazy.”
“I didn't arrive until after you were halfway home,” Kakashi replied. “I'm still not in the best shape after that trip to Suna, after all. And also... Hinata insisted.”
Naruto turned this over in his head. She didn't have to do that. She doesn't owe me anything, and she had an appointment to go to. Damn, she's a really nice person... Waitaminnit!
“Oh, yeah! Kakashi-sensei, did you find anything out in that old lab? Something we missed?”
Kakashi shook his head. “Nothing concrete. I did find the factory chamber, where they were producing hundreds at a time. Those were also abandoned... I picked up a few charts while I was there, too, just for evidence. I didn't find any information on Sasuke's whereabouts, though.”
Naruto's face contorted in a frown. “Damn it,” he said. “We'll definitely find him, even if I have to turn the whole village upside down!”
“I'm not finished,” interrupted the masked Jounin. “I was about to say that even if I didn't find anything on Sasuke, I did find something of interest. Look at this.” Kakashi unfolded a map of Konoha and its environs. “I found it among the progress charts in the head technician's office.”
“A map of the village?” Naruto questioned. “Sasuke knows the village. Why would they need... wait a minute,” he paused, looking at it more closely. “It's been marked on. They've been using it to plan something.”
“That's what I had in mind,” the senior ninja said. “Several points on the map have been circled in red.” Kakashi handed the map to Naruto, allowing him to study it further.
Naruto looked it over thoroughly, naming off the circled points he recognized, “The Hokage tower, the Academy, the Council building, Ichiraku Ramen... what are these other ones?”
“This one is the Hyuuga compound,” Kakashi replied, pointing near one of the remaining circles, “and this one is the dwelling place of the Aburame Clan. The final circle is ANBU headquarters... but you're not supposed to know that, so you didn't hear it from me.”
“Pretty much all of those are really important places,” Naruto mused. “And as far as we know, Sasuke doesn't have any people in there, except for in the Council. Hmmm... could these places be Sasuke's targets?”
“Again, that's what I thought,” said Kakashi. “It seems very likely that your theory–the one about Sasuke's clone army being a distraction to get the real threat into position–is true. Now we may know what they are in position for.”
“But, Kakashi-sensei,” asked Naruto, “Why would they want to attack the Council if that's where their mole is? And why the hell would they want to attack Ichiraku Ramen, specifically? If they're going to end up occupying the village, then there are plenty of places they can capture to get their food from...”
“I thought about that while you were sleeping,” Kakashi said. Naruto didn't think it was truth, seeing the closed book in his old teacher's hands, but he let him continue. “I think that Orochimaru's agents must have orders to specifically not attack their own man, but it could be that they plan to kill him with the rest, since by that time his usefulness would be past. And I'm fairly sure that Ichiraku Ramen is a target purely because Sasuke knows how much you love that place.”
Naruto's facial muscles twitched in anger. “Bastard,” he said, “Thinks he's gonna break my spirit like that, huh? Like I'll let him!”
“Putting that aside,” said Kakashi, “Our theory comes down to this: Orochimaru's forces are in hiding in multiple places in this village, awaiting orders from Sasuke or whoever is in command. They are going to be targeting key members of our society–Hokage-sama, the Council, the ANBU leaders, and the leaders of influential shinobi clans. They might go pillaging along the way, or it may just be a quiet assassination mission in preparation for a later invasion. But either way, it's a serious danger.”
Naruto looked at his old sensei gravely. Both of them were running the same bad memories through their heads, stretching the silence and gathering the spiritual strength against the coming danger. “We'll stop them,” he said. “They couldn't take Konoha down before, and they won't take it this time, either.”
Kakashi nodded.
The door opened. Hinata's petite frame was half-visible through the doorway. “Oh...” she said, appearing unsure of herself, “M-may I come in?”
“Yeah, Hinata. Come right in,” grinned Naruto. “My house is your house, as long as you like.”
Hinata let out the breath she'd been holding. She'd been afraid to enter Naruto's house, at first; not all people took kindly to people entering their homes uninvited, and it seemed that she'd interrupted an important conversation. Seeing that neither of these was a factor in her welcome, the shy girl stepped into Naruto's bedroom for the first time.
“Ano, I brought some medicine,” she said, holding up a bottle of a powdery, yellow-white substance. “Kiba-kun and Neji-nii-san use it often when they practice with me... it helps heal damage from the Jyuuken.”
Naruto declined with a nod of his head. “I'm fine,” he said. “Besides, since you're such a good shinobi now, Kiba and Neji are going to be needing it a lot more than me.”
Flattered at Naruto's compliment, Hinata blushed and mumbled incoherent thanks while she put the medicine away.
Kakashi, knowing what was likely to take place and not feeling the need to interrupt, said, “Well, I'm off to report to Hokage-sama about this. Naruto, don't worry about answering for your scuffle with the Hyuuga back there; I'll answer for you.”
Naruto smiled appreciatively at him. “Thanks, Kakashi-sensei. See ya.”
“Later,” said Kakashi. He disappeared out the door, leaving Hinata with Naruto in the bedroom.
A moment of uneasy silence passed between the two of them. Naruto, while he enjoyed Hinata's company, couldn't think of any relevant conversation to make with her. However, he was unwilling to ask her to leave. Hinata had something to say, but she was having problems finding the correct words, and being alone in a bedroom with her lifelong love wasn't exactly easy on her nerves. The result was two confused teenagers sitting in silence, each glancing at the floor and fumbling for something to say to the other.
They broke the silence at the same time.
“Anosa...”
“Ano...”
They were cast into a yet more embarrassing and awkward silence. Naruto, being more proactive, broke this one much more quickly.
“You first, Hinata.”
“Ano... no, Naruto-kun should speak first in his own home.” She kicked herself mentally for being so shy.
“Heh, I'm yielding to you. I owe you for lugging my heavy carcass home, after all.”
“Ah... S-so you were awake for that?” Her blush increased tenfold; if he had heard her insist that she carry him, and heard Sakura's lewd comments that came after...
“Nah, Kakashi-sensei told me,” Naruto said. He grinned warmly at Hinata–an expression that soothed her nerves a little. “Oh... Hinata, didn't your dad need you for something?”
“Uhm, yes,” she began nervously, “But, I wanted to make sure that you were okay first, because... well, after what you did, standing up to Captain Hiroto for me... You didn't need to do that at all, but it was a very brave and kind thing. I... Thank you, Naruto-kun.”
Naruto's face was rapt with attention during her slightly stumbling speech. It wasn't every day that he was thanked so profusely by such a nice and pretty girl. Now, though, it settled back into it's usual cocky grin, pleased to be complimented.
“Hehe... no problem, Hinata. Any time! And thanks a lot to you for going with us today.”
Hinata smiled happily, having accomplished her objective without a problem. “You're welcome. I will go home to my father, then.” She bowed to the master of the house, and then turned to walk out the door.
She was halted by a strong hand on her arm. “Hinata.”
She turned in the gentle grasp. There was Naruto, inches from her, with a deadly serious look on his whisker-marked face. Hinata looked up at him like a cornered doe. H-he's so close...
Then she shook off her nervousness and said, “Y-yes?”
Registering that his hand now clasped the arm of a girl who, due to her proximity and the wideness of her pale eyes, had a rapidly-climbing cuteness factor, Naruto's brain momentarily imploded. He forgot what he'd been about to ask. The two of them stood silent for the third time that day.
Hinata's face took on a questioning aspect. “Naruto-kun?”
He snapped back to himself. “Uh... oh, yeah. Hinata, I want to see you again tomorrow.”
“O-oh?” Hinata was once again the befuddled one. “W-what for, Naruto-kun?”
“Ah...” Naruto realized he wasn't quite sure, himself. He improvised, and managed to come up with a pretty good answer. “You know... just to make sure nothing goes wrong with your folks. You're kinda late now, thanks to me. I wanna make sure you're all right.”
Hinata was so taken aback by this that she didn't speak. Rather, her mouth didn't; her face was talking ever more loudly by the moment.
This was fine, for Naruto's improvisational rambling had yet to end. “And if anyone's going to treat you the same way that Hiroto guy did today, I want to know about that. Yeah! I'll kick their asses, all of them! Yeah!” Naruto then went into a very amusing pantomime, stamping around and squashing imaginary Hirotos.
Watching him, Hinata's shock wore off, and she broke into giggles at the routine. Naruto finished his mock rampage and faced her again, putting his hand behind his head and grinning abashedly. They remained that way for a short moment, and then Hinata turned towards the door again.
“Then... I'll come by tomorrow, when I have time,” she said. “Good-bye, Naruto-kun.”
“All right,” Naruto responded, waving to her.
She walked out of the bedroom and made her way to the apartment's exit. Just as she closed the door behind her, she heard Naruto's voice call out, “Take care, Hinata-chan!”
The door closed with a heavy Thunk! Hinata stood on his doorstep a long moment, practically glowing red at his new addition to her name. Then she smiled with a happiness unrivaled by any she had experienced before. Beginning the walk home, she absorbed herself in blissful thoughts.
Haruka-san... I think you may have been right. Thank you!
The black clouds above her parted, letting the sunlight through to shine on her head. It accompanied her all the way to the end of the street.
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With Hinata gone, Naruto found himself alone. For a long time, he simply stood in his bedroom doorway, lost in thoughts. Then, he began to do what he had not done since the first day he had lived here.
He started rearranging furniture. When everything was in a completely different place, he cleaned out his refrigerator and reorganized that. From there he moved on to his kitchen cabinets, his bathroom shelves, and everything else that wasn't nailed down. On and on he went, for over an hour.
The outer struggle that Naruto fought to see everything in the apartment fit together neatly was a parallel of the struggle that he fought to piece together the puzzle whose parts had been splattered about in his brain. He roamed the cavities of himself as he navigated the pathways through his rooms, searching, picking up, testing, placing, and re-placing. Finally, as he set his picture of the old team seven down in a different place for the umpteenth time, Naruto collapsed onto his bed, finished.
Naruto's apartment was unrecognizable as his own. His face showed that his thoughts were likewise alien.
“Crap,” he said. “I think that maybe... I really like her.”
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Hinata entered the compound unchallenged. Nobody came to the gate to greet her, nobody was waiting to lead her to her father. The front courtyard appeared completely deserted.
She went cold inside. This did not bode well at all. Since the announcement that Hinata was to inherit the seat of power had been made, she had not entered the Hyuuga compound without being greeted by a servant or her father. Memories came back to her of the days when she had been a weak and unappreciated girl, and she shivered. Back then, whenever her father had summoned her, it had never been good news.
It occurred to Hinata that there probably wasn't going to be good news now, either.
She walked the path around the main building towards the first garden. In the old days, her father had always awaited her there when he had summoned her. Her footsteps resounded off the path, counting out a cadence that was like a death march to Hinata's fearful ears. After two perfectly good days, it seemed that things were going to become difficult again. She felt that the tenuous peace that had existed in the Hyuuga household for the last two years was on the verge of evaporating.
Hinata found her father just where she expected him to be: in the shadows of the fruit orchard, his back to the garden gate, arbitrarily admiring the progress of his flora while he waited. She gulped down her anxiety and steeled herself for the worst. With unsteady arms, she opened the gate and walked into the orchard.
Hiashi turned around to face her, and Hinata was surprised at his expression. She had expected to see anger, fury, and wrath in his visage. What she found instead were anguish, sorrow, and regret. Out of concern, Hinata moved closer to her father, and opened her mouth to ask what was wrong.
But her father held up a hand, stopping her. Hinata gasped in alarm–within that hand, Hiashi held the photographs that Haruka had given her.
“I cannot permit it,” he said. “I will not permit it.”
“Father...!”
“Silence,” he commanded, dropping the hand. “For months, I have been hearing the rumors. I did not heed them; I could never have expected that you would let yourself into this. In my desire to keep you as my daughter, I cast them from my head.”
Hinata's lips quavered, and Hiashi's face twisted in grief. “But I was wrong to do so. I will not ask how far you have taken this, as I fear the pain of the answer would destroy me.”
“F-Father...”
“Silence!” he repeated. “Hinata, you have known for a long time that my advisors–the Council–do not wish you to succeed me. Despite your accomplishments, they still see you as too soft, too weak. It took all of my effort to overrule them without inciting rebellion. If you have allowed yourself to become chained to this demon child, then I cannot keep them placated unless you are removed from the list of heirs.”
“Father,” said Hinata, in a dark, low tone of voice. Hiashi did not silence her; this was a tone that he had never once, in his life, heard from his first daughter. He looked into her eyes, saw them fiercer than he thought they could be, and was cowed.
She continued speaking. “You are only the second person to refer to Naruto-kun in front of me as a 'demon child.' Yet, I am already growing sick at hearing it!” Hinata's voice rose with each word she spoke. She was audible throughout the garden now.
“Today I saw this 'demon' that you fear,” she went on. “At first, I was frightened, as you are. It was strange and wild and unfamiliar, and I could not help but tremble before it. I was the 'soft, weak' girl that the Council believes me to be, for a moment.
“And then, Father, I returned to myself–my better self–and summoned the nerve to approach it. For Naruto-kun was within it, I could see... Not part of it, not one with it, but inside it. As I approached it, it turned to me and I looked into its eyes. The eyes were the demon's eyes, and I thought for a moment that I was to die there. Yet, even as I prepared to be slaughtered, Father, the eyes became those of Naruto-kun, a human being, and then the demon was within him, not the opposite. Naruto-kun houses this demon that frightens you so, but he is not the demon himself; He contains it, and he controls it!”
Hiashi could not believe that his oldest daughter, the quiet, obedient, kind girl that he had fathered for fifteen years, was speaking so determinedly and powerfully to him. His sliver eyes were open to their fullest, so surprised that they could not so much as blink.
She had still more to say. “Then, as we carried him home in his exhaustion, Haruno Sakura explained everything to me. The name of the demon you fear is 'Kyuubi.'” Hinata watched her father flinch at this, but did not stop. “Yondaime Hokage-sama, so the story has been told, sealed the Kyuubi away. Our generation has not been told what became of it. But your generation, Father, knows the truth–that the monster was sealed inside the body of a newborn child! In Naruto-kun!”
She was almost shouting now, and her eyes were watering. Speaking to her father this way, however necessary, was painful. “Yondaime-sama wanted Naruto-kun to be revered as a hero, seen for what he is–the Kyuubi's jailer–not for what sleeps within him. But your generation ignored him! That is why he was treated so badly, all that time! That is why he was neglected, shunned, and hated by all but the kindest of people, bless them... Yes, Father, bless them! Bless the ones who helped the 'demon child!'”
Her monologue ended. Both of them stood rooted in place, Hinata glaring at her father for the first time in recorded history, Hiashi looking upon his daughter with disbelief. Above them, lightning flared in the sky, and thunder crashed about them, punctuating Hinata's words with booming cacophony. For the first time since the onset of the clouds, rain began to fall.
Hiashi's tears, which had not been seen since his first day in power, fell with it. He was going through what every parent must, one day, only a hundred times more painfully than the average parent. He was losing his daughter, and he had only just acknowledged her.
“I truly wish that I could believe what you say,” he said, his voice filled with grief, “And that the Advisory Council could believe, but we cannot. If I were the Hyuuga Hiashi that I once was, I could grind the Council underfoot and shove all of this under the table. But I have been complacent.”
Hinata kept glaring at him, though her own tears had now joined his in the soil. Hiashi forced himself to keep going. “In my effort to heal the rift between the Main and Branch Houses, I slackened my hold upon the reins of government, let more decisions be made among the members of the clan.
“The elders have taken advantage of my complacency and seized power for themselves. I should have reacted at the first signs of conspiracy, but now the Advisory Council has as much influence in the Clan as I do. There is no way for me to be sure who is loyal to whom anymore, and we are more divided among ourselves than we ever were.”
The downpour came upon them, weighing them down, plunging their once-happy coexistence into murky darkness. “If I do not keep them appeased, then they will rip the Clan in half with civil war. Therefore I give you this choice, Hinata.”
More lightning, so bright that it nearly blinded them. More rain, so heavy that it soaked them to the marrow of their bones, the essence of their souls, dragging them into dark depths.
“It is not too late to disavow all knowledge of this. You may claim that you were set up, that these photographs were planted. You can have everything return to the way it was. But, barring missions, you must never again associate with Uzumaki Naruto. Your contact with him must be professional only. The alternative...”
Hiashi paused, gulped down sweat and rainwater and tears. He had never imagined that he would be saying these next words to his own daughter, not in this life or the next. Yet, everything else was shattered... how much more pain would this bring, the like of which he had not already endured?
“The alternative is to be engraved with the Caged Bird Seal. You will become a member of the Branch House, and forever forfeit my legacy.”
It hurt more than he had thought it would. The words reached Hinata through the storm, and he could see that it hurt her, as well. Her glare dropped, and her eyes filled with pain and hesitancy, indecision. So, it has come down to this, he thought. In the end, I was the one whose weakness destroyed us. Hizashi... now more than ever, I believe it should have been you to succeed our father... They did not move for several long, agonized minutes.
Then a messenger came to them through the storm, ambling towards Hiashi in the pelting rain. “Hiashi-sama!” he called. “At the request of Tsunade-sama, you are to report to the Hokage Tower as soon as possible!”
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Keisuke was glad to be indoors. His ever-alert ears picked up the roaring noise of the storm even through the moderately sound-proofed walls and windows of the Hokage's office. Have to feel sorry for the others who were summoned, he thought. Having had to report to the tower to complete his registration anyway, Keisuke had been the first to arrive at the meeting. Now he stood before Tsunade and her attendant, awaiting the rest of the participants.
Next to arrive was Nara Shikamaru, looking more annoyed than he was damp.
He was followed by Hatake Kakashi, who somehow had not been afflicted by the downpour at all. Keisuke, having never met the man but been told numerous stories by Naruto, surmised that he had been here early, as well, having arrived at the meeting later due to being occupied with his book.
Hyuuga Neji was third, and only moments behind him came...
“Hyuuga Hiashi! What a pleasant surprise!” Keisuke said, sensing the familiar aura. He was indeed surprised, but he managed to flash one of his evil grins as the Hyuuga Head came to stand before the Hokage.
Hiashi did not acknowledge it, however. Keisuke found, through further examination of the man's aura, that he was not at all in the mood to play. In fact, Hiashi was flat-out sulking. This was definitely not what Keisuke had thought he would see from the once-proud Hyuuga, and he didn't like it; his enemies were supposed to be strong, robust, confident... he didn't want to have to fight an opponent who was in such a pathetic state.
Tsunade called the meeting to order. “Haka no Keisuke, Hyuuga Neji, Hyuuga Hiashi, and Hatake Kakashi. You are here,” she said, “To answer for a number of complications that have arisen today.” Her eyes swept the room, and she gave the ones she meant a glare that could kill lesser creatures dead. “I believe that most of you know which complications apply to you.”
The Godaime Hokage lifted her finger and indicated Kakashi, who was standing on the far right. “Explain.” Kakashi launched into the tale that Sakura told him, explaining the provocation, the result, and the aftermath in dull, militaristic detail.
“That story is consistent with what the ANBU believe to be true,” Tsunade said. “Naruto's actions were justifiable, by his standards. He was defending a comrade, and he had sufficient sense to avoid killing his opponent. Hyuuga Hiroto acted in self-defense, as expected of any shinobi. However, I will need to speak to both of them personally–to Naruto about his rash and hasty decision and to Hiroto for mistreatment and use of excessive force on a Gennin.” All who were present, minus Keisuke, caught the dangerous gleam in her eye. They knew what kind of 'speech' she would be giving.
Tsunade moved on. “Hyuuga Neji!”
“Hai, Hokage-sama.” Neji's face was straight as an arrow, as was his posture.
“You saw the incident that took place beyond the east wall this afternoon?”
“Hai.”
“Explain.”
Nej i, without so much as blinking, recounted what he had seen of the attack on Haruka, the latter's magnificent and valiant defense, and the manner in which he had defeated the reinforcements without revealing his own identity to the attacking Hyuuga.
Tsunade nodded. “Hiashi?”
“This ambush was not executed on my orders,” replied the Hyuuga Head bitterly.
It wasn't? Keisuke thought. Carefully, he probed the man's aura with all of his newly-regrown feelers, but he could find no trace of a lie within his stoicism and misery. Either he's very good at dissembling, or the control problems that he's having are much bigger than I originally guessed.
“All right. The facts of Neji's involvement are not to be disclosed; he will need to remain in good faith among his Clan. Haka no Keisuke!”
“Hai, Godaime-sama,” Keisuke said, snapping to attention before her.
“I do not have any reports of violence concerning you. However, since you are new to this village, and because there are rumors circulating regarding you and a supposed malicious intent towards the Hyuuga, I have called you here to be sure that you are in no way involved in this mess. Do you or do you not bear any hostile intentions to the Hyuuga Clan?”
“I do not, Godaime-sama,” said Keisuke, “Though, if I may speak freely...?”
“You have my permission,” replied Tsunade.
Keisuke nodded. “I am not content to leave the Hyuuga as they are. Since the founding of their Clan, they have been divided into factions, with one side always either lording over or serving the other. They are divided still, but now it has become clear to me that it is fragmenting in more directions than in between the Main House and the Branch. Not only that, but they have now demonstrated hostility towards my friend, Hyuuga Haruka.
“Another friend of mine, Uzumaki Naruto, has the means to end this fragmentation and civil war peacefully. My actions towards the Hyuuga are meant to pave the way for him to work his work, and at the same time to preserve him from harm. I assure you, my intent is to bring stability to the Hyuuga, not destruction.”
If Neji did not stand between Keisuke and Hiashi, there were many who thought that Hiashi might have strangled the blind man. As it was, he almost cried out in protest, but a glare from Tsunade cut him short. With that powerful authority in front of him, checking him, Hiashi dared not move or even speak out of turn. Having made sure that Hiashi was kept thoroughly in check, the Hokage addressed Keisuke again.
“Your alibi suits you, and is even somewhat consistent with the rumors... at least the ones about you and Naruto. I don't see any need to have Ibiki talk to you. You will be free to go at the conclusion of this meeting,” she said.
“Thank you, Tsunade-sama,” Keisuke said. He bowed, and Hiashi fought down his anger once more.
Now the Hokage returned to her desk. “Hyuuga Hiashi, you are to keep your elite guard and your other Clan members in line. If another violent incident occurs with your people, you will be made to answer for it. You are dismissed.”
Hiashi bowed to her stiffly, and then stormed out of the office, not even looking at Keisuke. Wow, thought the blind man, something must have happened. Something big.
“Hatake Kakashi!”
“Hai, hai.”
“I believe you had something to report to me?”
“Yes, Tsunade-sama.”
“Well, what is it?”
Keisuke listened to the famed Copy Ninja's report boredly at first, but soon developed a great interest. So it seems that this 'Sasuke' that Naruto kept talking about has come back to haunt us, he thought. The poor kid... I'm putting the fate of the Hyuuga Clan on his shoulders already, and the gods saddle him with this on top of that? Destiny is so cruel sometimes.
Tsunade also was intrigued. “You are sure of everything you have said, Kakashi?”
“It's only a theory, Hokage-sama, but Naruto and I think that it is accurate to some degree,” replied Kakashi.
“Hmm...” Tsunade appeared to be pondering this intensively. Then she turned to the only person yet to speak at the meeting. “Shikamaru, you've made sound judgments in the past... what do you make of it?”
“Geez, so that's why you called me here...” grumbled the young Jounin. “Frankly, Kakashi's idea sounds a lot like a shogi game with invisible pieces, and it's the opponent's move. Your enemy is everywhere and, at the same time, he is nowhere. There is no way we can be certain that the enemy is hiding under your doormat, Hokage-sama... but we do know that there is an enemy, and it's more than possible, considering his motives, that he's playing on our shogi board, though we can't know when or where he will strike.”
“I see.” said Tsunade. Then she came to a decision. “Haka no Keisuke, Nara Shikamaru, Hyuuga Neji! You are commanded to thoroughly search all of the areas circled on Kakashi's map for signs of Orochimaru's organization. You will report to me daily on your progress. If you make a discovery, you will not investigate further, but report to me immediately. Venture into no dark corner alone, and arouse no suspicions among the villagers. Shikamaru, you are the leader of this effort.”
“Hai, Hokage-sama,” replied the young Jounin. Man, what a pain...
The Hokage nodded her satisfaction, then dismissed them all. Kakashi was left in the office with Tsunade.
“I suppose your team is going to continue looking, too?” she asked.
“Naruto will go, no matter what we say, and Sakura will follow him. You know that.”
“Yes,” she sighed, “I suppose they will. Watch over them, Kakashi.”
The masked Jounin bowed and left the office. Tsunade, thoroughly stressed, reached into her desk drawer for a concealed bottle there. For once, Shizune did not stop her.
“But, you know, Tsunade-sama,” said the attendant, “You really ought to think about assigning personal guards for the people in the greatest danger.”
“Hmm... that's a good point. I suppose I'll just have the Hyuuga use their own guards. Hiroto with Hiashi, Neji with Hinata...”
“But, Tsunade-sama,” said Shizune, “You just put Hyuuga Neji on a mission...”
“Oh?” Thought Tsunade, “So I did...” Then, a mischievous smile came to the Hokage's face.
“Tsunade-sama? What is that look for?”
“Shizune, I believe I know a way to keep Hyuuga Hinata protected and keep team seven out of trouble at the same time...”
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