13 The Steadfast

Chapter 13: The Steadfast

Ouch. I thought.

Since the start of mine and Rin's enrollment in the Academy, I had been doing what I could to motivate the Rookie 9 to be better than their "Canon" counterparts. Shikamaru was a little more focused on his physical ability. The phrase "a liter of sweat today is better than one drop of blood", seemed to resonate with him, especially when I inferred that the blood mentioned could very well be an ally's, or a friend's. Like Choji.

Kiba and Shino were surprisingly similar in how I spoke to them. I appealed to Kiba's sense of being a strong alpha to protect the pack. Perception and patience were a strength unto themselves and it would do him good to learn how to unleash his fury, and when to temper it. I got mixed results, hopefully it would get better after we graduate.

Shino's was the easiest. Very logical, and was suprised that I wasn't repulsed by his clans insect based techniques. "Konoha is the hive, the Hokage the queen, and we are the warriors." is what I told him. He listened to some of my advice on how to train, and it paid off.

The dressing down of Ino and Sakura was a stroke of genius. It got the two to get better when Sasuke let slip that he liked strong girls. 'Thank you, Uke. You made things much easier.'

The one that was difficult for me, was Hinata. My mindset went contrary to her's completely. Beat me into the ground, call me failure, call me weak, I'll rub some dirt in it, spit at your feet, and dare you to put me in the ground again. That did not work for Hinata. I didn't even humour the idea.

Still, I persisted. She still would be nervous around me. But I had been able to mitigate the worst parts of it. Rin helped by being her close female friend. The clan elders didn't want her to "cavort" with us. "Unbecoming of the clan heiress to be around such people", Hinata told me they said.

This is what brought me to the current situation I was in. Hinata had got over her aversion to striking someone with a Juken strike when she saw the way me and Rin spar. If one of us didn't break something or draw blood, it wasn't a real spar. Hinata got much better at sparring when she realized that we dealt with pain on a daily basis from spars that would leave most other individuals a massive walking bruise.

I saw her potential. I knew what she was capable of. It would be a tragedy and waste if I didn't step in when I could to prevent the damage to her spirit at the hands of her clan.

The current spar I was in was the hardest one yet with Hinata. She was focused. Driven. I still stopped her strikes. Kakashi was far more dangerous in a spar. But there was a noted improvement in Hinata's drive to train since what transpired a month ago.

(Flashback)

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The weekly spars that would occur between me, Hinata, and Rin, which Kakashi initially was against, was the staple of her progress. Any crush she had on me did not impede her from speaking with me. Thank God for that. I was already uncomfortable with some of the looks I got from some of the girls my "age". No adult wants to be the object of young girl's affections. It wouldn't be as bad if they were several years older.

But that's not what concerned me at the moment. What concerned me was that I could feel Hinata's chakra signature from a hundred yards in front of me, aprroaching the training grounds where Rin and I were located, and it was flickering in a manner reminiscent of the day we met.

She was fearful. Sad. Anguished.

I made a beeline towards her, ignoring the confused look on Rin's face at my abrupt change in mood. Briskly walking and reaching Hinata, she fell into my arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Sh," I said softly, holding her tightly, "It's ok, you're not alone. I've got you."

She cried in my arms for a few minutes longer, before she was able to look at me.

"What's going on?" I asked, feeling Rin just a few yards away.

"T-they," Hinata started, tears beginning to form in her eyes again, "They're g-going t-to make me and Hanabi f-fight over who g-gets marked." She started sobbing after the final word.

I was silent. 'How dare they! Forcing someone to choose whether their sister or themselves get marked by that BRAND!'

"Everything will be ok," I assured her, "I'll make sure of it."

"How?" she practically begged, "M-my father can't c-convince the elders d-differently."

This was something that I had only learned last year. Hiashi evidently took what I said to heart. He was less scathing, more understanding, dare I say, more fatherly. It made my plans on fixing Hinata's self-doubts much easier.

'And these damned elders are destroying that.'

I got quiet for a moment. I had plans. Plans that involved espionage and infiltration levels that the Shinobi world simply didn't have in great supply.

"When is it scheduled to occur?" I asked her.

"T-two weeks." She sniffled.

Sighing and dragging a hand through my hair, I tried to think of a plan.

"I'll talk with you when I have a plan. Training is called off today. You're in no mindset to train right now." I told her, to which she nodded sadly.

"C-could I," she started, before going silent.

"If you want to know something, just ask. Don't be scared. We're your friends." I said, Rin nodding right beside me.

Hinata seemed to swallow before asking, "I don't want to be at my home. It hurts." she said quietly. "Can I stay over?"

'She's that torn up. She can't deal with being reminded that she might be forced to make an impossible choice.' I looked to Rin, she'd need to be the one to be playing host. Hinata would be bunking with her if she stayed over.

Rin looked at me resolutely and nodded, before walking straight up to Hinata.

"Don't ever think we wouldn't help you 'Nata " She said firmly, "You. Are. Our. Friend. Don't think you're imposing. We'd be bad friends if we said no."

Hinata stepped away from me, and hugged Rin tightly.

"Thank you." she said. "Thank you."

I just watched my sister give comfort to our shared friend, no thanks needed to be given.

'I need a plan.'

//////////////////////////////

The following week involved me making a plan that would either work spectacularly, or fail in a way that would make me look like the next Itachi.

'In for a penny.' I thought.

The Hyuga elders dared to hurt my friend. Forcing sister against sister. Sibling against sibling. They. Would. Pay.

The week leading up to them forcing Hinata and Hanabi to fight involved me testing something out that would determine the possibility of my plan. I had learned, through training with and listening to Kakashi, that my dense henge could not be seen through by the Sharingan. A normal hengecould be penetrated by the Byakugan. I learned training and tailing Hinata, that the Byakugan couldn't detect my dense henge unless they could see the near non-existent chakra halo the henge leaked. For nearly two weeks, I went through all the little things I'd thought of to do with my clones. Transforming them into small animals lowered their lifespan.

My plan required a great deal of moving parts. I had to terrify the Hyuga. Make them think they weren't safe. Threaten to exterminate them all if they tried to destroy a sibling relationship. I knew who my target would be. I knew what would be effective.

I stationed myself about 150 yards outside of the Hyuga compound, near a small collection of trees. My alias was that I was testing out my new flashbang seals. The Hyuga were irate that my flashbangs were within their vision. I politely told them to fuck off, and that I didn't care. If they wanted to bitch, they can bitch to Jiji.

They grumbled about "Demonspawn" and promised to make sure I "knew my place".

'Branch members to high for their britches.'

The Branch house had almost as many bastards in it as the Main branch. Hyuga arrogance went through the whole clan. Some of the more "learned" members called it "Sword and Sheath", "Lock and Key". Different reasons to justify things.

'No wonder Neji believed in the Fate bullshit. Both the Main house, and older members of the Branch house are content with the status quo.' Kind of difficult to freepeople when they think their shackles are for the greater good. If branding close to half your clan prevents bloodline theft, is that not a good thing? What's worse than convincing someone that their servility is necessary for your clan's survival? Why two distinct houses? Why not everyone?

'Did someone find out how to hijack the seal?' That was a possibility. Seals can be turned against their own user, so long as you're a damned good seal master.

My plan involved many things. One, a disguise. My clones would play the part of small animals, mice, foxes, etc. I could afford the chakra burn. The last week I had learned many things about the guard pattern and a couple sensitive subjects that the elders discussed. I needed an alias to throw off the scent. I can't have anyone suspect me.

Henging as an individual only I would recognize, I went to a blacksmith to forge me a helmet.

Needing a name for the order, I smirked. Giving an appropriate name, I moved to the next order of business, the trap. The Hyuga were well equipped to prep for a suprise attack. Unless I had a space-time jutsu like Kamui or the Hiraishin, I was screwed on blitzing them.

Ambushing them would be the only path to success. I had finished testing their ability to see my clones for what they were. Suppressing their chakra in their transformed state seemed to work. The internal organ system of the clone's was non-existent. The guards evidently don't look into the animals, they simply look at the near non-existent chakra emissions that would be expected in an animal of such nature.

The night had come. My clones had henged and I was still "testing" my seals. The Hyuga guards kept their vision to a minimum, which would work in my favor. I put the final touches in place. I made a clone to take my place setting off the seals. Unsealing my disguise from a storage seal, I put it on.

"Aure Entuluva" I muttered, wearing a very fitting disguise.

'Onward to business.' I thought.

My clones had their orders. Use poison senbon to knock out the guards when a flashbang pulse hit. Take all members sleeping prisoners, children being the first. Let the elders know how well and truely fucked they were.

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Hiashi was at his wit's end. He had shouted himself hoarse at the clan elders.

 'How dare they go back on their word! They promised that Hinata would not be marked if me and my wife gave them an "adequate" heir.'

The elders saw her improvement. They saw she could be a capable clan head. They told Hiashi they would go ahead and mark Hanabi, as a "spare" wasn't needed. Hiashi argued against it. The elders offered for a fight to occur between his two daughters. The one who performed best would be heiress. Hiashi knew that Hinata would throw the fight. She'd never do something to hurt her sister.

"I'm not choosing to because it's my duty to protect the clan head. I'm doing it because I love you, Hiashi."

Those words were haunting him now, as he lay in bed.

'I failed to protect them.'

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The plan was a go. My clones, in their henged states, had infiltrated the compound. Most had storage seals on them, containing the poisoned senbon to knock out the guards. Others had paralysis seals strapped to them to incapacitate my actual targets. I personally had a storage seal full of animal blood, among other things to get this plan going. My clone I left behind triggered a flash, two senbon struck the guards at the gate, right in their visual blind spot.

The two crumbled to the ground. Slapping a paralysis seal on the two, I moved on. Each time a guard was secured, the henged clone would dispel, giving me the information on which sections were clear.

I don't know if it was from the slight secent of poison in the air, but my head started hurting some.

It may also be because of the mask.

Shrugging the thought aside, I crept through the building, knowing my other clones would be in the clear.

I personally went room to room as I entered the bedrooms themselves, laying down a noise suppressing seal as a precaution for each time I went to the rooms.

I started with the elders first. Paralysis seals could be blasted off with a concentrated burst of chakra, but that wasn't likely when you had a chakra suppressant tag on you, along with an "explosive" tag sticking to an area right next to your genitals.

The elders were conscious, bound, and gagged, with a myriad of seals strapped to them, before I went to the clan head's master bedroom.

Next phase.

////////////////

"Wakey wakey, dipshit." Hiashi heard, before something struck him in the face.

Bolting awake, he saw something standing above him.

Rolling out of bed, the veteran of a Shinobi world war, and survivor of multiple attempted kidnappings and assassination attempts during said war, lashed out with several juken strikes in an attempt to kill this trespasser. The masked man obviously had experience fighting against a Hyuga. He blocked and redirected multiple strikes before being struck in the heart, a fatal strike.

Hiashi could only gloat for a fraction of a second before his hand struck the target. He heard a loud bang emanating from the point of impact.

'Armour.' He thought. But no armour could stop a concentrated juken strike from a very competent user, such as Hiashi. Even a breastplate made of chakra conductive metal couldn't stop all of the strike going through. The Hyuga had learned to fight armoured opponents effectively. They would never have been able to survive as long as they had if their hand to hand fighting style could be nullified by something as cheap as metal plates.

The next thought of his was the pain that tore through his hand. The bang happened, then the realization that two of his fingers were blistered and bent at an unnatural angle. Lashing out with a kick and several punches that weren't chakra enhanced, which was blocked, he activated his Byakugan to see his opponents chakra. He was nearly blinded by the sight of the armour he wore.

It was practically glowing with chakra. In the fraction of a second that he saw it, it looked like a standard ANBU style breastplate with several overlapping exploding tags, of a variant that he did not recognize, with one of them over the heart looking like it had been triggered.

'He has EXPLOSIVES strapped to him?' Was Hiashi's final thought before a flashbang went off before he could deactivate his eyes. Two kicks to the ribs and a punch to the gut brought him down.

"I'm impressed." The mysterious man said. "None of the elders reacted until I had seals placed on them. You could have killed me if I didn't come prepared to fight." he finished, placing multiple seal tags on Hiashi's fallen form.

"Who are you?" Hiashi growled out in a demand, trying to fight through the pounding in his eyes from the flashbang.

'It feels like what the Uzumaki boy's flashbang tags do.'

"I am to your clan what the Shinigami is to Man." He whispered, "That is, if what I hear from you displeases me."

Dragging Hiashi to his feet, he marched him out of his room.

"If my heart stops," the man said, "The explosive tags I have strapped to your neck will trigger."

'What tag?'

Hiashi then felt where the paper was. A feeling of terror striking him.

'My blind spot. He knows.'

If this man wanted to, he could destroy the Hyuga. He knew their best kept secret.

'Please be over thinking it. It could just be a coincidence.'

Hiashi doubted it though. This was the same man who thought of using explosives strapped to his chest to prevent a fatal juken strike. Only the brilliant or mad would even humour the thought.

The two reached the hallway and Hiashi was struck by the staggering scent of blood in the air. He could see it flowing out of several different rooms, coalescing into a foul puddle in the center.

'What has he done?'

Several other men dressed the same dragged the elders into his line of sight. All of them were pale and shaking.

"Any trouble?" The man with Hiashi asked.

"None," a man with one of the elders said. "All guards have been liquidated and processed."

'What the hell does that mean?'

"Good." the assumed leader said. "Follow me." he gestured the others, as he pulled Hiashi to his daughter'sroom.

'Kami, please keep my children safe.' Hiashi prayed. This monster killed so many innocent people. Why though?

After he and the elders were forced to the ground, the man looked around.

"A very clean room," he said, before swiping a finger across Hinata's table. "A bit dusty." he added. "Perhaps... she is... Not here?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

'He's just trying to get to you. He can't enter the Uzumaki's apartment. There's Anbu and more security seals than anywhere outside of the Hokage tower.'

Hiashi just kept his mouth shut.

"No answer?" the man asked. "Very well, I'll be back." he said, walking out of the room.

"Oh, and by the way," he added, stopping at the doorway, "If you try to activate your eyes, the tags I placed on your blind spots will detonate." he then exited the room.

Most of the elders were shaking uncontrollably. Two were weeping. Hiashi was desperately trying to keep himself together.

'Where did he go? What is he doing. Hinata, I love you and I'm sorry for all I've done.'

Hiashi knew he was going to die today. He knew wherever he went, his wife wouldn't forgive him for what he did to their child for years.

'I won't be able to keep my promise, my love. I'm sorry you died for nothing Hizashi. I couldn't protect them.'

The masked man re-entered the room, blood dripping from his clothes. This demon had a mask that matched its nature. He wasn't able to look at its face before the flashbang or the tag was placed on him. Its mask was a metal helmet with spaces for its eyes and mouth, the chin was pointed, a protrusion pointed straight up from its brow, with several metal thorns adorning the crown of its head.

A crown of iron thorns.

The man then chuckled at the horror on Hiashi and the elders faces at the state his robes were in.

"Sorry for the detour." he said, "There was a pressing concern I had forgotten about. On an unrelated note Lord Hyuga," he turned to Hiashi, mock bowing, "You might want to find a new guard for the clan children, especially your youngest daughter, I fear I'll never be able to give you all of him back." he finished, gesturing towards the blood on his clothes.

'He killed them. He killed them.'

Hiashi rose to his feet snarling at the man.

"Who are you, demon?" he shouted, "Why have you done this?"

The man just shook his head, chuckling. "You'll know once you stop shouting." he said amusedly.

Hiashi simply gave him an unmatched look of hatred.

"Speak." he spat.

"Very well." the man said, before turning to the elders, "You sought to have two siblings fight. I didn't like that."

One elder had the courage to look at the man directly. "That's it?" he asked angrily. "You kill our clan because we wished to select a strong heir?"

"No," the man said shortly, "I came merely to cause chaos and destruction in Konoha. I simply decided to hit a hardened target. Who would be harder to catch off guard than the Hyuga?" he finished.

"Give the name of the one who hired you, and we'll double the price." Hiashi stepped in.

"That's not the way it works." the man chuckled. "I'll make more money off a couple sets of your eyes than how much wealth you could offer. Far more lucrative for me to simply tear all of your eyes out. Even the eyes of an elder will fetch a good price."

'Kumo.' Hiashi thought.

"Kumo ordered you!" Hiashi growled, "They wish to have our eyes and they hired you!"

The man turned to him, a thoughtful expression in his demeanor. "Very likely, save for one small problem. The current Raikage was displeased with the plans of bloodline theft via kidnapping a child. He'd reluctantly accept the eyes, before parting my head from my shoulders." he finished. "Guess again, my friend." he added.

Hiashi couldn't think of anyone specifically who would want the Byakugan. Everyone coveted their dojutsu, even more so since the death of the Uchiha. Anyone could have hired this man.

"Nothing?" the man asked, the silence dragging on for a minute. "No one ordered me to kill your clan. I broke in because it would be lucrative to my goals. I flipped a coin on who I'd go after. It would have been another clan if it didn't land against you. I'm getting enjoyment out of this because I discovered what you planned to do with two sisters."

Hiashi tried to speak, only to be cut off by the man.

"I'm offering you a choice as a father, Hiashi. Choose which daughter you wish to keep."

Hiashi looked at him, shocked.

'What did he say?'

"What?" Hiashi asked weakly.

"You are the clan head. You could not decide on an heiress and instead of coming to a solution that wouldn't destroy a sibling relationship, you went the easy way." he said, a spike of Killing Intent for effect.

"It was them." Hiashi growled, pointing at the elders, "They promised that Hinata would not be marked if I made Hanabi heiress. They lied to me." his voice beginning to crack.

'Please, don't take them from me.'

The man was silent for a moment, before speaking.

"I thought less of you, Hiashi." he said softly. "You will be rewarded for that." he then changed tones, almost like he was complimenting a prized pet. " I won't kill either if your daughters, but you still need to choose."

Hiashi's head shot up.

"What do you mean choose?" he growled.

"Your deaths are inevitable." he said, gesturing towards Hiashi and the elders. "But you will get to choose, as their father, which daughter stays in Konoha."

"And where will the other go?" Hiashi asked furiously.

"Kumo, of course."

Those three words felt like a punch in the gut to Hiashi.

'Why? He said he wasn't hired by them. All that would do is -... No. Not the CRA. Please no.'

At the look of fear and realization, the man began cackling.

"Yes," he drawled, "Now, at the end, do you understand?"

Hiashi knew what this creature planned to do.

"I will take what is precious to nearly every girl, the opportunity for love. With the death of your clan, the CRA will be forced upon whichever one stays. Konoha won't be able to risk losing another dojutsu. Both of your daughters will be a new start to the Hyuga and their descendants will destroy one another on the field of battle. Kin shall slay kin. The bonds of family will end, just as you sought to do with them." the man looked at the elders. "Your clan's legacy will be that of self destruction."

'He's going to take them from me.'

"Now, Lord Hyuga," the man requested, "I'm on a very tight schedule. I need to know which daughter you want to stay."

"I will not choose." Hiashi growled. "You will be hunted like a dog and will be put down like one for this."

The man just laughed. "I'd prefer to take your youngest, even if it would be more ironic to take your eldest to Kumo."

Hiashi glared at the man. 'He's not even frightened'."Your daughter is staying at the Uzumaki's residence." he stated simply, Hiashi flinching at that, "It was a stroke of luck that your clan did something to irritate the boy. I dare say it would have been far more difficult for me to infiltrate this compound if he hadn't been testing out his lovely flashbangs. You did something to anger him."

"Did he help you?" Hiashi demanded.

The man simply was silent for a second. "He did not know of me, nor did he willingly give me his flashbangs." he said, "Your daughter has a very loyal friend. He refused to tell me how to get past the seals around his house, even when I had a couple kunai buried in him. Takes a very good friend, or a lunatic, to tell someone to "get fucked" when you threaten to kill them and their sister very painfully if they don't give you what you want."

Hiashi was disgusted by what he heard.

'Uzumaki is being tortured right now.'

"I'll break through the defenses in due time," the man continued, flexing his fingers again, "I'll bring Hinata here, and I'll bring your youngest. I'll then force you to choose."

"I told you I won't choose." Hiashi snarled.

Whatever the man was doing with his hand, it was confusing to him. Was he injured? Hiashi refused to activate his eyes to see.

"You will," he said knowingly, "When you hear of the alternative."

'What alternative?'

"If you don't choose, I will. I will force the two to fight, and the winner will stay here." he said firmly, "But we know how the fight will go down, won't we Hiashi?" he added.

'Hinata will throw the fight.'

This man was going to take them away from one another.

"I have a better idea." the man said suddenly. "I can bring your eldest here, and tell her I'll kill her entire clan, unless she does it herself, and I'll let her younger sister live if she does it. Yes, that could work. Make everyone think that she is like Uchiha Itachi. Kumo would have no qualms about accepting a clan killer into their breeding program."

'He'll frame Hinata so he can sell her.'

"Please," Hiashi begged the man, "Don't take them from me."

The man just stared down at him for a moment, silently.

"Would you kill your clan?" he asked, "Would you forsake your duties as clan head in protecting the clan, to save your daughters? Would you kill your clan, become a missing nin, just so your daughters would still have each other?"

"Yes." was Hiashi's only answer.

The silence was deafening. The man adjusted his posture for a moment, before answering.

"That was the correct answer." he said simply, before making one hand sign. Hiashi and the elders felt the explosive tags on them fizzle out.

"Do not try to pursue me. Do not try to find out my identity. Tell your Kage that if I find even a hint of Konoha ANBU trying to find me, I will leak the information about the Byakugan, along with a couple of other unsavory things about Konoha. I will do the same if I find out that you mark or harm any of the two girls."

The man then pulled out a letter with multiple seals on it. "Hand this to the monkey in the morning. If you open it, it will explode."

The masked man then looked at the elders.

Which one is your father?" He asked Hiashi, "They all look the same."

Hiashi remained silent, not answering.

"Answer me or I start ripping eyes out." The man growled, his fingers clenching.

Before Hiashi could do anything, his father stood up.

"I am." He answered simply, standing fearless, "Are you going to kill me?"

The man laughed, stepping towards him.

"No." He answered simply, before lashing out with a punch that Hiashi could barely see.

The fist struck his father's face with a sickening crack, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Why?" Hiashi demanded, drawing the attention of the black clad assailant.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He chuckled, flexing the same hand again.

He then turned to leave the room, but was stopped by a question from Hiashi, a desperate one "Who are you?"

The man turned to him, his posture seeming to sway slightly. "One who should have died long ago."

Hiashi saw what was about to happen. The man turned his back and his father charged, having recovered from the hit.

Hiashi tried to shout for his father to stop, but didn't have time to. His father struck just as the man turned to face him. The same thing that happened to Hiashi, happened to the older man

Broken and blistered fingers.

The man simply looked down at the writhing form of the elder clutching his damaged hand.

"That was rude." the man said, leaning down and grabbing a handful of greying hair.

Hiashi's father growled in pain as he was lifted up by his hair, his hands up to try and reduce the pull.

"Unlike you, former clan head," A predatory growl emanated from behind the mask, "I value my family over anything else."

Hiashi didn't understand until what was said next.

"You let your son die," The grip tightened, his chakra causing the air to shimmer, "You were fine with it as he volunteered to protect your precious successor!"

"I would have burned the world to protect my child," Hiashi's father suddenly fell to the ground, a chunk of hair missing, "Unlike you."

Hiashi had missed it, but something caused his father's hair to be cut clean through.

It was almost like the man was sending a message that he could take his head off whenever he pleased.

Hiashi heard movement from outside of the room. Two individuals dressed in a similar attire to the man approached him.

"Everything fine, sir?" one asked.

"Yes." the man replied. "Finish your tasks, then disappear. We have what we came here for."

The two nodded before leaving.

The man then did something that shocked Hiashi. He removed his armour. Tossing it down the hallway, he got on his knees. Hiashi could only wonder for a moment what was happening before he heard the man beginning to speak. It was a foul language, one that he didn't recognize, but the words were gutteral and the man's very voice seemed to distort.

"Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatuluk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul."At the last syllable leaving the man's lips, the armour in the hallway detonated, and the man seemed to fold in on himself. He disappeared, leaving only a pair of robes and a mask.

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'It worked. It actually worked.'

I took advantage of the likelihood that they'd have their eyes on constantly since the attempted kidnapping of Hinata. The flashbangs worked perfectly, and the reactive armour worked better than what my loftiest hopes were. I had switched out with a clone when I "went to the children's quarters" and came back covered in blood. I personally went to Hiashi's room. If a bad hit landed, or if the whole breastplate exploded, a clone would pop.

The flashbangs didn't bother me ever since I put sound suppressant seals right beside my ears in my hairline. All I had to do was keep my eyes, with my sensing active, shut for a moment with the sound seals active, and I was immune to the effects. I'd been trying to work on something such as a polarized contact lens that would protect the eyes, something that I'd still been struggling to get right.

My clones had managed to find the clan library. The library almost reminded me on how the Uchiha would have had multiple jutsu that they documented when they were able to copy them from enemy Shinobi during the wars Konoha had been involved in. The Hyuga could see chakra. They could feasibly find out how certain high-level jutsu work by looking at them with their eyes active. It wouldn't be as effective as the Uchiha's perfect recall version, but it would still work.

I'd copied the scrolls on the Main branch jutsu, using English until I could take the time to translate it into the other languages I knew. Kaiten was just one that I'd noticed. Vacuum Palm was another. I'd also found the blueprints to a sealing matrix that would render certain objects nearly impenetrable to the Byakugan. This was likely a means to prevent stolen eyes from being used to look at secrets. The Hokage tower had a certain "fog" around it when I used my sensing abilities on certain rooms. It was less focused than normal. Opaque would be the best word to describe it. It would be catastrophic if an enemy Shinobi was able to get a hold of the Byakugan and use it to view scrolls that were sealed behind a great deal of defenses. Imagine if somebody could learn Edo Tensei from using a stolen eye.

Not a reassuring thought. After being tied to a tree and being stabbed by one of my clones multiple times, I got memories back from the clone that I had switched places with. After realizing what my clone had done, I actually spoke out loud my thoughts.

"You asshole."

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Hiashi and the Hyuga elders had spoken with Hiruzen. They'd been able to conceal what really happened from most of the Hyuga. Most had been knocked unconscious before they even realized what happened. Hiruzen had deployed more ANBU to Naruto and Rin's apartment as a response to him being discovered tied to a tree, multiple healed wounds all over him.

After he had been told what happened, Naruto had come up with the idea that he would take the blame for all the blood, and knocking out the guards with a "knockout gas".

Most of the Hyuga would be pissed at him, but it would be a preferable alternative to word getting out that the Hyuga had been successfully infiltrated and that not a single Hyuga had been killed, even though all of them were at the infiltrator's mercy.

Given that every single Hyuga was suffering from slight poisoning, which was a mix of a mild paralytic and a sleeping agent, the likely thing done was several seals that had poison clouds sealed in them getting discreetly dropped and triggered.

Those seals were complex.

Hiruzen was angr-no, furious. He was furious that this infiltrator had managed to breach all of Konohas' defenses and successfully infiltrate a compound inhabited by individuals that can see through walls and disguises. With that skill, he could have easily killed several clans in the night, no one being the wiser.

Hiruzen knew this man had many secrets at his disposal. Dangerous ones. It wasn't a coincidence that he said he could get Hiashi's eldest to kill her clan to save her younger sister.

'He knows about Itachi.'

Hiruzen could count on one hand how many knew the true details of what happened that night. There was now another. These thoughts were dancing in Hiruzen's head as he stared at the letter addressed to him and Kakashi.

'Why the both of us?'

He had called for Kakashi's presence not long ago, he should be here shortly.

The mask of the infiltrator was traced to an order made to Higarashi's Weapons. The name on the order was likely a fake one. It didn't sound like a normal name. And the words that Hiashi said the man spoke, nothing even remotely sounded similar to any language he knew.

Given that Naruto was extremely quiet about what happened, Hiruzen hadn't said anything about it. It wasn't like he would know about a fake language just because he and Rin had their own.

Hiruzen then felt Kakashi's presence outside the office. Calling for him to enter, Kakashi entered the room, a look of curiosity on his face.

"You asked for me, sir?"

"Yes, Kakashi." Hiruzen said, his tone a tired one. "Please sit down, this will take some time to explain."

Kakashi nodded and sat down, beckoning his superior to continue.

Hiruzen explained what occurred at the Hyuga compound, Naruto being tied up and interrogated, to which Kakashi clenched his fists. When Hiruzen finished, Kakashi just asked.

"Is Naruto ok?"

Hiruzen chuckled at what Naruto had said to him. "Naruto is fine." Hiruzen assured him. "He's angry that someone got the jump on him and used his seal tags to infiltrate the compound. He said it took him weeks to design the armor that the infiltrator used. 'Reactive armour' he called it. He had it designed to prevent chakra strikes, mainly from wind or lightning blades."

It reminded Hiruzen of something, but it didn't matter right now.

Kakashi just nodded at Hiruzen's answer. Naruto had said he was trying to get a armour type that could take hits from things that would otherwise pierce conventional armor. He obviously did, but it ended up being used against them.

"Why was he testing seals outside of the compound?" Kakashi asked.

Hiruzen sighed at this. "He is close friends with Hiashi's eldest. She was staying with him and Rin because she was told she would have to fight her sister over which one would be marked."

Kakashi groaned at that.

'Of course they did that. Making siblings fight would piss off someone like Naruto.'

"You sure he wasn't the one that did it?" Kakashi asked.

Hiruzen shook his head. "Naruto was tied to a tree. He had multiple stab wounds that looked to have healed and were stabbed again. Hiashi spoke of how he landed a small strike on the infiltrator. It would have dispelled it if it were a clone." Hiruzen finished.

It couldn't have been Naruto. Hiruzen kept out some of the things the infiltrator had said to Hiashi.

'Naruto doesn't know about the massacre or "Well kept Hyuga clan secrets", as Hiashi put it, concerning certain things that the infiltrator knew.'

Kakashi nodded at Hiruzen's answer, also thinking it would be crazy to think it was Naruto that did it. But crazier things had happened.

"Why did you want me here?" Kakashi asked, still not knowing why he was here.

"This letter was handed to Hiashi from the infiltrator." Hiruzen said, holding it up. "It is addressed to you and me."

Kakashi was confused. Why would such a letter be addressed to the Hokage and him? Kakashi stepped forward to look at the letter. The letter appeared to have been opened. Kakashi shot the man a look of curiosity at that.

"My chakra was what was needed to open it." he said simply.

Kakashi didn't even want to think how on Earth the infiltrator could have gotten a hold of a sample of the Hokage's chakra or a drop of blood. Opening the letter, he saw that there was no writing on it.

"What?" Kakashi whispered to himself.

"I think it requires your chakra to activate the words."

Kakashi sent a small amount of chakra to the paper. A few words appeared at the top.

(To Uchiha Obito's left eye: What is the fastest way to a girl's heart?)

Kakashi clenched the paper tightly.

'How DARE he?!'

Kakashi forced his breathing to calm, before sending a small amount of Lightning chakra through the paper. The entire letter appeared. Kakashi read the entire thing before handing it to Hiruzen with a shaky hand.

'What did it say that caused Kakashi to react that way?'

Snatching the letter from Kakashi, Hiruzen began to read it.

(Do not read this out loud.

To the Monkey and the Mutt: I apologise for what question I had for Hatake. I had to be certain that he would be the one to open it. He is one of the only Konoha Shinobi I trust in the village currently. He is by most accounts a decent man like his father. Sarutobi: A certain serpent has fled from a cloud of red, to seek a friend in the sand. Be wary of the snake in the sand. The Tanuki will play an important part, tread lightly in their presence. Tell the Uzumaki boy to not be angry with himself for not spotting me. I've been able to conceal myself from far better sensors than he. He's strong, undoubtedly so. Few have been able to fight against me with such ferocity. He and his sister will need that in the years to come. The red cloud plans to consume all of the Nine. They will put entire villages to the sword to get what they desire. Prepare accordingly. Burn this letter when you are finished. You are being watched.

P.S. Don't have your perverted spy master try to find me. Not even a perfect sage can locate me unless I want them to.

Signed, Hurin)

The same name that was on the order for the mask. Hiruzen set the letter down, massaging his temples.

'This man knows things that no other should know. Jiraiya has been giving me as much information as he can about Orochimaru. Itachi has given me what information he can leak about the Akatsuki. This man knows it all. He likely knows the details of what Itachi did. How the hell does he know about Jiraiya not being a perfect sage?'

Hiruzen didn't think even Orochimaru or Tsunade knew that he hadn't fully mastered Senjutsu. Yet this man did. Hiruzen would need to talk to Jiraiya about this unforseen incident. He would also need to ponder what the man had said.

'Will Suna betray us?'

The Ichibi took the form of a Tanuki. Could Suna be preparing to work with Orochimaru? It was something that would need to be prepared for. The chunin exams would be occurring in Konoha. This would be the ideal time for Orochimaru to strike.

Hiruzen gave Kakashi a look. "This incident did not occur. You were simply coming here out of concern for your student. You came here for more information."

Kakashi nodded. "Thank you for the information about my student, Hokage-sama. It took a weight off my shoulders."

Hiruzen then dismissed Kakashi, leaving himself alone in his office.

'This man had the means to cripple Konoha. He could have killed a clan. And he could release secrets that if painted in a certain fashion, could portray Konoha as clan killers, potentially causing Konohas' clans to either leave, or stage a civil war to protect themselves. But he didn't. He's just given information about the organization that Itachi has infiltrated and one that Jiraiya is monitoring.'

Hiruzen didn't know if this mysterious Shinobi was a friend of Konoha, or if he had a vendetta that he saw Konoha as strong enough to help him with. These were the thoughts that dominated his time over the next week as he put plans into play. Plans that would hopefully strengthen the graduating Academy class that many of the clan Heirs and Konohas' two jinchuriki were a part of.

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END CHAPTER.

Just for context: Hiashi was asleep and had just woken up, so he wasn't at full strength or speed. And you're kind of screwed when someone knows about your blind spot.