69. Familial Changes

"Damn, my head… I think I did drink a bit too much last night… Anko grumbled to herself as she walked down the streets of Kirigakure.

After arriving in Kirigakure, the Konoha jōnin attended a ceremony to celebrate Kahyō's introduction into the Seven Swordsmen in Kirigakure. All members were present to celebrate and they all went out to get drinks to celebrate. Anko's memory started to get fuzzy after her seventh bottle of sake and her memory of last night after that straight-up stops after her eleventh bottle. The only thing she recalled was waking up in Zabuza's apartment – where she had already arranged to sleep at – with a massive hangover.

'I'm surprised I even managed to get home last night, to be honest… shit.' She shook her head. Despite her hangover, though, she felt a smirk develop on her lips. 'Still, worth it.'

Anko proceeded to walk through the streets of Kirigakure. As she walked down the streets, she made note of all the cheerful citizens – shinobi and non-shinobi alike – that were simply enjoying life. The city seemed filled with life, with villagers selling fresh caught fish in the markets and kids just simply running around, playing in the various ponds around the village and in the streets of the village.

It seemed so different from the village that she helped invade over two and a half years ago. Kirigakure, for the first time in over a decade, was at peace. It was a sight that brought great joy to her.

The jōnin proceeded to walk through the village until she reached her destination – the Mizukage's office. She proceeded to walk in and took a seat. Sitting at the desk in the center of the room was the Godaime Mizukage, Terumi Mei. Standing by her side was a shinobi wearing a 'Hunter Shinobi's' mask.

"Nice to see you today, Anko. I trust last night was eventful for you." Mei commented with a playful smirk.

"It actually wasn't, and that's the best part." Anko replied, returning her smirk. "The best nights are the ones you can't remember!"

"I can attest to that." The Mizukage chuckled as she turned her head to the shinobi to her right. "Don't you agree?"

"Not necessarily." The shinobi replied. "I've never been much of a drinker. You know this."

Mei frowned in response: "You've always been a bore to go out with." A playful smirk then developed on her lips. "You're much more fun to be around at home alone, though, Yagura-kun."

He proceeded to look downwards; despite his mask, Anko could tell that he was blushing.

"Sure it's the best idea to refer to him that way, Mei?" Anko questioned. "No one can hear this conversation."

"No one can hear. I can assure you of that." Yagura spoke-up, crossing his arms. "I'll obviously respond to 'Kamui', but I'd prefer to simply go by name whenever possible. Since you already know the truth behind the incident, I'd prefer to simply be referred to as Yagura."

"Fair enough." Anko noted with a nod of her head. She then turned her attention to the Mizukage. "Anyway, I don't really have much to say or report to you, Mei. I just wanted to know if you had anything you needed me to do before I head back to Konoha. Have any missions you need me to do while I'm here?"

Mei brought her hands together as she closed her eyes. She reopened them and nodded her head at the jōnin.

"I do have a mission, but it's on the way to Konoha, so you can stop by your village first. I don't require you to come back to report about it. Sending a message should suffice." Mei said as she reached for a scroll. "It's simply a mission to visit Taki, delivering a scroll to their village's leader, Shibuki, and give me an update on their jinchūriki."

"Hmm?" Anko titled her head slightly.

The last part of the mission request was of particular interest to her. Anko was only vaguely familiar with Takigakure's jinchūriki. The village was rather secretive about their identity and they were someone who did not go on many missions outside of their village. The only thing that Anko could even confirm about them was that the jinchūriki was female.

"Are you familiar with who the jinchūriki is or something?" She asked.

"Unofficially, yes." Mei nodded her head. "Utakata and his student, Hotaru, were travelling by Taki maybe three months ago and he crossed paths with the jinchūriki. Apparently, her name is Fū."

"Utakata, huh…" A small smile developed on Anko's face. "You've heard from him recently?"

"While not a Kirigakure shinobi anymore, he comes by every now and then to report things he believes Mei-chan should know." Yagura answered. "He's doing well. He has started taking Hotaru's training seriously. She's making progress as a shinobi and he seems to finally enjoy being her 'sensei'."

"Excellent to hear." Anko's smile widened further. "Anyway, what exactly is my mission? Why would you want me to check up on her?"

"Simply to develop a relationship with her. She's apparently a rather lonely person and could use some more friends in her life. I also think it would be important to just be able to know another village's jinchūriki, especially considering events related to that 'Akatsuki' organization. At the very least, she deserves to be made aware of the threat they pose to her." Mei noted with a frown. "I also would like if you get an audience with Taki's leader, Shibuki, and deliver a scroll to him."

"Asking for an alliance, I assume?" The 'Seven Swordsmen of Kirigakure' member asked.

"Yes. I'd like to improve our relations with Taki, especially since it is important nowadays to keep tabs on the Nanabi jinchūriki and make sure she is safe." The Mizukage said. "It's also why I'd actually recommend stopping by Konoha and maybe taking a day or two before going. I'd assume your Hokage would possibly want to send a scroll to him as well about the subject matter."

"Understood." Anko nodded her head in understanding. "I can do that, then. I'll go back to Konoha and then get that mission handled right away."

After talking to Mei for a little longer, Anko received the scroll meant for Shibuki and proceeded to leave her office. She then began to walk back towards Zabuza's apartment, ready to get her belongings together and pack up.

'Wonder if I can get Naruto to come along on this, provided he's not busy with his own brats. He'd probably like to meet another jinchūriki.' Anko questioned. 'Hmm… I've been out of the village for a little while now. Wonder how all of those brats are doing right now?'

Hinata had a wide smile on her lips as she walked to the Hyūga Clan Estate Courtyard. Her father had called for a whole-clan meeting; she knew exactly what it was about, and she was beyond excited to see her dreams finally come to fruition.

By the time she had arrived, a majority of the clan – both Branch Family and Main Family members – had already assembled. The two families were divided into two groups – the Branch family to the left and the Main Family to the right. At the front, standing in front of a large tree, was her father. To his side was both Hanabi and Neji. Hinata walked over to their side, taking a position in between her father and sister.

The various Hyūga shinobi there noticed that she had a blue-colored seal on her forehead. They started to talk amongst themselves about what exactly the seal meant and what its purpose was. Neji's new seal was also on display, which only furthered discussion.

"Their seals are with the same blue ink. They have the same thing." One Hyūga Main family member noted. "What does that mean?"

"Hiashi-sama didn't mark his eldest daughter, did he?" Another Main Family member asked. "That would make little sense! Why would he? She's one of the strongest jōnin in the village, period!"

"What exactly did he do to Neji?" A Branch family noted, their eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Are we getting that same seal?"

Their questions were loud enough that the four Hyūga at the front could hear them all. Despite that, they remained quiet, waiting for more Hyūga to arrive.

A few more minutes passed and the remaining Hyūga showed up. Hiashi noticed in the back of the Main Family were the Clan Elders, who were looked at him with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. The man noticed that Yoshikane was not amongst them, which caused him to frown.

"Sorry I'm arriving late."

Hiashi turned his attention back to the entrance to the courtyard. Uzumaki Masakado walked forward, entering the clan compound. He walked directly down the middle between the two families, until he reached the center.

"Took a little bit to get out of here. My apologies." Masakado bowed his head at the man. He then turned his head, looking out amongst the crowds of Hyūga shinobi. A frown developed on his lips. "What's up with all this silent chatting amongst the people? Don't you have something to tell them?"

"… I was waiting for everyone to get here." Hiashi spoke. His eyes focused in on the elders for just a moment before he shook his head. "But now that you are here, everyone of importance is here. Let's just begin, then."

His words immediately silenced all conversation between the Hyūga. All eyes were on Hiashi as he took a step forward.

"Thank you all for coming today. I will keep this as brief as possible, but I wish to inform you all of changes occurring to our clan. Changes for the better." Hiashi stated. "As your Clan Head, it is my responsibility to protect this clan and move it forward in the direction best suited for our clan's longevity and prestige. It is my role, as it is the role of every Clan Head, to unify the clan. In this goal, preceding Clan Heads have failed to accomplish this and I myself have failed until this point. There is one singular factor that contributes to this failure – our Clan's Special Fūinjutsu, also referred to as the 'Caged Bird Seal' by many here."

Immediately, both the Main Family and Branch Family Hyūga stiffened in response. A few Branch Family members turned to glare at their Main Family counterparts while the Main Family simply looked uncomfortable at the subject.

"The original purpose of the seal is something that is necessary. It is essential to make sure our clan's Byakugan does not fall into the hands of enemy shinobi." Hiashi crossed his arms as a scowl developed on his lips. "However, it makes little sense why all shinobi are not marked with the seal to ensure that no one's Byakugan is at risk of being stolen. It also makes even less sense why additional 'precautions' were put into the seal that affects the brains of those with it."

"It makes perfect sense." A Branch Family Hyūga spoke up, rolling his eyes. "It is so you Main Family shinobi can keep us in our place!"

"Quiet down when Hiashi-sama is speaking!" A Main Family shinobi hissed in response as she raised her hand to activate the seal.

Before she could finish the seal, however, Hiashi's voice boomed throughout the courtyard: "Hyūga Kumiko, do not finish that seal. This is an order from your Clan Head and you best follow it."

The Main Family member, Kumiko, immediately paled in her face as she lowed her hands. The Branch Family members all looked at Hiashi in confusion at his actions but remained silent.

"I will not contest that Main Family shinobi have historically taken advantage of the additions placed on the 'Caged Bird Seal'. This is a contributing factor in the inability of Clan Heads to unify the clan. I am here to finally end this division, once and for all." Hiashi stated sharply as he gestured with his hands towards the elderly red-head to his side. "As you are all aware, this is Uzumaki Masakado, the last Uzukage of Uzushiogakure and one of the greatest fūinjutsu users to ever walk this earth. And thanks to his talent and research, our clan now possesses a new seal!"

"It is as Hiashi-san has stated." Masakado spoke, proudly. "I have designed two seals to specifically be used for your clan. One is a new 'Seal' that will help seal the Byakugan eyes permanently with no other effects. It will be implemented from here on out. Hinata currently is displaying what that seal looks like." Hinata stepped forward. She pushed up her bangs, showing off the full seal in plain sight. Neji then proceeded to step forward as Masakado gestured to him. "Neji here is displaying the other seal. It is an addition to the Caged Bird Seal that will be placed on all current Branch Family members that will eliminate the adverse side-effects the seal places on the afflicted Hyūga's brains."

Both Main and Branch Family members were silent as they stared at Hiashi in awe. There was quiet apprehension in on the faces of most Main Family members – they obviously had concerns about the implantation of the new seal and what it would mean for their roles in the clan. The Branch Family, on the other hand, was looking at Hiashi in disbelief. They were seemingly waiting for a 'catch' to be introduced.

"This change has already been given approval by the Clan Elders. All shinobi will be marked with these new seals in this upcoming month. I have already arranged an appointment with Masakado for myself today, as has my youngest daughter, Hanabi." Hiashi stated sharply. "This will usher our clan into a new future – a united future where our clan is stronger than it has ever been. And it will done not under a Branch Family or Main Family; it will be accomplished simply by one family – the Hyūga Clan!"

Hiashi then gestured for Neji and Hinata to come forward to his side. Both shinobi did just that, standing directly to his right-and-left respectively.

"Hinata and Neji represent the future of our clan – the greatest the Main and Branch Families had to offer. They have become successful jōnin despite their young ages and have shown strength I have never seen before in Hyūga shinobi." The Clan Head noted. He looked at his daughter, who simply nodded her head, smiling at him, which urged him to continue. "With that in mind, and with Hinata's blessing, I will usher this new generation forward with a new heir – a Branch family who will be able to take the mantle with ease. I would like to take this moment to present to you all the young man who will take my place as Clan Head one day: Hyūga Neji!"

Neji's eyes widened in shock as he turned to face his uncle: "What-"

He could not even finish his statement before loud noise filled the entire courtyard. Neji turned his attention back to see every single Branch Family clapping their hands, screaming and shouting in approval. He even noticed a few of the members had tears in their eyes as they looked at him. Neji's mouth seemed to open slightly in shock as he turned his head to face his cousin.

"Hinata, the clan would succeed easily with you as the Clan Head. You have the birthright. You have the strength." Neji said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Why did you and Hiashi-sama do this?"

"Neji-nii-san, didn't you just hear my father's speech? There's no such thing as birthrights in the clan anymore – no Branch or Main families. We're all just Hyūga. And what better way to show it." Hinata said with a bright smile, tears developing in her own eyes. "You're a more traditional Hyūga. You're an excellent shinobi as well and you'd give me a run for my money in a fight nowadays. You have a much more neutral, focused mind when it comes to political situations. You also understand the feelings of the Branch Family – more than I could ever hope to. You're the perfect person to finish bridging the gap. You'll make the perfect Clan Head."

Neji's eyes started to widen further, simultaneously filling with tears. He then reached out to his cousin and pulled her into a hug of his own; one Hinata was quick to return.

Hiashi and Masakado looked out into the crowds of Hyūga shinobi. There was still concerns; the Main Family Hyūga still seemed apprehensive and there was always a risk of some Branch Family shinobi going 'rogue' now that they were going to be free of the Cursed Seal. However, Hiashi knew these were going to be minor concerns.

This was the beginning of a new generation for the Hyūga Clan. Things were finally going to move forward for a clan that had always been rooted in its traditions.

Shikamaru was breathing heavily to himself, sweat come off his face, as he looked around himself in Training Ground Seventeen. The area around him had scattered fires on the ground that were starting to dissipate. He brought his hands together into a hand sign, but he stopped himself as he began to hear footsteps. He turned his head and saw Naruto walking towards him. A smirk developed on his lips as he wiped the sweat off his face.

"Thanks for meeting up with me, Naruto." Shikamaru said. "How was training your students?"

"Good, although we cut training short today. The Hyūga clan made their big announcement today about the clan changes and Hanabi needed to be there, and I didn't really feel like training Katsumi and Kanji without her." Naruto admitted with a chuckle. "I don't really want there to be some training disparity amongst the group."

"Makes sense." Shikamaru nodded his head in understanding.

"You've just been here waiting for me?" The Uzumaki let a smirk develop on his lips. "Seems like you've worked up a sweat already!"

"I have and I intend on working up another one in a moment." Shikamaru said a chuckle. "Regardless, now that you're here, I'd like to ask if I can try a new jutsu I just invented."

The jinchūriki's eyebrow raised at the question. When Shikamaru had asked Naruto if he could meet up for some training, Naruto assumed that he meant he wanted to spar or something. He was unaware Shikamaru was experimenting with a jutsu.

"How long have you been working on it?" He questioned.

"A little over two years, actually. It's been an idea of mine for a little bit and my dad, Anko-sensei, and Koharu-sensei helped give me ideas on how to make it work. And I think I finally got it ready." Shikamaru stated. "First thing, though; can you make me a shadow clone?"

Naruto nodded his head in understanding and made a singular hand sign. In a poof of smoke, a clone of Naruto appeared. The clone proceeded to grimace as it walked away from Shikamaru, crossing its arms.

"This is going to hurt, isn't it?" The clone questioned.

"Unfortunately, it will." Shikamaru nodded his head. "Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

Shikamaru's shadow rushed forward towards the clone, quickly trapping it. The clone was now stuck, unable to move. Shikamaru then proceeded to change hand signs – hand signs the clone quickly replicated.

"Fire Style: Shadow Ignite Jutsu!"

Fire spontaneously arose from Shikamaru's shadow, completely covering every inch entirely. Only Shikamaru's body was unscathed; everything else was consumed in the large, red flames. Naruto's clone did not have the time to react; it was unable to move as the flames completely encased it. It immediately dissipated. The original Naruto proceeded to shiver, as memories of the clone entered his mind.

"Damn…" He mumbled, shaking his head. He looked over at his best friend in amazement. "That's actually really cool. The shadow still managed to hold my clone in place even when the flames came out. There was nothing it could do!"

"Heh. Good." Shikamaru's smirk grew as he pocketed his hands. "I wanted to try it on one of your clones to see if it could resist the shadow. I've experimented with the jutsu on immobile objects like rocks and stuff, but I needed to see how it worked on an actual shinobi. The problem is that this technique is a bit… lethal, to really implement in just a spar or something."

"I mean to be fair, we've both thrown out worse in spars. As has Hinata, Anko, Dosu, and everyone." Naruto noted. "But I know what you mean! This feels like a 'finishing blow' technique."

"Meant to be at least. Or a 'quick finish', I suppose." Shikamaru stated, his smirk starting to falter. "I wanted to make sure it was ready in case of something."

"Something?" The Uzumaki questioned.

"… Ugh, this is troublesome to explain. But we were just talking a little bit about this yesterday, Naruto." The Nara said, frowning. "The stuff with Kabuto going on. Iwa has a lot of civil problems. The Akatsuki still being a thing. And the fact that it's been a bit too peaceful. I'm honestly expecting something to happen soon. And when it does, I want to be ready to fight and end things quickly. I want to find ways to end whatever battles I get in as quick as possible."

Naruto was quiet. His eyes narrowed in on his friend as he recalled conversations the two had with each other. Realization dawned on his face, which caused Naruto to frown as well.

"This technique… you think it would have killed Karitoriki instantly and would have prevented him from killing the hostages." Naruto noted.

"That's where this idea came from, yeah." Shikamaru nodded his head. "I… I don't know if it would have worked like that. But I think it would have. And I refuse to let something like that happen again."

Naruto remained quiet still as he continued to study his friend. He saw the sadness in Shikamaru's eyes at the reminder of the 'hostage situation' in Kirigakure, but he also noticed the amount of determination in his eyes. A smile developed on the Uzumaki's lips as he gave his friends a thumbs-up.

"Nothing like that will ever happen again. I know you'll stop it. Because you're an awesome shinobi, Shikamaru." Naruto stated.

A small smile of his own developed on Shikamaru's face as he returned the gesture, giving Naruto a thumbs-up: "Thanks."

The two were quiet for a second before Shikamaru un-pocketed his hands. He then walked a little bit away from Naruto and got into a position to spar

"Anyway, I did want you to come out and train with me for more than just a jutsu demonstration. Come on. I haven't gotten a chance to spar with you for a little bit." He stated.

"Heh." Naruto's smile turned into a grin as he got into a stance of his own. "Bring it on!"

The two friends proceeded to charge forward at one another.

A loud knock sounded through the Hokage's Office. Jiraiya turned his upward, away from his paperwork, and looked at the door: "You can enter."

Immediately, the door opened, and a little red-head girl rushed in. Jiraiya smiled at her as she quickly rushed over to the chair in front of his desk and took a seat.

"Hello, how can I help you?" The Hokage said cheerfully. "I don't believe I've met you before. What's your name?"

"Setsuko!" The little girl replied, just as cheerfully. "It's really nice to meet you, Old Creepy Guy!"

Jiraiya's smile immediately dropped and his eyes began to twitch. Before he could even comment on her choice of words, two more figure walked into the room – an older red-haired man he had never met and a red-haired young woman that he was too familiar with.

"Setsuko, that goes beyond just rude! Don't say things like that to him!" The man chided as he rushed over to her side. He quickly bowed his head. "Please forgive my daughter. She's a very impressionable person and-"

"There's no need to worry. I can see where she picked up language like that." Jiraiya stated as he focused in on the third person. "Tayuya… for crying out loud, can't you at least give people a good impression of me when you talk about me?"

"Hey, I've said nothing but good things. That's why she was so happy to meet you." Tayuya replied with a knowing smirk.

The Hokage took in a deep sigh: 'I swear to God, no Uzumaki respects authority in the slightest.'

He remained still for just a moment before he composed himself. His eyes moved towards the man Tayuya had brought to Konoha.

"So, I am aware of Tayuya's personal objective. I take it you and the little girl here are Uzumaki, correct?" Jiraiya questioned.

"Yes we are." The man nodded. "My name is Uzumaki Susumu and this is my daughter, Uzumaki Setsuko!"

"Hi again!" The little girl said cheerfully.

Jiraiya's smile turned to her again: "How old are you, Setsuko-chan?"

"Seven." Setsuko replied, grinning. "Tayuya-nee-san said I was old enough to join the Ninja Academy and I really, really, really want to be a cool awesome ninja!"

"You want to be a kunoichi, huh?" A chuckle escaped the Hokage's lips. "I can see it now. You're going to be a splendid ninja!"

"Yay!" The little girl clapped her hands together as she turned to her father. "Hear that Dad? He knows I'm going to be a splendid ninja!"

"He's the Hokage, Setsuko-chan, so he knows a few things." Susumu replied with a light chuckle.

The Hokage then turned his attention back to the man: "So, if you don't mind me asking, can you let me know some personal information? Just a little backstory of you and your life."

"Well, I am thirty-six years old. My parents left Uzushiogakure during the invasion when I was really young, so I don't recall much of life back then." Susumu stated. "My family moved to Mizu no Kuni and thought to blend in with the civilians there. This ended up not being the best idea, though, with Kirigakure being the way that it was. Eventually, my parents were killed by rogue Kiri shinobi. I should have probably left the country then, but I was stubborn and didn't want to move to another new place. So I just simply found a civilian village to live in and stayed there for years. I found ways to hide my lineage."

"So you stayed in Mizu no Kuni the entire time?" Jiraiya asked.

Susumu nodded his head: "I was stubborn and simply did not want to travel anymore. By the time I had Setsuko, I was beginning to debate whether or not we should leave, as I didn't think the country was safe to raise a child in. By the time I had committed to the idea of moving, however… the war finally ended." A small smile developed on his lips. "But at this point, I was now more than willing to move. And once I met Tayuya-san and she told me about an Uzumaki Clan in Konoha, I was more than willing to move here. A village like this is best for Setsuko."

"Well, I'd like to think so. I think we'll provide a good place for your family." The Hokage said. He then pulled out a blank scroll and began to open it. "I'll make arrangements to have you two be welcome into Konoha as citizens. I do have one more question, though. Your daughter has stated that she wants to become a shinobi. Do you have any desires to do so? I know you said you hid amongst civilians, so I am not fully certain whether or not you have had any shinobi training."

"I was trained by my parents and I have found ways to keep training in private." The Uzumaki father stated. "I am probably jōnin-level in skill, but if you wish for me to demonstrate my abilities, I am more than willing to do so. I'd also be more than willing to be instated as a shinobi in general."

"I'd be more than willing to have you join our ranks. I'll arrange to have a private session with you later so I can assess your skills."

"Fair." Susumu nodded his head.

"I have a few more things I'd like to talk to Jiraiya about. If you two want, you both can go explore Konoha." Tayuya said with a smile. "Just walk around. When I finish, I'll find you and I can take you both home."

"Of course." Susumu, again, nodded his head. "Let's go explore Setsuko. Maybe we can go get something to eat!"

"Ooh, okay! Maybe we can find a good seafood place!" Setsuko said as she got out of her chair. She then waved at the Hokage. "Bye!"

With that, the Uzumaki father-and-daughter proceeded to walk out of the room. Tayuya proceeded to walk over to the chair and take a seat herself.

"If they think they're gonna find a good seafood place to eat that compares to the stuff in Mizu no Kuni, good luck." Tayuya chuckled.

"You never know. Konoha might have something they like." Jiraiya said as he began to write down information in the blank scroll about Susumu and Setsuko. "You probably added another hour or two to my paperwork today, but I'll have their citizenship stuff worked out. I'll also have Setsuko's entrance to the academy worked out as well."

"That's great to hear." Tayuya stated with a grin. Her face quickly fell, however, as she brought her hands together: "You can do the paperwork later, though. I've got something big to talk about."

Jiraiya dropped his pen and pushed the scroll to the side, his face turning serious as well: "Did Itachi speak with you?"

"Yup." She nodded her head. "I have a report to give on Akatsuki. They're working towards a big attack against Kumogakure."

"When?" He questioned.

"During the next Chūnin Exams." Tayuya replied as she rolled her eyes. "They're pulling off Orochimaru's bullshit. Only this seems more likely to succeed. Their goal is to stir up chaos in the village, while the village is already distracted with the Chūnin Exams, while they capture the Niibi and Hachibi jinchūriki."

"And they believe they'll be able to accomplish this?" Jiraiya questioned.

The Hokage was familiar with both jinchūriki. Nii Yugito, the Niibi jinchūriki, was considered one of the top shinobi of Kumogakure and 'Killer Bee', the Hachibi jinchūriki, was the brother to the Yondaime Raikage and was considered unstoppable in combat alongside his brother. Neither were shinobi to take lightly.

"They have a plan for this." Tayuya noted as she started to relax in her chair. "From what I understand, their leader should be leading this attack."

"You mean the shinobi that Itachi refers to as 'Pain'?" Jiraiya frowned in response.

"Yup." She nodded her head.

Jiraiya remained quiet as he listened to Tayuya continued to give her report.

"Yoshikane, I wish to speak with you." Hiashi spoke.

The Hyūga Clan head stood outside a door in the Main Family compound. He stood patiently, waiting for the door to open.

Nearly a minute passed by before the door opened. Yoshikane walked out of the door and his eyes narrowed on the man.

"I was trying to sleep, Hiashi. Make this quick." Yoshikane stated.

"You're still dressed in your robes. Do not lie to me." Hiashi noted, scowling. "I noticed you did not attend the clan meeting."

"I already knew what the topic was, and you already know my stance on the matter. I felt my presence was unnecessary." Yoshikane replied simply. "I assume it was welcome to you, Neji, and Hinata that I was not there."

"I meant for the whole clan to be there. That includes you." Hiashi said, shaking his head. "You need to quit this, father."

"Quit what? I've acquiesced to your new seal already." The Hyūga Clan elder stated sharply. "I'll even make an appointment with Masakado-san to get my own seal."

"I'm not referring to your acceptance. You know precisely what I meant." His son sighed. "Father, the Hyūga Clan today is still the clan you led. You cannot act as if you are not a part of it any longer."

"I disagree with this, Hiashi." Yoshikane crossed his arms. "You know my stance. I will stand proudly claim to be a Hyūga, but I am not going to simply pretend to be a part of this 'change' you, your daughter, and your nephew are bringing!"

"… You are aware that they are your grandchildren, yes? You should not speak with such a harsh tone when referring to them." Hiashi commented. "You should also not resent them for what they are doing. They are simply trying to better the clan in a way that both you and I failed."

Yoshikane immediately turned around and re-entered his room. He proceeded to shut the door, but Hiashi extended his hand, catching the door before it could shut.

"Father, their goal is to eliminate the circumstances that caused Hizashi's death. There is no harm in that." Hiashi stated.

Yoshikane said nothing; he did not turn back to face his son. Instead, he proceeded to walk further into his room. Hiashi watched his father go to his bed and lay down.

The two were silent for five minutes. Coming to the conclusion that conversation was over, Hiashi shook his head.

"I'll repeat myself; do not resent your own grandchildren for correcting our Clan's mistakes." Hiashi said as he proceeded to close the door. "Goodnight father."

With those words, Hiashi started to walk away. Yoshikane was still in his bed as he listened to his son's footsteps. When they finally stopped, and he was no longer anywhere near him, tears started to fall Yoshikane's face.

He remained crying like that for hours until he managed to fall asleep.

'Fucking hell Shikamaru…' Naruto rubbed his head. 'That was brutal!'

The moon was in the sky as Naruto walked back to the Uzumaki Clan Compound. He and Shikamaru continuously sparred for hours. Shikamaru's knowledge of medical ninjutsu and Naruto's innate ability to heal-up allowed the two to continue fighting without end. The only thing that kept them from continuing any longer was both shinobi getting hungry!

It was still enjoyable, though; Naruto had not fought with Shikamaru in a while and it was good to have a sparring partner like that in a while to keep him on his toes. The Uzumaki's thoughts moved to Hinata, as he realized it had been equally as long since they both sparred as well.

'I'll ask her next time. She's surely gotten better. She kicked so much ass yesterday!' He smirked.

With those thoughts, Naruto continued on his way back to his Clan Compound. It took him twenty minutes to get back to the clan compound and he walked into the main building, heading towards the kitchen to get himself something to eat.

As he walked into the building, he heard two different people laughing: one voice that he recognized as Masakado's and another that sounded like a young girl. A confused look developed on his face as he proceeded to make his way through the hallways of the building.

When he arrived in the compound, he saw Masakado sitting down at the dinner table, sitting next to a young, red-haired girl. Both had plates of sushi and tempura shrimp that were half-eaten. Standing off to the side was Masamune and another red-haired man, both holding empty plates.

"I can't believe you went up to him and just told him his hair looks like a duck's butt!" Masakado stated, laughing loudly. "You have no filter, kid! I love it!"

"She does, and she needs to refrain from making comments like that." The other red-haired man commented, frowning slightly.

"I didn't mean anything bad by it." The little girl replied, pouting as she took a bite of one of the shrimp tempura. She quickly swallowed it before continuing to speak. "I just had never seen that before and I wanted to know if he did that on purpose! Maybe he just likes ducks!"

"I'm sure he probably hates ducks now." Masakado continued to cackle. "God, I wish I could have seen the Uchiha's face!"

'… Oh. They're talking about Sasuke.' Naruto snickered to himself, recalling the first time Kiba brought up Sasuke's hair. 'I always wondered what his reaction would be to someone saying that!'

Naruto's snicker caused the group to turn their attention to him. Masakado smirked as he held up a full plate of food.

"Well, look whose finally home!" Masakado exclaimed. "Finally, was wondering when you'd get here. Come enjoy a plate and say hello to our new family!"

"New family?" Naruto blinked in surprise.

Realization quickly dawned on him. A large smile developed on his face as his eyes from the red-haired man to the little girl, who was starting to get out of her chair.

"We just arrived earlier today. Masakado has told us a lot about you, Naruto." The red haired man stated with a smile. "It's so nice to meet you. My name is Susumu and the little girl is my daughter, Setsuko. We're both Uzumaki-"

Before he could finish his introduction, the young girl, Setsuko, quickly tackled Naruto to the ground, pulling him into a tight hug, giggling as the two fell down. Naruto was quick to return it, laughing as well.

"It's really nice to meet you, Naruto-nii-san!" She exclaimed. "Masakado-jī-san said you're a super special awesome shinobi! You got to show me what you can do! I want to be an amazing shinobi too!"

"He has, huh?" A smirk developed on Naruto's face as he pulled both him and Setsuko off the ground. "Well, I hope I don't disappoint you then! It's nice to meet you too, Setsuko-chan!"

"Oh? So you're back, finally? Bout fucking time!"

Naruto and Setsuko broke their embrace. The jinchūriki turned his head back to the door to the kitchen to see Tayuya standing there, grinning, holding a bronze-colored flute in her left hand.

"Tayuya, can you not curse in front of my daughter?" Susumu commented, frowning.

"Er, yeah. Sorry." The Spymaster of Konoha said sheepishly.

"Heh. Good luck with that. She has even less of a filter than Setsuko." Masamune mumbled under his breath with a chuckle.

"What was that, Masamune?" Tayuya stated quickly, glaring at her cousin. The blacksmith immediately looked downward, poking his fingers together, which caused her to chuckle. "That's what I thought! Now-"

Tayuya was interrupted as Naruto quickly brought her into a hug. The wide grin on his face was developing even further.

"You're back, Tayuya-nee!" He exclaimed. "And you brought back more Uzumaki!"

"Of course I am. And of course I did. Again; Konoha is the birthplace for the next generation of Uzumaki!" Tayuya stated as she returned the hug. "Good to see you again, Naruto."

The two cousins broke their hug. Tayuya then proceeded to walk over to Setsuko and extended the flute out to her.

"Now, Setsuko-chan, did you want to actually learn how to play the flute? Cause we can start lessons now, if you want." Tayuya offered.

"Sure!" Setsuko clapped her hands together excitedly.

"A little kid learning an instrument. This ought to be… interesting… I guess." Masakado mumbled to himself, a slight nervous expression on his face. He then turned his attention to Naruto and gestured to him. "Kid, come on over and eat! Sushi is actually not that bad and the tempura is still warm!"

Naruto walked over to the table and sat down next to the elder Uzumaki. He then proceeded to eat his food while Tayuya began to show Setsuko how to play the flute.

He watched the little girl, who he now knew as his cousin, struggle to play different notes as Tayuya began to carefully instruct her, looking like an older sister. He watched Susumu and Masamune talk to each other casually. He watched Masakado, who was also simply just looking at the other Uzumaki in the room.

More time has gone by and the Uzumaki Clan in Konoha was starting to feel more like a family than it ever had. It was a feeling that Naruto was cherishing more-and-more with each new addition to the family.

Author's Note: Hey everyone! Chapter sixty-nine is complete! :)

I actually expected this chapter to be longer. I had three scenes that I decided to end up cutting; all three of which I decided would be better to be used in later chapters. When I looked over the ending to this chapter, I kinda thought it was a nice to place to end. The chapter seemingly just had a theme of family and I liked the idea of sticking with it and keeping it like that. It felt nice to me. :) It also felt nice to not have an incredibly long chapter! XD

Probably not the most action-packed or plot-moving chapters, but I hope it was enjoyable still! It was actually rather easy for me to write and I had fun with it, at least!

I have work early in the morning tomorrow, so I should probably wrap this up. Again, like I mentioned in my disclaimer, I need to start writing at 'more socially acceptable times of the day'. Sigh. Whatever. :P

Hope you all have a great day and enjoyed the chapter! I'll be here when chapter seventy is finished. Until then! :)