chapter 9

Intelligence Amongst Hatred

Disclaimer: Still not owning the manga.

A/N: Well here it is. Instead of releasing it early I decided to add more to the chapter, making it the longest one thus far at over 15.5k words not including the A/Ns. This is going to be a really long fic, just so you are all aware (Possibly over 300k words by the time skip). If things are unfolding a little slower then you'd like then I'm sorry for that. All I can say is be thankful I'm not one of those that updates once every three months or so. :D

***Flashback***

Naruto's eyes widened as two ANBU, similar to the four that had jumped him before his mission to Wave, appeared behind Hinata and Haku and put cloths over their faces causing them to immediately go unconscious. "What the hell did you do!" He got into his fighting stance and prepared for anything.

"Careful boy. We wouldn't want to have to hurt these two to get you to comply. We told you that Danzo-sama gets what he wants. Now will you come quietly or do you need to be further motivated." One of the masked men threatened. Naruto gritted his teeth. He couldn't allow the two girls to be hurt, but he really didn't want to see a guy that was willing to go this far for just a simple chat. His internal conflict took too long for the two men's taste it seemed and he looked on in horror as they each took out a syringe and injected its contents into each of the girls.

"That was a slow acting poison. If you comply and come along nicely they'll get the antidote and there will be no harm done. If not...well lets just say you won't find a cure fast enough." Swallowing whatever pride he had left and throwing his danger sense to the wind he nodded his head. He soon found himself slightly restrained by one of the men while the other tied the two girls up inside the apartment. He was then led through the village and eventually blindfolded before they entered into a tunnel system that wound around itself and branched off many times before coming to an underground building complex. The only sign that he was now underground was the dripping water on the stone floors as they traveled. His blindfold was then ripped off and he was finally able to confirm his surroundings. "Danzo-sama is waiting for you inside. He's not a very patient man and he has been lenient with you so far. I wouldn't make him wait much longer."

Taking the hint, Naruto entered the building they stopped in front of the desk inside to find an older man standing with his back wide open, staring at a map of Fire country. "So you're Danzo I assume. Guess there's no chance you'll give me the antidote and we call it a day is there?"

"You know I am a man with ambitions Naruto-kun, and as any person with ambitions knows, we require tools to see those ambitions come to fruition."

"I take that as a no then." He knelt on the floor but stayed ready for anything just in case. There were more than a few people in the village that didn't like him. For all he knew this one wanted him dead.

Danzo turned to him with an amuse smile that didn't quite look right on his face. "I seek such tools for myself and for the good of Konoha. For the safety of this village I have sacrificed much, and I intend to see to it that this village is kept secure."

"By threatening children with the death of their friends. I can see how all of this is for the safety of Konoha."

Danzo's smile vanished. "I know what is inside of you boy. I also know that if you can harness its power that you would be one of the strongest shinobi ever. I seek to help you learn how to control what is inside of you so that we can use it to wipe out those who would conspire against us. It's those lackadaisical fools on the council and that senile old man running this farce of a ninja village that would not allow me to train you properly. Under my tutelage you would have been ten times the ninja you are today. I know how you strive for attention. I know how no one acknowledged you in your classes. You should not have been tossed to the side like a disposable rag. You should have been fine tuned and surpassed even the jōnin of this village by now. Instead you were left to fend for yourself with no one to care for you. Even going so far as to hiding for long periods of time to keep yourself safe. I applaud you by the way for evading my operatives for over a month. Not many could do that, and with your academy level I am rather shocked at such a feat, but it only serves to show what potential you have. Let us show you that potential and we will lead you farther than you could imagine."

"So you basically want me to toss away my loyalty to the village and my newly gained genin status in order to work for you from the shadows to support that loyalty with no one even knowing what I'm doing. Sounds sneaky, but you clearly weren't paying attention to your reports on my activities in the academy, or the village as a whole for that matter. Don't you know I'm the demon brat, monster of Konoha? I'm the prankster that can't be caught, the dunce who skips class more than attends it, the dead last that wears 'kill me' orange to get attention. Are you sure I'm the one you're looking for? Maybe you should just hand over that antidote and go for someone who wants power, like Sasuke-teme."

The grin on his face was infuriating, but Danzo was a patient man when it came to getting what he wanted, and well practiced at hiding his emotions. "I will give you an option. Option one you may leave now, without the antidote, and suffer the consequences. Option two you spend a week training here, I give the antidote to the girls, and after a week you decide if you want to stay or not."

"No option three, I tell you to shove it and you hand over the antidote anyway huh? Well you don't give me much of a choice. I guess option two is the only way I can go. Just promise me that the antidote will work, and after they are cured you won't touch them again."

"Agreed, and as a sign of good faith I will give you this." He threw a scroll to Naruto who looked at him quizzically. "Read it when you get to your room and you'll find out a secret that only a few in the village know." A sinister smile crossed Danzo's face as he signaled two of his ROOT to lead the boy to a room. He finally got what he wanted. His own Jinchūriki. As he turned back to the map to lose himself in his musings he missed the boy's own smirk as he was lead to one of the other buildings.

After being left alone in the room and hearing the latch click into place, he opened the scroll and read it in what little light there was coming through the solitary barred window from a nearby brazier. Eyes widening he quickly rolled the scroll back up and, with careful aim, threw the document into the brazier outside before making a sign and disappearing in a puff of smoke.

***Flashback End***

"After my clone dispelled and I sorted through the information I rushed to my apartment, and that bit you already heard. After leaving the hospital I was once again cut off from my destination by more ROOT. I would assume from Danzo's expression at seeing me not too long ago that he wasn't aware that it was a clone he had talked to, nor that it had dispelled. Thus I have to also assume that this set of ROOT was still under orders to be on the lookout for me, but hadn't been notified that I'd already been caught. Again, I knew I couldn't take four on by myself, so I instead threw a kunai towards the one that was in line with the Hokage tower. He dodge as expected and they never noticed that the tower's alarms had activated until Hokage-sama and two ANBU units arrived to take them into custody. The rest you pretty much know."

"So Danzo never did disband ROOT as ordered. I knew there was something wrong when our ninja ranks didn't grow when he supposedly released his men from service." The Nara was almost beating himself from not seeing this sooner. "To think we all just took his saying that, they all felt they would rather retire than not be under his command, as truth."

"This is very disturbing news. We will have to look into this further. I suggest an investigation. If Uzumaki-san would be so kind as to show us the entrance to these tunnels I shall send in some scouts to pin point this underground complex."

"I would love to do that Aburame-san, but as I said they blindfolded me then led me in a few circles outside the village before taking me to the caves. All I can tell you is that the entrance is not inside the village walls. At least not the entrance we used."

"Naruto-kun you have given us much, grave information today, but we must now discuss how to go forward with this. Beyond this point it is council only business, and I will have to ask you to leave."

"I understand Hokage-sama, but there is one thing I want to know about before I leave. The secret that Danzo gave me. I need to know if it's true." Naruto walked over to the aged man and motioned for him to lean down. He whispered something in the Hokage's ear that made his eyes widen, before taking on a more sorrowful look. "I have to know Jiji-san..." Naruto turned his face away from the table. He didn't want to show them any sign of weakness. Not now.

"I see, so he knows that too. It's true Naruto-kun, and I suppose you've proven that you are strong enough to know. But first, this council will be dismissed until tomorrow. I would like you all here by eight o'clock. We have much to discuss about Danzo...and the Uchiha..." Getting nods from all the clan heads he left with Naruto towards his office.

"What I want to know is why my Hinata was at that boys door!" Hiashi's fists were clenching once again as he tried to make sense of his daughter's actions.

"Oh come off it Hiashi. They're teens what do you think she was doing there. She practically stalked him the whole time they were in the academy, and even a little before if my memory serves me." Chōza gave a jovial laugh as he patted the man on the back, at least he did until the man fixed him with a glare.

"There's no need to get upset Hiashi. He even defended your daughter when my son tried to force himself on her." Tsume clapped her hands over her mouth when she realized what she said, but it was too late as the Hyūga's gaze shifted slowly to her. "D-don't worry he's already being punished for it. It...it won't happen again."

"Really now Hiashi. Is the boy that bad that you would forbid you daughter to be near him. Let them alone, it's probably just some crush she will grow out of anyway." Nara logic never did account for the protectiveness of a father, or in Hiashi's case, the unflinching loyalty to one's clan.

"I would rather disown her than have that boy associated with the Hyūga clan." The statement was cold and direct. It wasn't a mere threat and it shocked everyone who heard it.

"You don't mean that Hiashi. She's you're daughter and heir to the Hyūga clan. You can't just throw her away like that just because she likes a boy."

"Shut up. All of you. This does not relate to any of you. This is now a Hyūga clan matter and as such I will deal with it as is my station as clan head dictates. Hinata is weak and misguided. Her sister will be twice the clan head she could hope to be." With that Hiashi stood and walked out of the room, radiating killing intent.

One thought ran through the heads of those left behind. 'He can't be serious.' Each of them had their own children that would inherit the leadership of their clan. The thought of disowning one without a just cause was ludicrous. An abominable idea as a parent and as a clan head, but than, the Hyūga never really showed the same type of family connections that the rest of them had. At least not the main branch.

• • •

"So you found out who your parents were. I admit I wasn't going to tell you until I saw fit that you would be able to protect yourself, but I suppose you have shown that you are more than capable of that. I will give you the choice of whether you want this to be public knowledge or not, but I will warn you that if word of this gets out, Danzo will be the least of your worries."

"No I don't want anyone that doesn't need to know to find out. If I think someone is trustworthy enough for the information then I will share it with them, but right now my circle of friends is small, and those that I would trust with such a secret is even smaller. For now though, I would like to know if they left me anything. A letter, a picture...an apology." He tried to be strong, but he couldn't help it when tears began to sting the corners of his eyes. Sarutobi walked around the corner of his desk and embraced the blond as the boy cried into his cloak. "Why, why did he do it. Why me." Inside he knew it had to be him. There just wasn't anyone else that he would have felt right placing the burden on, after all if the leader of a village isn't willing to sacrifice his own son, than what kind of leader is he. Yes, Naruto had found out that his father and the man that had damned him to his hell of a childhood were one and the same. He was not Uzumaki Naruto, orphan and village pariah of Konohagakure. He was Namikaze Naruto, son of the Yondaime Hokage Namikaze Minato and his wife Uzumaki Kushina.

After calming down, both took their seats again and Naruto watched as Sarutobi dug into his safe. The man pulled out a small black lacquered box with an orange swirl pattern on its lid. He opened it with the lid between Naruto and the boxes contents and looked at the first of its contents, which he hadn't seen in more then a decade. Slowly he took each article out and placed it in front of the eager teen. "I'm sure this is probably one of the items you wanted the most Naruto." The first item revealed was a photograph. It was only slightly faded near the edges as it hadn't seen much light at all. The picture spent all of two seconds on the desktop before it was snatched up as Naruto took a closer look. This was the closest he had ever been to the two people he should have known the most about throughout his young life. His father, Minato was holding his mother Kushina around the shoulders. His mom had her hand on her own bulging stomach.

"Jiji-san...do I have any siblings?"

"None..."

"I...see. Then this is a complete family portrait..."

Sarutobi gave him a few moments before bringing out the next item, or items rather. He lay two journals on the desk in front of Naruto. "One is your mothers, the other is your fathers. I have allowed no one to read either of them, including myself. The information inside is yours and yours alone."

Naruto picked them up and opened the leather bindings of one. He read a couple pages before setting it aside and doing the same with the other. He found each was a small diary, one from each of his parents. They weren't large, but they began when their life together began, and most likely ended when their lives ended. It would take him a long time to get through so few pages. They were after all the lives of his parents together. He wouldn't tarnish their memory by skimming through their life. To him every moment would be precious and he would live it through their words. He only looked up from his quiet contemplation when another item was brought out from the box. This time it was a key. There was nothing spectacular about it. It wasn't large and gold or wrought with precious gemstones, but it may as well have been. Even though it was plain He could tell exactly what it belonged to. It was the key to a house, their house. This was confirmed when a piece of paper joined it in front of him. A deed to a house somewhere in Konoha. From the address he could tell it wasn't in the richest section, nor the poorest, but a rather humble middle ground. It made him proud to know that, while his parents may have been some of the most powerful in the elemental countries, like him they didn't waste anything on frivolous items. They found no need to show off anything they had.

"Now Naruto. I need you to understand something. You parents were rich. One of the richest families in the village. Unfortunately, the council decided that their wealth would serve better elsewhere when it was found out that Minato and Kushina had no known relatives. You see Minato was an orphan and Kushina was the only known survivor from the former whirlpool country. Since I couldn't reveal your relationship to them it was only a matter of time until the council decided to remove their savings and distribute them throughout various organizations while I was out of the village. By the time I got back the paper trail had all but disappeared and there was no hope of getting any of it back, I'm sorry." Sarutobi hung his head a bit knowing he had failed the boy in that respect. How hard he had tried to get that money back, but in the end the most he could do was give the boy what the council would allow him to live off of. "On the brighter side though I was able to save their house. One of the more ambitious council members at the time was attempting to get at the items inside for a sale before he planned to move himself in. Let's just say he is no longer among the general populace of the village. Your father was a master of seals and if there was a building more secure than his own house then I don't know of it. After that event I made sure that none of the other council members could touch any more of their belongings by signing the properties and holdings of the Namikaze's over to my own name, and it is with my own authority that I have already begun the process of transferring them to your name. All it needs is a signature." Hiruzen extended one finger and pointed to the blank line on the deed papers that would signify the change of ownership of all properties that he had set aside from the Namikaze estates.

It took a few minutes for the information to sink in, but when it did Naruto leaped over the desk and hugged the Hokage tightly as he tried to contain his sobs. "Thank you Jiji-san. Thank you so much."

The old man had expected anger at the loss of his rightful wealth, but to be thanked for underestimating the greed of his own people was far from what he thought would happen. "Naruto? You aren't angry that your rightful fortune was taken away?"

The boy looked up and sniffled while wiping his eyes. "I have a family. A father and a mother. I have things that I would have grown up with if they hadn't died. Money comes and goes. I can live without it, but memories are more valuable than an entire mountain of gold. That you were able to save anything from those greedy bastards Is more than enough. Thank you Hokage-jiji."

"Well that's the last of it unfortunately. Everything else was either sold or simply disappeared. No doubt to be used as memoirs of the Yondaime or for private collections. So, if you want we can go take a look at your new house, and see if you can't get inside. With any luck the seals will know the blood of their creator's descendant."

"Hai, I think I would like to that." Collecting the various items and placing them back in the box, the two made their way through the village towards the house of the former Yondaime. After over a dozen years it would finally have its first new occupant.

When they arrived outside the front gate Naruto found himself facing a decent sized two-story building with a small yard out front. The house was completely dark and though it wasn't the largest of buildings around, it still made an imposing visage. Whether that was from the darkness, or the knowledge of whose house this had been, he wasn't sure. He walked forward slowly and pressed his hand on the gate only to find it unyielding. He gave a questioning look at his companion.

"It's a blood seal Naruto. The first time you open it you will need to place some of your blood on this seal here. After that you should be fine."

Nodding Naruto turned back towards the gate and bit his finger. Wiping it on the seal, they were both startled when Naruto couldn't pull his hand away. Instead he began to glow as his chakra seemed to drain into the seal. Soon a blue sphere of chakra surrounded him as the attention of those close enough to see or feel it was drawn to the gate. Those who knew who the house belonged to were at first surprised at what was happening. Then, seeing who it was that was at the gate they were angered. Anger turned to joy though when they noticed Naruto's brow begin to sweat, and the look of worry crossing the Hokage's face. ANBU began to show up as the chakra began to slowly die down. With orders shouted from the Sandaime they began to close off the street and move the onlookers away. 'It's taking so much chakra. I feel dizzy. Is it going to drain me completely? Just what were you thinking dad. Didn't you want your own son to get inside...LIKE HELL!' Naruto's chakra suddenly exploded as a look of determination settled on his face. Everyone stopped all actions as the sheer pressure of the air seemed to demand time to stand still. Even Sarutobi was forced to take a few steps back as the chakra swirled around, creating a small dervish in the middle of the street.

Slowly red cracks crossed the surface of the seal. Hours seemed to pass as they watched the crack grow closer to the center until, like glass, the seal shattered into millions of pieces and faded away. With the seal broken and no longer demanding chakra, the dome surrounding Naruto vanished leaving him weaving slightly before falling backwards into the waiting arms of the Hokage. The last thing he saw before falling unconscious were the now unlocked gates swinging open as Sarutobi carried him inside.

• • •

The sun was shining through the window of the room as two young women began to stir the next morning. It was a beautiful day out, but both were far too groggy from their experience the day before. Shielding her eyes Haku was the first to actually look around. As she took in the white walls and sheets, along with her roommate, what she could remember from yesterday started coming back to her. The last time she saw daylight she and Hinata had just arrived back at Naruto's apartment and then something fell over her face as his door opened. The next thing she could recall was a splitting headache as something was injected into her and she saw the sun setting before she was again forced into darkness. Now she woke up in an obvious hospital room with no one here to explain to her what happened. The only clue nearby was Hinata, who was now starting to crack her eyes open. "Morning Hinata-chan. Any idea what happened yesterday?"

"H-huh? Ha-Haku-san? Why are we in the hospital?"

"I'll take that as a no then. I'm as lost as you at the moment. I just woke up a few minutes ago, and no one has been by yet. I suppose we just wait for someone to show up."

Unknown to them it would be over an hour before someone decided to check in on them, but they managed to pass the time with idle chat about their lives. Haku, though a bit reluctant about it, opened up a little about her earlier days when she still had parents. She skipped some more personal times, before talking about her training with Zabuza and going into depth of how she met Naruto and what they did during that mission. Basically some things she had wanted to discuss the day before, but not in the public places they visited. Hinata was a bit more open with her life. She was no longer ashamed of how fragile she was since in the end she was with Naruto. She talked mostly about how she would watch him train and be inspired to push herself harder. As far as family affairs went she only went into how she was considered weak, and though she tried she was rather looked down upon even though she was the clan heir.

Soon after they heard the clock tone seven they both turned towards the door as is swung open to reveal Hyūga Hiashi in all his imposing glory, and even for a Hyūga he didn't look happy. Surprisingly he was followed by the entire Hyūga council making the room seem much smaller than it originally was. Not one of them seemed to care that Haku was there at all as their entire attention was on the you Hyūga heiress. One of the council elders stepped forward and addressed the onlooking teen. "Hyūga Hinata, it has been brought to our attention that you have been associating with a male not of our choosing in an intimate matter. Furthermore, said male is from outside the clan. Are these accusations accurate?"

The girls eyes were wide in fear as she began to shake. To Haku she seemed to be on auto-pilot as she nodded her head in the affirmative. It slowly registered to her just what was going on, and she felt guilty that a part of her was dancing around in her head. It seemed the girl was not supposed to be romantically associated with anyone outside of her own clan, or at least not without their approval. It sounded rather harsh and she felt bad for her newest friend, but there was little she could do.

"Since you have gone against the guidelines of the clan you will leave us little choice in the consequences unless you cease such a selfish action this moment. You will break off all relations with Uzumaki Naruto and we shall choose someone suited to your station to accompany you should you feel the need for companionship."

Hinata was beside herself. It had taken her so many years but she was finally with who she wanted to be with, and now her family was trying to tear her away from her happiness when she had finally realized just how loyal her Naruto-kun was to her. She had trampled his heart into the ground yesterday, yet gained it back. Now she would have to dash it to pieces no matter what she felt. 'No, no. They can't. I won't let them. I'll disappear before I let them.' With all the determination she could muster in front of so many intimidating figures she lifted her head to meet their stares with more strength behind her than they had ever seen. Though it still didn't amount to much it was enough for her to whisper out the words she wanted. "I w-will not abandon him again...y-you can't make me abandon him a-again!' That was all she could get out before she had to cover her lower face with her blanket, but the damage was already done.

Haku watched from her bed as the older men got out what looked to be ink and a brush. "Hyūga Hinata. Since you refuse to follow reason we are forced to banish you from the clan." Gasps escaped both girls as what was said sank in. "As such you will now receive the same seal as the branch house of the Hyūga clan. Know your treacherous acts when you see it upon your brow as you peer at your own reflection." The man holding the brush dipped it in the ink jar and moved forward to begin the process of placing the caged-bird seal. His hand moved quick and precise as he drew symbols on a stunned Hinata's face. No ceremony was given as another man tore the back off her hospital gown as the seal maker continued onto her back. He finished with a flourish as Hiashi himself stepped forward. "As of now you are no longer a Hyūga and you are no longer my daughter." He began to channel chakra into his hand as he lowered it to the center of her forehead.

His palm was never able to make contact though as a thick layer of ice surrounded it. He soon found the same ice forming around all of his limbs along with those of his council. None of them could move an inch, but they could feel the killing intent of someone nearby. With some difficulty a few of the men turned their gazes towards the source and found a livid Haku crouching on the edge of her bed with a snarl marring her otherwise perfect features. "How dare you restrain us child. This is clan business you have no right to interfere."

"I claim the right of one forgotten to save the sanity of someone who has accepted her. You will have to go through more then myself if you ever want to lay a hand on Hinata-chan again. Even if you do manage to get your filthy paws on her I can promise you they will not be in any condition to do harm." With an agile leap Haku sent herself over to Hinata's bed and gathered the girl in her arms before rushing over to the window as fast as her recovering body would allow. She gave one last glare over to the men and saw that the ice was starting to crack, so turning back to the now open window she shot out into the village and across the rooftops before dropping out of sight amongst the village's alleyways.

"Hiashi, I do hope you plan on fixing this mishap. We cannot allow an uncontrolled Hyūga to run around freely outside of the compound. You must regain control over your daughter!" The tone of the clock rang out once more signaling that it was nearing eight o'clock. The process of writing the seal had been a long one.

"I have a meeting with Hokage-sama shortly. I will settle this matter afterward, but I only have one daughter now. Hinata is little more than a nuisance." The council of Hyūga left the room with only one looking back. Hiashi glanced at the open window and glared across the rooftops. He had already been to the boy's apartment once this week. If she were truly close to him then she would be easily found again. 'You may run all you want, but you are as predictable as your fighting. That is why you will always be weak.' Silently he turned and made his way towards his next destination. After all the village council had to decide what to do with the despicable existence of Danzo, and whatever the Hokage needed to discuss about the Uchiha.

• • •

He had woken up early in the morning, well before the sun, as he normally did. At first he had no idea where he was as the room was completely different than any he had seen before. It took a little exploring before he found the box that the Hokage had given him the night before along with a note.

'Congratulations Naruto,

It seems Minato-kun made a rather more intricate seal than we at first thought. While I do not know exactly what happened, all I can tell you is that you successfully accessed the property and as such it has been proven to be rightfully yours. Unfortunately quite a crowd had seen the event take place so I am unsure how long we will be able to keep your lineage under wraps. Don't worry about that now though, get yourself settled in and begin moving whatever you need from your old apartment over. Its door is still broken, so I can't say how long any of your possessions will stay safe. I would have brought them over myself but I had a lot of explaining to do. As it stands the story is that I decided to open up the estate to whoever wanted to purchase it. You had been the first to offer and with you mission savings, you had just enough to buy it. We found out that it was rather heavily sealed, but through luck or the deterioration of the seals you were able to unlock the gates. Be sure to lock the doors and the gate if you leave. I have no idea what the villagers may try, and I'd rather not find out. Good luck with your new estate and I hope you get along with you new teammate. Make sure you both come see me within the next month as I have an important offer for you.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage, Jiji-san'

Naruto gave a small smile as he read the note, then a large grin as he realized that this was his house and his room now. He recalled his talk about getting a new apartment, but to have a whole house was more than he'd expected. With a frenzied pace he ran from room to room inspecting everything. Sure, it needed a lot of cleaning, but underneath the layers of dust and grime were floors and furniture that were all his. There were three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an office, kitchen, dining room, living room, an enclosed patio that looked over a nice sized back yard that was fenced in for privacy. The back yard held a small training area and a bamboo enclosed meditation area with a small pond in it. The basement held some aged sake and stored non perishable items along with another room that looked to be a library. He would have a look through some of the scrolls there later. There weren't many, but he could easily fix that. By far the worst experience so far was the kitchen. It seemed his parents had to vacate in a hurry as all the food items in the refrigerator had spoiled and there were unwashed dishes in the sink. The trash would need emptied as well, but with all the cleaning he was going to have to do it really wouldn't amount to much after all of it was finished.

After his impromptu tour he settled into his practical mindset. In seconds there were small groups of clones assigned to each room. He had to push the ones that he put in the kitchen, and ended up making some face masks from some rags they found. If they kept up the pace the house should be cleaned up in no time, so there would be no point in waiting around. Getting the key from the box in his bedroom he headed off to his apartment to gather what few belonging might still be there. After all the excitement yesterday he had never been able to see just how 'thorough' the Hyūga decided to search his place. He stopped only briefly to grab a couple bowls of ramen at Ichiraku's when his stomach reminded him that he had little to eat recently. Ichiraku Teuchi was one of the few people he would trust with his new living accommodations. After all how would he get his ramen delivered if the man didn't know where he lived. It seemed that the man had no idea who the house had belonged to formerly, so it wasn't like he would be spreading around rumors anyway.

It wasn't until his apartment was in sight that a cold shiver went down his spine. For some reason there seemed to be an unpleasant aura around the place. He found himself debating whether he should wait until later, but decided that if it were some ignorant village mob that was trying to take out what was left of his former residence he would try to save what he could before making a dash for it. The feeling only grew worse however as he climbed the steps, and he came to a dead stop after turning the corner into his hallway. It seemed like deja-vu. There crouched outside his broken down door was Hyūga Hinata, clutching her knees and crying. The only differences between yesterday and today though were the hospital gowns, the presence of Haku who was similarly dressed and the green ink writing all over Hinata that was unmistakably the beginnings of a seal.

Haku was kneeling in front of Hinata trying to coax her head up in order to wipe the marks off her face with the wet cloth in her hand. Giving up on that for the time being she moved to the girls back and was about to start washing away the offending marks before a hand stopped her movement. Looking up she saw the face of Naruto. Immediately she hugged him before pulling away slightly ashamed that she did such an action in front of Hinata. Embarrassment was overshadowed though with the question that was on her mind. "Why did you stop me Naruto-kun?"

It was all Hinata needed to hear though as she shot up and clung onto him, knocking him down in the process, completely disregarding the state of her clothing. "Naruto-kun!" She began to sob into his chest and he let her go as his shirt began to dampen. He stroked her hair and back trying to calm her down so he could make sense of what was going on, but she didn't seem to want to stop. He gave a quizzical but worried look at Haku who sighed and helped the distraught girl to her feet.

Naruto waited until Haku was supporting Hinata fully before pushing his door the rest of the way open and quickly ushering them inside. He did his best to close the door behind them and propped a chair in front of it as a make shift lock. "Ok why were you both sitting out in the hall in front of my apartment in nothing but hospital gowns, why is Hinata's gown torn, and why does she have seal inscriptions on her." It wasn't a question but a demand aimed at the only one of the two that seemed capable of talking. He sat on the couch and motioned Haku to give Hinata to him. They settled Hinata in his lap and Haku began her explanation as Naruto rocked his girlfriend to comfort her.

"We had just woken up from whatever happened yesterday and were talking when all of a sudden some people from her family, including her father, came in and asked her to confirm or deny her relationship with you. When she confirmed and refused to end it, they told her she was no longer a Hyūga and then began drawing these symbols on her, even ripping her clothes off to do it. When the one man was done her father moved towards her with chakra in his hand and told her that she wasn't a Hyūga or his daughter anymore." Hinata's sobbing grew stronger as she gripped Naruto tighter. He returned the action to let her know he was still there. "When he was about to touch her I was so angry that I froze them all in place then took Hinata and ran. I don't know why they didn't follow, but this was the only place I could think to go. Hinata refused to enter though and just sat down outside, and that's how you found us. I didn't know what else to do. I'm sorry."

Naruto fixed her with a stern glare and she feared she'd taken the worst action. "Is that exactly what happened. In that exact order?" When she nodded and surprisingly Hinata nodded into his chest, he sighed. "Good." Both girls were stunned.

"What the hell do you mean good?! Hinata-chan was just disowned by her family and they were about to do something weird to her. How can you say good?!" His glare landed on Haku again and she shrank back back into her seat.

"Good because the Hyūga are a bunch of stuck up assholes, well most of them." He stroked Hinata's hair and whispered to her that she was one of the biggest exceptions to that, bringing a small jerk to the corner of her mouth. "Good because they didn't get what they wanted. Good because they can't get what they want, and good because I can find out what they wanted. That is if you will let me Hinata-chan?" The girl gave a small nod and he moved her off his lap. "Whatever you do don't touch those marks." He called out behind him as he headed into his bedroom. He came out in a few minutes with a scroll, ink and brushes, and two sets of clothing. He handed a set to Haku. "Here you can wear this for now. It's not much, but they didn't exactly leave me much when they decided to 'investigate' here." She nodded and thanked him before heading into his room to change. He turned back towards Hinata as he laid out his supplies. "This is going to be a bit embarrassing for both of us, but please bare with it." He lifted her face and slowly got her to drop the top of her gown making them both blush and Hinata screw her eyes shut. "I'm sorry Hinata-chan but the sooner I get this copied down the sooner you can get dressed, so please try not to cover yourself for now If it helps any, I think you're beautiful.." After she gave a reluctant nod and set her arms to her sides he was treated to a view of her early developing, bra-clad chest, but he fought past any thoughts of that as concern for her well being overrode any perversion on his part. Had Hinata kept her eyes open she would have seen a hand, more expert than that of the Hyūga elder that had marked her, glide across the parchment duplicating every symbol exactly as it was on her skin. His job was made all the easier by her blush as it contrasted against the ink allowing him to easily see each stroke.

Midway through Haku came out fully dressed in his clothes and stopped at witnessing what was going on. The grace in Naruto's strokes seemed to display far superior expertise than any seal maker she'd ever seen, not that she'd seen many. If she didn't already know him she would have thought him a man with half a lifetime of experience in the art. She stayed silent as he worked diligently, eyes never wavering from the seals he was copying as they simply seemed to flow through his eyes and right out of the brush he held. Not once did he run out of ink mid stroke, nor did he misplace a symbol even though he never glanced at the scroll in his lap. It was an elegant dance of hand and eye that entranced her until he suddenly stopped, snapping her out of her daze.

"Hinata-chan I have the front done. I need you to turn around so I can get the back." Eyes still shut tight, the girl nodded and turned around before settling on her knees, bringing her arms over her breasts to keep what little modesty she had left as he brushed her hair gently out of the way. Once again the dance begun and Haku was sent into a trance as she watched the brush sweep back and forth. The seal on this side had reached all the way down Hinata's back, almost to the point that they would have had to tear off the rest of her robe to continue. Luckily she was able to keep that half of her dignity and was soon rewarded by the sound of a scroll snapping shut. "There all done. Now Hinata-chan, Haku-chan, we have to leave here. There's no doubt Hiashi will be looking for you both and it's clear they already know of Hinata-chan's involvement with me, so this will be one of the first places they look. Hinata go ahead and change then we'll leave."

"B-but what about your stuff N-Naruto-kun?" Even though she was in such despair she still had enough energy left to worry about him. It brought a smile to his face.

"Don't worry about that Hinata-chan I have everything I need in places other then this dump, and with my girlfriend and friends at my side I don't need to worry about anything here. Now go change quick we need to get moving." He was trying to console her but the urgency in his tone was not lost on any of them, so Hinata rushed into the bedroom and quickly changed as Naruto ran around the kitchen and living area grabbing what he could of the food items and anything that wasn't too broken to salvage. The Hyūga had definitely done a number on his apartment that was for sure. As soon as the bedroom door was open he dashed in and grabbed a few essentials, including a secret stash of ninja supplies he kept hidden under some loose floorboards, and sealed it all away before leading them away from the apartment. Each of them were keeping their eyes open as they sped across the rooftops, away from anything they knew, as they came upon the section of town that they would all get to know much better. Suddenly Naruto dropped down to the street as the merchant sector gave way to residential areas leaving the buildings too far apart for the girls to jump, and too far for Naruto to jump without causing damage on his landing. They quickly sped through the streets, ignoring anyone who called out to them as they ran. After five minutes of weaving in and out of anyone in their way they skidded to a stop in front of a tall iron gate that was familiar to all but one of them. Hinata's eyes widened when Naruto went to open the gate and she grabbed his arm.

"Naruto-kun d-do you know whose house this is? W-we can't go in there it's b-been forbidden by Hokage-sama."

"Yes I know whose it is. It's mine. I'll explain when we get inside." He gently removed her shocked hand from his arm and opened the gate before pushing them through and locking it behind them. He repeated the process again as he ushered them through the front door. When the door was closed and locked he finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Safe..."

Both girls looked around at the living room. It was enough for a family, that much they could see. The room looked clean and the couches looked very comfortable. So comfortable that they all collapsed into them, still breathing a bit heavily from their run. When they had regained their normal intake of air the two girls looked at Naruto, the question was evident in their eyes, but he ignored it. He had other issues to deal with right now. "I know I told you I would explain, but it will have to wait until later. Get settled in awhile. There are three rooms upstairs the one towards the front is mine. Here is a scroll with what I could get from my apartment, there is some food in there. Instant stuff mostly. It's not much but it'll have to do for now. If you'll excuse me I need to go see Hokage-jiji now." He got up to leave when another pair of hands shot out and grabbed both his arms this time.

"What do you mean get settled in?"

"Ok quick. Hinata-chan clearly has no place to go right now, so I'm not about to let her sleep on the streets. Plus Hiashi will be looking for her, so there is no way I'm going to let her walk around town until I get this sorted out. Haku-chan can't go out right now either because they know you took Hinata, so you would know where she went and they would use you to find her. Besides, you don't have a place either so both of you will stay here. Now I have to go. If a clone is in your way just punch it or something. Have fun." Before they could say anything further he was out the door and locking it behind him leaving both girls to look at each other wondering what could be so important, though they had an idea it dealt with the Hyūga.

"Well since we can't go anywhere we might as well do as he said. First thing I'm doing though is getting a shower come on Hinata-chan, lets find a bathroom." To her benefit Hinata was taking things rather well. Sure she was disowned, basically a prisoner for her safety and in a house that she never thought anyone would enter, but she was also going to be living with her Naruto-kun. Even if Haku was staying there too, it was almost like they would be married. They would see each other every day that they didn't have missions. They would eat together and just laze around together. The only thing that kept them short of being as close as a real married couple was that they wouldn't be sleeping together. They were far too young for that, and though she had fantasized about it once or twice she'd always envisioned them living like this when they were much older than they were now. When she had finished musing to herself she found that she was in a large bathroom and Haku was already halfway undressed. Slightly embarrassed at the thought of bathing with someone else, she chalked it up as yet another new experience for the day and started to disrobe herself. "Now. Tell me. Whose house are we in?"

• • •

Naruto was furious. No, he was well beyond that. The absolute nerve of that damned Hyūga head. There was a good side to all this and that was the only thing keeping him calm as he made his way to the council chambers. He saw the normal ANBU guards there and after explaining to them seven times that he had urgent business with the Hokage, and that it could be important to the future of the village, he finally made one of them cave into telling the old man that he was here. Much to their annoyance he was immediately given approval to enter. Which he did, but not in a way they had expected.

Inside the council chamber had been argument and counter argument traded back and forth over just what to do about Danzo. No one had seen the man since he showed up at the meeting yesterday and that only served to put more pressure on them. It was somewhat of a reprieve then, when they were told that Naruto was waiting for admittance for some important reason. What they didn't expect was that when the blond entered the room he was immediately pinned against the wall by Hiashi.

"Tell me where she is boy." He steeled his glare on Naruto as he made his demand.

"Where is who Hyūga-san?"

"Don't play dumb with me brat. Where is Hinata?"

Naruto smirked. "You mean your daughter Hyūga Hinata?"

"She is no daughter of mine. She has disgraced the clan and as such she has been removed from it. Now tell me where that failure is before I make you tell me."

"That is enough Hiashi!" Hiruzen stood up and spoke with authority.

"This is clan matters Hokage-sama and as such I am within my rights to demand the information I seek." He turned his head once more towards his captive. "Now tell me boy where is she." Naruto only smirked at him and held out his tongue. The Hyūga head channeled chakra into his hand. "So be it. Even if you cannot speak we will find her one way or another." He thrust his hand forward and to the horror of those present struck Naruto directly in the heart.

Cries of pain echoed through the room as the ANBU rushed in ready for anything. What they found was either greatly upsetting or highly amusing. Hyūga Hiashi stood near the wall with Naruto held off the ground, byakugan blazing and his hand pressed firmly against the boys chest as a grin crossed his face. On the other side of the room another Naruto sat in the corner of the room, writhing in mock pain and letting loose quite a racket. No one was sure which sight to look at until the Hokage coughed. With all eyes on him he waved the ANBU out before speaking. "If you are quite done Hiashi, we seem to have important matters to discuss. For starters the attempted assassination of a genin-rank shinobi of the leaf by the head of the Hyūga clan." As he said this Naruto's clone finally expired and in a poof of smoke Hiashi was left holding nothing but air. He turned and made to rush the boy again, but found his path to be blocked by a couple of the other clan heads. "Now there is obviously an explanation for all of this, and I am rather anxious to hear about what could make the head of the Hyūga clan loose his temper to such a state that he would attack a fellow ninja of the leaf in front of the Kage of the village." He sat back in his seat and pressed his fingers together waiting for the explanation to come.

"Hokage-sama. I found out that Hinata was seen around with this boy. An act which against our clan laws. When she refused to cease her actions we were going to place the seal on her. She was rescued by this boy's teammate, and I have no doubt that he knows where she is."

"I see, a valid explanation. Now Naruto why are you harboring someone involved in a clan matter?" The Hokage's glare was intense and Naruto couldn't help but shrink back a little.

"H- *ahem* Hokage-sama. The actions Hyūga Hiashi took are indeed correct." Hiashi smiled as he found things going his way. "but the order he said them in is not."

"I hardly see how that is relevant." Hiashi scoffed at the boys meager defense.

"Oh but it is Hyūga-san." Naruto's grin told everyone that the trickster was back along with his confidence, and this wasn't going to end well for his target. "I was told by the witness of the events, Momochi Haku, that after Hinata-chan's refusal to obey your orders you let her know that her punishment would be banishment, to be disowned by her family and to have the caged bird seal placed upon her." The looks sent at Hiashi told him just whose side most of the council was on already. "After half stripping her in front of the Hyūga council one of your elders drew this seal on her skin." He unfurled the scroll to show everyone what he copied off of Hinata. "Do you deny this?"

Hiashi looked at the scroll and knew it was the same one that was put on his former daughter. As much as he hated the boy he would not bring his integrity into question. "That is correct."

"Before continuing I would like to point out a few pieces of this seal. It is indeed the caged-bird seal, however there are a few pieces added. This spot here which was over her heart allowed for immediate execution should the person activating the seal desire. Over here, near where her left ear would be, is a small seal that would render the target completely incompetent once the seal was activated. Finally here, this portion was on her lower back and would seal up all the target's chakra once the seal was finalized." They could all see that Hiashi knew none of this as his shock was evident.

"Th-that cannot be true. You're making that up."

"Hokage-sama you should at least know a chakra sealing configuration. Please inspect this and tell us what you see." Naruto shoved the scroll down the table to where Sarutobi could see it as he glared at the Hyūga head.

The man donned his glasses and looked over the markings. He checked each of the three indicated sections and was surprised and now very angry at the Hyūga. "Hiashi..." His tone was even and cold there was no doubt that he was deadly serious. "What Naruto-kun says is true. This is indeed a chakra sealing configuration. I do not know the exact meanings of the other two, but the one by the ear is similar to a memory modification seal, and the one near the heart shows similarities to portions of Shiki Fūjin." The blood was instantly drained from Hiashi's face showing just how serious that was.

"I...see..."

"Now for the kicker!" Everyone turned to the blond who didn't seem fazed at all by the revelation. "Just before you were going to set the seal into place you told Hinata-chan two things. First, you told her she was no longer a Hyūga. Then, you told her she was no longer your daughter." He fixed a dangerous gaze on the usually imposing man without batting an eyelash.

Hiashi's blood came back to his face a bit as he matched Naruto's eyes. "And what does that matter boy. She will still receive the seal, though I shall make sure it is the correct one this time." Hiashi narrowed his eyes once again taking control of his emotions.

"No Hyūga-san, you will not touch her. You said it yourself, she is no longer a Hyūga and she is no longer your daughter. As such anything you attempt to do to her now is considered an unlawful attack on a loyal ninja of Konoha. You and your clan have no claim over her since you dismissed her before setting the seal in place, as per your own clan laws."

They couldn't believe it. A genin that wasn't even part of a clan just beat the head Hyūga with his own rules. Hiashi was furious, but there was nothing that he could do. Sarutobi was smiling at the ingeniousness of it all. "He is correct Hiashi. Since you labeled her as no longer a Hyūga, both in the hospital and in front of us repeatedly just moments ago, the clan laws were removed with her status, and since you disowned her as family you no longer have stake over her well being. It pains me that you would have taken this so far, but now you must deal with the result of your rash actions. A byakugan wielder that is outside the realms of the Hyūga clan influence."

Hiashi was boiling now. "Fine! If you'll excuse me I have search teams to recall." He headed for the door but was never able to reach it.

"Oh Hyūga-san." Oh how the man was beginning to hate that ringing note in the child's voice. Like the doomsday bells tolling every time he heard it. "We still have some things to discuss. Namely actions taken by your clan against me." Hiruzen knew this could only end badly, but the boy had every right to what was coming and there was nothing Hiashi or he could do about it. The targeted man turned around slowly and glared with as much hate and malice as he could. "Yesterday your clan, as you had told this council, 'inspected' my apartment. What I found when I got there was not what I had left it as when I last saw it. I admit to breaking the door, but inside there was not a single piece of furniture left intact. I was lucky to scrounge a couple sets of clothing for Hinata and Haku to change into from their hospital garb. I think the only thing that was still mostly whole was my food, but that isn't surprising considering I was almost out and it was mostly instant meals. Then there is your attempted assault on my person as soon as I walked into this room. I'll let that one slide though since it was only a clone, but I will be asking for recompense for my destroyed property." He gave a cheeky smile at the man, who in turn gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as he stomped out from the chamber slamming the door behind him. "That went well."

A collective sigh went through the room as everyone let out the breaths they hadn't realized they had been holding. "Naruto-san that was a dangerous game you played." Inoichi was wiping the sweat from his brow.

"I swear I haven't seen bigger balls on an ox." Tsume, crude, but getting her point across as she grinned at him. "No wonder my son felt so threatened by you."

It was the Hokage though who was the most collected. "Was what you said about these seals true Naruto?" Inquisitive glances went between the blond and the old man.

"Hai, every word of it."

"Good. Then I don't have to double check later." Jaws hit the table as the Hokage relaxed into his chair with his hands behind his head.

"Ne, Naruto-san where did you learn so much about seals? And the Hyūga clan laws for that matter."

"You would be surprised what you can find in the trash Nara-san, well I would be surprised if you found anything useful in it if you came after me. Though I have to say I'm surprised how many people seem to not like the art. I think I've seen more brand new books on seals in trash than any other type of jutsu. Such a shame."

"Naruto-san, sealing is one of the more difficult subjects to grasp let alone hold ones attention. It's for that reason that it was taken out of the academy curriculum."

"I don't see what's so difficult about it. It seems pretty straight forward to me. I'm kind of surprised the Aburame don't take a higher interest in seals. I mean suppose you go up against someone who has a counter for your insects. Since they take most of your chakra to function wouldn't seals be the perfect back up plan?" Cold hard logic against one of the most intelligent clans in the village. A bold move by any standard.

"Hai, Naruto-san. However none of our clan have shown an adequate amount of skill in the task to utilize it properly."

"I see...pity."

"Naruto-kun do you happen to have seal making supplies with you?" Hiruzen was now curious at the boy's skill.

"Hai, just what I have left over from copying the seal that was on Hinata down. Why?"

"Could you draw us a seal please?"

Naruto cocked an eyebrow. "Any particular one you want?"

The Hokage hadn't really thought about it so he decided on something that should be easy. "How about an exploding tag?"

"Sure, what kind."

"Pardon?"

"What kind of exploding tag?"

"I wasn't aware there were kinds."

"Wow...you all need to dig into a good sealing book sometime. At least learn what's out there so you know what you're looking at."

A twelve year old boy was telling the aged Hokage of Konoha that he needed to learn more, the man hailed as 'The Professor'. It was too much as the room erupted into fits of laughter. Even Sarutobi himself joined in at the irony. "Whatever one you feel like making Naruto, then you can explain to us how it's different than a normal exploding tag ok?"

"Fine." He took out a sheet of paper and placed his ink bottle beside him along with a stack of senbon and a brush. Removing the cap from the ink jar he got to work. Just as Haku had been that morning, so were the council mesmerized by the fluid dancing of the brush across the page as intricate designs formed on the surface. It was a large paper for a tag, but they ignored it as the were too entranced with the brush strokes as symbols seemed to float out of the brush and onto the paper. They blinked as the motion was interrupted by a jingle of metal and a small poof of smoke. Then more symbols were added until Naruto finally lifted his brush and resealed the ink jar. It had seemed like a full length ballet yet the entire process had taken only a few minutes. The work was astonishing as they now saw the seal in its entirety. While nothing near the intricacy of the Shiki Fūjin. It was rather impressive for an exploding tag. The only problem was that the paper was about four times the width and three times the height of a normal tag.

"Well that was very beautiful Naruto-san, but It isn't very practical."

"Who says I'm finished Nara-san? I just thought you might want to see the full seal and get an explanation before I finalize it." Naruto said with a smirk before beginning the explanation of the seal he just made. "Now the main seal sets off an explosion. Not very large, but it doesn't need to be for this one. These seals on the sides are containment seals that hold whatever number of whatever object you want. In this case, senbon, all facing the same edge of the tag. These symbols here link the explosive seal to the containment seal. When triggered the senbon will release just before the explosion goes off, sending the senbon in the direction that their edge of the tag is facing. The whole thing is set with a delay for a surprise trap." Complex? Just a little. He lost some of them half way through and could see it on their faces. "Basically it explodes and sends projectiles in the direction you want it to." The rest of the heads nodded at that.

"You mentioned it wasn't finished." Inoichi reminded him.

Naruto stood up to put himself over top of the paper and pressed his hand on it. They saw him murmur something before there was a bright flash of chakra that they had to turn away from. "There now its finished." What they saw when they turned back around, looked nothing like what was there previously. Instead of one big seal on a large sheet of paper there was now twenty four small and vastly different seals repeated over the paper. The main difference was each seal had two strokes on one side forming what looked to be an arrow. "All that's left is to cut them apart and set them up like you would any other exploding tag. I find the best use for these to be an advance set up trap that you would chase a target into. When they pass it the delay shoots the senbon out and hits them from behind. You could use it as an emergency trap too. Either to hit someone chasing you, though then you run the risk of having to dodge the senbon as well, or set them sideways to take out some of a group of pursuers if they are in a winged formation. Hell if you're quick enough you could slap one on an enemies shoulder facing his head and if he's too slow getting it off it'll be lights out real quick."

…

…

…

"My god, he's like a miniature Minato." Naruto and Sarutobi almost choked at the comment but managed to keep their straight faces.

"Th-thank you for the compliment Inuzuka-san. I am humbled that you would compare me to the Yondaime."

"Naruto-san. Would it be possible for us to get an example tag from you of this design. I wish to present it at my clan's next council meeting."

"Sure Akimichi-san. You can all have some if you like." Taking out a kunai he sliced up the paper into individual tags, each half the size of a normal explosive note. Dividing them up into eight piles of three he passed one pile to each of the clan heads present and one pile to the Hokage before pocketing the remainder.

Sarutobi took one of the tags and looked it over before setting it down on the table facing an unoccupied side with a blank wall behind it. Activating the tag he made sure everyone had their ears covered before. Setting the tag off. As Naruto said there was a delay and a couple seconds after the tag was tripped and small blast was seen and heard as the door to the room was flung open and two battle ready ANBU were looking around frantically to find the threat. Instead all they found were six adults looking between one smiling boy and a wall where there were now eight senbon evenly spread in a straight line embedded halfway into it's surface. "H-Hokage-sama are you unharmed?"

The man waved them off in a daze and managed to spit out a slow "Just fine." as he took in what just happened.

"Amazing."

"Could they get any better?"

The laughter of a child was the immediate answer they got, to their slight annoyance. "I'm guessing that means it does."

"You people are thinking far too two dimensional." The comment confused them until Shikaku Nara realized the meaning.

"On a battlefield there is seldom a flat surface. Even more-so in the forests of Konoha If someone layers more then one of these staggered on an uneven surface, say a branch, once triggered you could have a rain of weapons that covers a radius around that object. You could take out a small army with enough of them, and they would never know what hit them." One could almost see chibi versions of the clan heads dancing on top of their actual heads. If they had such tactical tags as this they wouldn't just be the top country I the elemental nations. They would completely overshadow everyone else, and the best part of it was that without knowledge of how the seal works, no one could copy it.

"Well I think we'll need to make a whole new division in the ninja ranks to cover this. If we can produce more variety of seals that are difficult to reverse engineer, we shouldn't waste such a resource. Uzumaki Naruto you have just proven yourself invaluable to this village."

"Thank you Inoichi-san. Now if you don't mind I have some guests at my house that I need to see after. If you need to summon me, Hokage-sama knows where I can be found. Just don't try to force your way inside." With that Naruto bowed low and left amidst a chorus of applause. On his way out he was stopped at the door as the civilian council members decided to show up.

"Ah Uzumaki. Just the person we wanted to see. I bid you to stay we have some things that we need to discuss." The threat in the pudgy man's tone was all too apparent as he and the rest of the civilians shoved their way into the room.

Sarutobi groaned in defeat. The fun was over and he would now have to deal with his actions last night. "Go ahead Naruto-kun. I'll handle this."

"Hokage-sama this involves the Uzumaki boy directly. He is required to stay."

"As I have pressing matters at the moment I will have to decline. I reserve my right to have a person of my choosing to speak in my stead. I choose Nara Shikaku as the holder of my trust in this case if he agrees to it."

"Why Nara-sama?"

"Well I would have said Hokage-sama, but he'll be busy defending himself as well, I'm sure. I trust Nara-san to do the right thing. Which in this case is most likely falling asleep. Good day." Before they could retort he was out the door and away from the tower laughing.

"I'm beginning to see why my son uses the word troublesome so much after being around that kid." Nara announced as the civilian council members begrudgingly took their seats.

"Now what is this about?" Though he would have rather left the room as well, Sarutobi resigned himself to his duties of listening to the most likely, pointless drivel of the civilian council.

Koharu was the first to speak. "Hokage-sama, it has come to our attention that one Uzumaki Naruto attempted to attack one Uchiha Sasuke on their last mission together. As guardians of said Uchiha, Mitokado Homura and myself wish to raise our concerns about this issue. We would also like to remind the council that Uchiha Sasuke is the last remaining Uchiha in Konohagakure and as such his loyalties must remain high if we wish to keep him here to rebuild the Uchiha and revive the sharingan."

Nara Shikaku murmured lowly so that few could hear. "How could we forget he's the last one. You remind us almost daily." He earned a few snorts of acknowledgment from those close enough to make out his ramblings.

"I understand that you two would want to be here for this out of concern for your charge, however, why must the rest of the council be present. Once again this is a ninja matter and as such they would not have jurisdiction over either party." Inoichi reasoned out, earning nods from his fellow ninja.

"They are here because they are concerned about the future prospects of their families. As they hope to one day petition for their female family members to one day assist in the rebuilding of the Uchiha clan, they are concerned as to how this even will be handled." Homura explained to them, gesturing to those who had high hopes of marrying someone into one of the most prestigious clans in Konoha.

The Hokage finished lighting his pipe, which he had been taking this time to refill. Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he looked over to the civilians and started pointing to each council member among them. "You five are dismissed. I don't care what prospects you have with the Uchiha's future, they do not belong in this discussion. Koharu and Homura may stay as they have direct affiliations with the boy. They however will only be present so long as they don't tempt me to decide otherwise." The council was shocked. Normally he would just brush things off and continue, but he left no room for question this time.

"B-but Hokage-sama, why souldn't we be allowed to stay? Surely this meeting will not involve anything life threatening to hear." Junzo stated, surprised that the Sandaime was so quick to dismiss them.

"No it does not, but it is a ninja matter regardless, and you will not be present for it." The old man replied evenly.

"...It's that boy isn't it. He's poisoned your mind Sarutobi. He'll be the death of us yet if you keep these actions up." Denbe received a harsh glare from not only Hiruzen, but also many of the ninja present.

"If that boy has done anything to me, it has been to open my eyes to the stagnant actions of this room. Now unless you wish to further aggravate my temper I suggest you remove yourselves from this chamber before it is done for you." Once again the council members stood and walked out of the room. Since they didn't have a reasonable target for their glares this time, they instead choose to point their noses in the air like the ignorant fools they were. Once the door shut, Sarutobi turned back to his former teammates. "Now, what was it that you heard about this supposed attempt on the Uchiha's well being?"

Turning their attention back to the man after watching their support leave they began their plea. "Hokage-sama. We were told that after an argument, that de...boy attacked Uchiha Sasuke and sent him through a door. After that the boy was under 'its' influence as he advanced on Uchiha-sama. Hokage-sama that...boy is unstable and something must be done to stop him!" Homura stated what he knew of the situation based off of what Sasuke told him.

"Is that all?" Sarutobi inquired as his headache started to form.

"What more could you possibly need to know Hokage-sama?" Koharu asked indignantly.

"How about what happened to aggravate Uzumaki-san to that point? Or how about what calmed him down enough to not make that pompous fool into a red stain on their surroundings?" Nara Shikaku mentioned as he rose his head off his arms. If something was interesting enough to keep a Nara awake then the others knew they should be listening. Not that they weren't at the first mention of the Kyūbi's possible influence.

Hiruzen looked back at his 'advisers' expecting them to at least make up an excuse. When they came up short he sighed at their stupidity. "Since you don't seem to know the situation then allow me to fill in the blanks. It was Uchiha Sasuke who attempted to attack Momochi Haku in order to sate his anger at Uzumaki Naruto for overshadowing him in strength and wit. It was Uzumaki Naruto who took the blade meant for Momochi Haku and the anger at the actions of Uchiha Sasuke that drove him to attack. I think if I were stabbed by a comrade who was attempting to stab another comrade I would be furious enough to act out as well. I believe you should be happy that Sasuke made it back in one piece and someone found a way to calm Naruto as Nara-san said."

The two advisers flapped their gums a few times trying to think up a way to recover the situation. Meanwhile the ninja were getting rather angry at the thought of a supposedly 'loyal' ninja harming someone just out of spite. "Hokage-sama we must punish the boy for this." Chōza said, making Koharu and Homura smile at the hope of turning someone to their side. "It's preposterous that he would try to stab anyone who isn't a threat to his person or the mission at large. Attacking for any other reason is no better then murder."

"I agree with Akimichi-san. Uchiha Sasuke will need to be punished in some way for his actions." Shibi followed up.

Tsume was growling. "He attacked a pack-mate. He should be tried for treason!" At this the advisers paled.

"N-no! You can't do such a thing to Uchiha-sama. He must stay content!" Koharu blurted out.

"And what? Start sacrificing our ninja to him just to sate his bloodlust? I think I'd rather just kill him and damn the Uchiha." Tsume once again growled out.

"While I disagree with the boy's actions I will agree that the sharingan is too powerful to let rot. Instead I believe, since no one was actually permanently disabled or killed, that he undergo some harsh punishment for his actions." Inoichi voiced his own opinion.

"Before we come to any conclusions I would like to reiterate the remainder of the mission to Wave. I believe the actions before this event should be brought to light and we will discuss the punishment for all three members of team seven at the end." At the Hokage's words everyone's head turned back towards him. If the rest of the mission was anything to be aware of then they wanted to make sure they got every fact straight. "First we will discuss Inuzuka Kiba." Tsume shot her head up at the mention of her son's name. "While not part of any direct assault, he did at one point make suspicious actions against Uzumaki Naruto, he is the least of the problems amongst the three. He ignored Naruto when said boy had been stabbed. Instead, choosing to hold the civilian family they were charged with guarding back when they tried to help him instead. He was involved in many petty arguments and apparently made unwanted advances on Momochi Haku, which were of course denied. Aside from that his only notable action during the mission was to help diffuse a situation when the Uchiha got out of hand by knocking him unconscious. I am placing the charges against him at general misconduct, endangering the life of an ally and creating unrest in a mission."

Tsume hung her head in shame, as well as an attempt to calm her anger. When she spoke her tone was low and even. "Hokage-sama I ask that I be allowed to dole out the punishment for my son...of Inuzuka Kiba as his clan leader. He will not be shown leniency in the slightest I assure you."

"Is this acceptable?" Receiving no response either way he accepted her plea. "Very well Tsume. Your son's punishment will be partially up to you." When the kunoichi made to question his phrase he waved her off. "Next is Haruno Sakura..."

"Hokage-sama, why was Isako not allowed to stay if this concerns her daughter?" Koharu asked, clearly confused.

"Because, while it concerns her daughter, she would have had no say in the girl's punishment. I decided it would be best to spare my ninjas' sensitive ears from her for now." Despite their tactics to cause grief to get their way, the two advisers could only agree that the reprieve would be nice. "So, Haruno Sakura. She was involved in the same suspicious actions against Uzumaki Naruto as well as the negligence in treating him when he was injured. She also was involved in petty arguments, but her serious issues arose later in the mission. When Haku was first brought back to Tazuna's house she was involved in a plot to seriously harm, if not kill, the girl. While Haku was formerly and enemy during the mission, it had already been cleared by there sensei, Hatake Kakashi, that she would remain unharmed as long as she cooperated. Thus, Sakura's actions fall into the insubordination category. Also she was attempting to assault a cooperative captive without due course. It should also be noted that she had made a previous attempt to attack the girl as they were on the bridge, right after their second encounter with Zabuza. The charges against Haruno Sakura stand at general misconduct, endangering an ally, creating unrest and attempted assault on a cooperating captive. Are the terms acceptable?" Once again he allowed anyone to voice their opinions.

"From what I hear around town, it's a pity we can't throw a noise ordinance onto that pile." Shikaku mentioned.

"As much as we'd like to, these are charges for a ninja mission. That issue would be a civilian and ninja matter and I'm not about to welcome them back in here right now." Sarutobi grimaced at the thought of Isako trying to defend her daughter's volume level, but managed to maintain the serious atmosphere. Seeing no one was about to complain about his accusations he continued. "Very well we will move on to Uchiha Sasuke, but first I will remind you both that you are only here as witnesses and you have no say in this matter." He pointed at his two former teammates, making sure his point sank in before his decree began. "First, I want to say, few times have I had such a detestable explanation of a ninja on duty as I was faced with when concerning the Uchiha. Not only did he participate in everything the others did, but on top of that he has a superiority complex that goes far beyond any normal person's should let alone a ninja. This village has spoiled him rotten and it has gone directly to his head. As his guardians, you two should be held directly responsible for his actions as well. As it stands I will be assigning Inoichi-san to check Sasuke's mental stability on a regular basis." The advisers began to argue but were stopped short at Hiruzen's harsh glare.

"During the Wave mission he not only endangered himself, but he risked his own teammates lives and even attempted to end the life of an innocent, twice. He, along with Sakura, attempted to attack an unconscious Haku, but they were stopped by Kakashi, Naruto and Kiba. Later on in the mission, after those same three came back from dealing with the rest of Gatō's thugs, he once again attempted to kill Haku. He was thwarted that time by Naruto who used kawarimi to switch places with Haku, thus taking the knife meant for her. It was this action that brought out his enraged state. The mere idea that the Uchiha would sink so low made him angry enough that in his tired state from fighting so much he turned to the largest pool of chakra he had left. We can be thankful that Haku was there to calm him down with a few kind words." Despite his aggravation, the Hokage managed to smile at the memory of Haku's confessed affections and her understanding of the blond's feelings for Hinata. "Aside from that he also did an unforgivable act during the battle on the bridge. He saw himself in danger and used the closest thing to him for a kawarimi." He knew this next portion of information would not go over well with at least one member of the council. "He used Inuzuka Kiba to save his own hide, forcing the boy to take the hit meant for himself."

Just as he expected, Tsume leapt out of her seat with killing intent rolling off of her. "He did WHAT!? I demand he be tried for attempted murder Hokage-sama! This is unacceptable for any ninja of any village last of their line or not. How dare he use my son to save his own skin!" The woman seemed less like a clan head and more like a rabid dog as she snarled out a few choice words.

"Tsume, sit!" It took a moment for her to recompose herself but eventually she managed to seat herself, though she was still seething.

"Hokage-sama. Surely this is a fabrication. I find it hard to believe that one of our ninja would stoop so low."

"Akimichi-san, I wish that were so, but as it stands the mission report was written by Hatake Kakashi, their sensei, and verified when discussed with himself, Momochi Haku and Uzumaki Naruto. All of whom I believe would not falsify a report. As it stands I am charging Uchiha Sasuke with attempted murder of both a fellow Konoha shinobi and a cooperating captive. On top of that will be insubordination, endangerment of the mission at large, and treason." The advisers looked at him horrified while even the ninja side looked a little uncertain, with the exception of Tsume. The charges were steep and the punishments that went along with them could be deadly if so desired.

"Hokage-sama, if I may?" Aburame Shibi's head didn't even seem to move, but his deep bass voice was unique enough that everyone knew he was talking, even with his mouth hidden behind the collar of his coat. "While the Uchiha's actions are despicable, I believe that we should not waste the sharingan, if possible. Instead, I agree to sessions with Yamanaka-san as well as other punishments so long as they keep him available to one day reproduce. Perhaps at that time we can dispose of him if we see fit, once we have another sharingan in the village."

"Are you insane? He already attacked my son, yours could be next!"

"If that is the case, as long as he does not die and is still in capable condition to stay in active duty then I will consider it no more then a schoolyard fight that went a little overboard." Shibi replied calmly. "It is in our best interest to keep the boy active so that it is still known that we possess a sharingan wielder. So long as his dōjutsu remains viable we should keep him at hand."

"He's right, but we will need to figure out a punishment suitable for him and the rest of his team." Inoichi pondered aloud.

"Perhaps some team building exercises for starters. It sounds like that whole team could use them." Chōza chimed in.

"Put them on D-ranks as well. We don't need them going back out on a cooperative mission again until we're sure they're ready." Shikaku reasoned.

"So, team building and D-ranks for the whole team with Sasuke making visits to Inoichi. I will also fine the Uchiha for these actions, steeply. A portion of that fine will go to the Inuzuka for the harm done there, with other portions going to both Uzumaki Naruto and Momochi Haku for damages done to them as well. Is there anything else to add?" looking around he saw no moves for a response, though he could see many wheels turning. "Well then, if you think of any other punishments, let us know at a future meeting as I find these less then adequate myself for the actions he has taken. Should we deem them acceptable then we will append them to their charges. Dismissed." before the two elders could catch him, Sarutobi was out the door and gone.

"Well, that went well. Good luck with your son Tsume, but try not to be too harsh with him. He was one of the victims too even if he didn't act perfectly the whole time." Chōza said as he rested a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder.

"Yeah, I'll deal with him, but I'd much rather deal with that Uchiha prick. Give me five minutes with him and having children will be the least of his worries." She didn't pay attention as the men of the room squirmed a little as she stomped out of the chamber.

"She's a bit frightening."

"Yeah, but that's because she expects everyone to be loyal without question. Just like the rest of us."

A/N: So, Sasuke got off a little light, but that's just because I'm not done torturing him. So relax and let the show unfold.