Soul Fire Chapter 28

Soul Fire a NaruHina fan fic

Volume 3

Chapter 28: Lost Purpose

The three women sat around the table, a few empty bottles of sake between them. The mood was cheerful enough, but a hint of sadness lingered in the air. They knew their time together was drawing to a close.

"So you think they're ready to leave?" asked Hitomi.

Shizune nodded. "They're both up and walking again. Sakura said they'll be fine within a few weeks or so."

"A few weeks?" the snow haired woman frowned. "They have to be ready to travel. I'm not going to carry them, you know."

"It'll have to do," Tsunade said with a sigh. "The Hyuuga are getting restless. Lord Hiroshi may not wait until Hiashi wakes up. We have to get them out of the village before they start putting pressure on us."

Hitomi took a sip from her sake cup. "Well I guess it's about time you told them then."

Tsunade looked down into her own cup with a touch of sorrow in her eyes. "You're right. We've been keeping them in the dark long enough."

"Naruto keeps asking when he can get back to his training," Shizune said with a sad smile. "Sakura caught him trying to sneak out again."

Tsunade chuckled lightly. "Same old Naruto. But if he does manage to escape, it could be a serious problem."

"There's something else," Shizune said, with a hint of concern. "I think Sakura is starting to get suspicious. She's been asking a lot of questions about you, Hitomi."

"Then we'd better get it over with," Tsunade said, quaffing her drink. "Hitomi, you'd better make your final preparations. We'll tell them tomorrow."

---

Hinata followed the Hokage's assistant down the hospital corridors. She couldn't keep herself from blinking. Her eyes felt dry and cold, and the pain still hadn't quite faded. She cradled her heavily bandaged right hand against her stomach, trying not to jostle it too much as she walked.

The Hokage's assistant stopped outside a door and looked down both ends of the corridor. Hinata noted the cautious look in her eyes. She wondered again why the Hokage wanted to see her in private. What could be so important?

"Alright, you can go in now," Shizune whispered as she opened the door for her.

Hinata gave her a brief smile of thanks. She stepped forward, but froze when she heard a voice from inside – one that she wasn't expecting.

"C'mon, Grandma, I'm fine. Why won't you let me get back to my training?" the boy protested.

'Naruto?' Already the girl could feel her cheeks warming up. She swallowed her fear and took a few hesitant steps into the room.

Hearing someone enter, the boy turned to look. A wide grin spread across his face when he caught sight of the indigo haired girl. "Hinata!" He leapt out of his chair and made to rush over to her, only to stumble and fall flat on his face.

The girl gasped. "Naruto! A-are you alright?" She quickly knelt down beside him.

"Ow," the boy groaned, pulling himself up onto his knees. Then he noticed the girl kneeling next to him. "Hinata, are you okay?" he asked, the concern evident in his voice. "I wanted to see you, but they said I couldn't. I heard you were hurt really bad. I was so worried about you."

"Y-you were?" The girl felt her cheeks flush.

The boy looked her over, noticing the bandages on her hand. "Oh man, what happened? It doesn't hurt, does it? Are you sure you're okay?" He looked into her eyes, his expression full of worry. "I'm so sorry. I tried to help, but I..."

The Hokage cleared her throat loudly, interrupting the boy. "Naruto, Hinata, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I brought you here for a very important reason. Please take your seats."

Two simple wooden chairs stood in the middle of the small sitting room facing a third, occupied by the Hokage. Both teenagers pulled themselves to their feet, the boy wincing as he did so. Hinata watched with concern as he walked slowly to his chair and gingerly lowered himself into it, holding his side the whole time.

Tsunade directed her attention to her assistant for a moment. "Alright, Shizune, please go and find our guest."

Shizune bowed her head and left, closing the door quietly.

Silence descended upon the three left behind in the small sitting room. The two teenagers looked expectantly at the Hokage who sat in her chair across from them, staring out of the room's single window. The boy noticed a hint of sadness in her empty gaze. He furrowed his brows in confusion, not knowing what she was so serious about.

The girl, too, was confused about the situation. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair, occasionally stealing glances at the boy next to her.

Frustrated by the silence, Naruto finally spoke up. "C'mon, Grandma, what's going on? You drag us here to this secret meeting and then you just sit there staring out the window. What's so important?"

Slowly, she looked back and forth between the two teens. Her voice seemed tired when she spoke. "I'm afraid you two are in serious trouble."

Both of them pulled back a little. Naruto, in particular, was starting to get very worried. He knew Tsunade, and had been in trouble with her on more occasions than he could count. But even he could tell that something was different this time.

Hinata felt herself trembling. She had no idea what she could have done. She swallowed hard and summoned the courage to ask. "B-but what did we do wrong?"

Tsunade took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Hinata, do you remember the conversation we had when you woke up a few days ago... about your father?"

The girl nodded hesitantly.

"Have you remembered anything else since then?" the Hokage asked.

The girl's eyes wandered the floor for a moment as she tried to search her jumbled memories for anything that had happened after her last mission. Finding nothing, she looked up at the Hokage, confusion written on her face. "N-no."

Tsunade glanced at the boy for a moment. She could see the anger simmering beneath the surface. Clenched fists and furrowed brows spoke clearly of what he was thinking. She caught his gaze and held it for a moment, silently telling him to calm down.

When she was sure he had caught the message, she turned back to the girl. Tsunade leaned forward in her chair and looked at her squarely. "Now, Hinata, I know this may be a shock to you, but you need to hear what happened."

The girl began fidgeting a little; fearful of the Hokage's serious tone.

Tsunade paused to gather her thoughts for a moment before starting. Though she'd carefully planned how she would explain things to the teenagers, it didn't make it any easier. She knew she was about to turn their young lives upside down.

"Hinata, when you came back from your last mission you were in a serious condition, both physically and mentally. Your father came to see you, and he was... disappointed."

The girl tensed slightly as she recalled her fathers' many scolding lectures. But she knew from the Hokage's tone that this was something even more serious.

"He became angry," Tsunade continued, a mixture of frustration and sadness crossing her features, "and he declared that... you were no longer his heir."

The girl gasped silently. She slowly brought her hand up to her mouth as the Hokage's words sank in. 'He really did it,' she thought, finding herself beginning to tremble. 'He's been saying it for so long and now it's finally happened.' The lingering pain in her eyes began to build as she felt tears welling up behind them.

But the Hokage wasn't finished. "While you were still injured and unaware of what was happening to you, your father took you from the hospital." She frowned sorrowfully at the floor, her fists clenching. "He intended to place the Caged-Bird seal on you."

The girl froze, her breath catching in her throat. Slowly she lifted her trembling hand toward her forehead, fearing what she would find.

"No, don't worry," Tsunade assured her. "Your father was unable to perform the sealing ritual."

Hinata lowered her hand, but her fear did not abate. She stared wide eyed and open mouthed into her lap, her whole body shaking. She felt like she'd taken a blow to the chest. Her father had rejected her, as he'd always threatened to do. Without even knowing it, she had been stripped of her birthright. Everything she had been raised for... everything she had been trained for... the very reason she had been born... It had all been taken away. Did that mean it was all worth nothing? Did that mean... she was worth nothing?

A single tear fell from each of her aching eyes and slowly rolled down her cheeks. In her mind, three words played over and over. '...I'm a failure...'

"Hinata," The Hokage spoke to her softly. "Hinata, I know this is difficult to hear, but there's more that you need to know."

The girl slowly lifted her head. She could only wonder what the Hokage could say that could make things worse.

"The reason that your father did not put the Caged-Bird seal on you, Hinata," the Hokage said, "is that Naruto stopped him."

Confusion creased Hinata's brow. She turned her teary eyes to the boy sitting next to her. 'Naruto stopped him? But how? And why?'

The boy sat hunched over in his chair with fists in his lap, firmly clenched. He glared angrily at the floor in front of him, gritting his teeth. "That lousy good for nothing..."

"Naruto!" the Hokage snapped. She glared at the boy, silently reminding him to keep his mouth shut. If he said the wrong thing now Hinata would only be more confused. She wanted to make sure she explained everything clearly, to soften the blow as much as possible for the fragile young woman. Tsunade took a deep breath and turned back to her. "As your father was preparing to perform the sealing ritual, Naruto confronted him. He demanded that your father stop the ritual. Your father refused, so Naruto tried to stop him by force."

Hinata's eyes widened. 'He fought my father?'

"As you can see," Tsunade continued, "Naruto was severely injured during the fight. In fact, your father nearly killed him."  

Hinata clamped her hand over her mouth and stared at the boy next to her. The boy she'd had a crush on since she was a little girl had almost died at the hands of her own father. And it was all because he was trying to protect her.

Naruto snorted. "It's only because I was already injured," he grumbled under his breath. "Otherwise I would have..."

"Naruto, be quiet!" the Hokage growled. "You still have no idea just how much trouble you're in!" Tsunade straightened herself in her chair and made sure she had the attention of both of them. "The reason this is so serious is that, during the fight, Lord Hiashi was almost killed as well."

Both teenagers stared at the Hokage in astonishment.

"M-my f-father?" An all new wave of fear overcame the girl. "W-what...? H-how...? Is he alright?"

"He's in a coma," Tsunade answered. "His right arm has been crippled and his heart has been weakened. He will live, but I'm afraid his injuries may be permanent."

Slowly, more tears began to flow from the girl's eyes. "Father..." she whispered under her breath. As cold and callous as he had been to her, she was devastated at the mere thought of him being hurt.

"No way," Naruto breathed, shaking his head in disbelief. "I never even laid a finger on him."

"I don't think it was you that did it, Naruto," Tsunade said. "At least that's not what the witnesses say."

"Then what happened?" he asked, utterly confused. "Who could've done that to him?"

Tsunade closed her eyes for a moment as if in contemplation. She leaned forward in her chair, folded her hands in front of her, and looked at both of them intently. "Unfortunately, Shizune, Sakura and I arrived too late to see what happened. The only ones who did see it were a few members of the Hyuuga clan," Then she turned her attention to the girl alone and fixed her with a look of deadly seriousness, "but according to all of the witnesses, including your grandfather, the one who crippled Lord Hiashi... was you, Hinata."

The girl's heart skipped a beat. Her mind went blank. She just stared at the Hokage for a moment, unable to move, speak, or even breathe. The amber eyed woman stared back at her intently, as if waiting for her to say something. But the lavender eyed girl couldn't find her voice. She turned her head toward the boy. He stared at her, mouth hanging open and eyes bulging. The room was silent for what seemed like an eternity to her.

'I... hurt my father?' The words just didn't make sense. Her father had always seemed so invincible. How could someone as weak as her even come close to hurting him? And what's more, how could she not remember it? She searched her clouded mind, trying to imagine any possible way she could stand against her father, but she found nothing.

The Hokage leaned in closer to her. "Hinata, do you remember anything about that, anything at all about your father being injured?"

The girl tried one last time to search her memories, but still found nothing. Her mind was foggy; the pain in her head kept her from focusing. Nothing was making sense to her at all. Hinata shook her head slowly.

Tsunade sighed, sitting up straight again. "As I said, we don't know exactly what happened. For whatever reason, the members of your clan that saw it are refusing to talk. But there is one thing I can confirm. The damage to the chakra pathways in your right hand, though far less severe, is identical to the damage done to the chakra pathways in your father's hand, arm, and heart."

The girl looked down at her bandaged palm, shaking her head in disbelief. "B-but how? I d-don't remember..." Another tear slid down her cheek.

The Hokage reached out and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, I understand."

The boy looked back and forth between the two of them – utter confusion sprawled across his face. 'I don't believe it,' he thought. 'How could she have taken down Hiashi? She was out of it, wasn't she? And if she did, how come she can't remember?'

Tsunade slipped her hand off the girl's shoulder and sat back. A sad, serious look crossed her features. "But I'm afraid it doesn't matter if you remember or not. Lord Hiroshi and the other Hyuuga are accusing the two of you of attempting to murder Lord Hiashi. And they demand that both of you be punished."

The girl recoiled in horror. "M-murder?" Now the tears began streaming down her face and she started trembling uncontrollably.

The boy, meanwhile, leapt to his feet and glared at the Hokage in anger. "What?! They can't do that!" he shouted, raising a clenched fist. "They're the ones using that damn seal – treating their own family like slaves! Why the hell should me and Hinata get punished? She doesn't even remember what happened!" He growled through clenched teeth and tightened his fist. "They're the ones that are gonna be in real trouble! I should go down there and whip their asses right now!"

With that, Tsunade had finally had enough. In a heartbeat she was on her feet, suspending the boy from his collar. "Naruto, you thick headed little punk!" she yelled. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

His anger immediately melted away. "Grandma?"

Tsunade slowly pulled his face up to meet hers. "You attacked the head of a noble clan in his own home and in front of several witnesses. Hiashi had every right to defend himself, and even to kill you if he wanted to!" She shoved the boy back down into his chair and glared at him. "According to the laws of this village, you tried to murder Lord Hiashi. You are a criminal!"

The boy looked back up at her, fear and disbelief in his deep blue eyes. "B-but I didn't mean to..." he stammered.

Tsunade looked down at the boy, moisture beginning to collect at the edges of her eyes. "Both of you have been accused of a very serious crime. If you are found guilty, you could spend the rest of your lives in prison." She squeezed her eyes shut and turned away. Her voice began to crack. "Or, you could even be... executed."

A cold, empty silence enveloped the small room.

The blonde haired boy slumped back in his chair. He didn't understand where he'd gone wrong. He just wanted to stop Hiashi from putting the seal on Hinata. That was the right thing to do... wasn't it? He never wanted her to get hurt because of what he did.

The indigo haired girl rocked back and forth, hugging herself tightly. She shivered as she wept, tears dripping into her lap. She didn't understand how something like this could happen. Everything she had worked so hard for had slipped away and she didn't even know why. But what's worse was that he had been dragged down with her. He didn't deserve to be punished because of her failures.

The boy gripped his head in his hands. He'd made the biggest mistake of his life and she was going to pay for it. 'It's all my fault.'

The girl bit her bottom lip and cried. She was too weak to be the person she was supposed to be and now he was going to pay for it. 'It's all my fault.'

Tsunade wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to compose herself. She returned to her chair and made herself face the two teenagers. "The Hyuuga clan is in a state of unrest," she said quietly, trying to control the quiver in her voice. "With Lord Hiashi in a coma, and you no longer his heir, Hinata, the position of leadership is uncertain. Your sister, Hanabi, is still too young, so for now your grandfather, Lord Hiroshi, is leading the clan. But from what we've heard, there are some branch members that are considering a rebellion. This could lead to a war within the Hyuuga clan. You both know that these are dangerous times. A conflict within the Hyuuga would weaken the whole village, and that is something we cannot afford. When Lord Hiashi recovers, I believe he will use force to regain control of the clan. He will make sure both of you are punished, severely, as an example to anyone who would oppose him."

The boy looked up at her. "B-but wait, you're the Hokage. Y-you can make it okay... right?"

Tsunade shook her head sadly. "No, I can't."

"But you're the Hokage," he said, pleading with his eyes. "You can stop it. You can change the laws or something. Can't you, Grandma?"

Again Tsunade shook her head, trying to hold back the tears. "Even the Hokage is bound by the laws of the village. I hate this just as much as you do. But as Hokage there is nothing I can do to prevent you from being punished."

"But you have to do something, Grandma," he begged.

Tsunade swallowed hard and looked at them with tear filled eyes. "The only way you'll be safe is if you leave the village."

"Leave the village? Y-you mean... on a mission?" the boy asked, though he knew that wasn't what she meant.

Tsunade shook her head once more. "No... I mean you have to leave the village," she took a deep, heavy breath, "and abandon your lives as Leaf ninja."

The boy just stared blankly for a moment. Then a half hearted smile tugged at the edge of his lips. "Y-you're kidding... right, Grandma?"

Tsunade looked away.

"Th-this is all a big joke... right?" The boy tried to laugh. "That's a good one, Grandma. Y-you really had me going." He smiled, but his eyes were filling with moisture. He waited for the Hokage to answer, but she refused to meet his gaze. "Grandma... tell me it's a joke."

Tsunade closed her eyes as her tears began to flow.

The smile fell from the boy's face. "Grandma, please tell me it's a joke," he pleaded, his voice beginning to crack.

"It's not a joke, Naruto," Tsunade finally answered, her own voice quivering. "If you stay in the village, there's no way I can protect you. You'll be put on trial, found guilty and thrown in jail... or worse. Either way, your life as a Leaf Shinobi will be over."

"You're lying, Grandma, you're lying!" the boy shouted. He dropped to his knees in front of her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "It's not true, it can't be!" He tried to look her in the eye, but still she refused to face him. His deep blue eyes began to overflow. "I'm sorry, Grandma. I'll try to be a better ninja. I'll never be late for a briefing again. I'll stop pulling pranks and making stupid jokes. I'll even call you Lady Hokage. Just please don't make me leave the village!" he pleaded with her; tears pouring down his whiskered cheeks. "Please... d-don't send me away."

Tsunade gently wrapped her arms around him as the boy broke down. He fell into her shoulder, weeping uncontrollably. For a while she just let him cry – holding him while he let out his pain. "I'm sorry, Naruto," she said softly, "but this is the only way. Even if you were only in prison for a few years, it would be the end of your dream." She heard the boy inhale sharply. "Nobody would accept a convicted criminal as Hokage."

"B-but how can I ever be Hokage if I leave the village?" he asked, trying to sniff back the tears.

Tsunade pulled herself back to face him and finally looked him in the eye. "Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked with a tear stained smile. "I left this village, too. I was gone for years. Then one day, a slimy old pervert and a loud mouthed little brat showed up and told me I was going to be the next Hokage."

He didn't smile, but the tears seemed to lessen.

"Don't worry, Naruto," she said in the most reassuring voice she could muster. "This won't make it any easier, but your dream won't be impossible. At least this way, you'll have a chance."

The boy nodded solemnly. He wiped his face on his sleeve and slowly took his seat again.

Tsunade turned her attention to the indigo haired girl. Hinata sat curled up in her chair, her face buried in her folded arms. The blonde leaned in close to her. "I'm sorry, Hinata. I know this an awful lot to be burdened with all of a sudden. I'm sure you don't want to leave any more than Naruto, but this is the only way you'll be safe." She put a hand on her arm and tried to coax her into lifting her chin. "I'm going to do everything I can to help your father recover and to prevent any conflict within your clan. But most of all, I want to protect you. If it really was you that attacked your father, then I'm sure you did it for the right reasons. In fact you probably saved Naruto's life." The girl's trembling suddenly stopped at those words and Tsunade let herself smile a little. "I know that the idea of leaving behind your friends and family must sound very hard, but I think it's the best thing to do – for you, for Naruto and for your clan. Do you understand?"

Slowly the girl lifted her head. Her eyes puffy from all the crying, she looked up at the Hokage for a moment before sadly nodding her head.

"Alright." Tsunade sat back in her chair. She wiped her face with a handkerchief and straightened her clothes. They'd taken it about as well as she could have hoped. She'd done everything she could to soften the blow. Now it would be up to them to deal with the harsh reality of what they'd gotten themselves into.

"So do you both understand what I'm saying? You have to leave the Leaf Village, abandoning your lives as Leaf Ninja. You have to leave secretly, without telling anyone that you're going. While you're gone, you won't be able to have any contact with your friends and family. And you can't return to the Leaf Village until this conflict with the Hyuuga is resolved and you have been forgiven for your crimes."

Both teenagers looked at her sadly and slowly nodded in response.

But Naruto still had a look of concern on his face. "But, Grandma, what are we supposed to do? Where do we go once we've left the village?"

Tsunade smiled slightly. "Don't worry. The two of you won't be going alone. I've found somebody who's going to go with you and make sure you stay safe." She turned to the door. "Shizune, have you found our guest?"

"Yes, Lady Hokage," her assistant called from the hallway.

"You can bring her in now," Tsunade called back.

Naruto and Hinata turned to the door. They watched as Shizune entered, followed by a familiar snow haired woman.

"Hey there, you two. Looks like the three of us are gonna be spending some time together, Huh?" Hitomi said with a smile.

"M-Miss Hitomi?" Hinata said with some surprise.

"Wait, we're going with her?" Naruto asked. "I thought she was just some medical ninja you called in to help us, Grandma."

"Hitomi is an old friend of mine," Tsunade replied. "She is a medical specialist, yes, but the main reason I brought her here was to ask her to take you two under her wing. She's agreed to travel with you and help you stay out of trouble until all this mess can be resolved."

"Oh... So uh, where are we going?" Naruto asked.

"Nobody will know that, other than Hitomi," Tsunade answered. "If I want to contact you, I'll send Shizune to track you down. Otherwise we won't be hearing from each other until you return." She turned to Hitomi. "Have you made your preparations?"

Hitomi nodded. "Yup. We're all set for tomorrow night."

Hinata gasped. "T-tomorrow night?"

"Wait, you don't mean we're leaving tomorrow?" Naruto asked.  Both teenagers were clearly mortified at the thought of leaving so soon.

"I'm afraid so," Tsunade answered. "I know you're both still recovering, but we have to get you out of the village as soon as possible."

"But what about all our stuff?" asked the boy. "Don't we need time to pack? And can't we say goodbye to our friends?"

"We've already made plans," Tsunade assured him. "You don't have to worry about packing for your journey." She sighed and a saddened expression crossed her face. "But, apart from your teachers and a handful other people, I'm afraid nobody can know that you're leaving. You'll have a chance to see your teammates, but you won't be able to tell them anything. Remember that this has to remain a secret. Anyone who assisted your escape, or even knew about it, could be punished severely. So we can't tell them about this, for their sake as well as yours."

Both teens were saddened. Each thought about all the people they would have to leave behind without even getting the chance to say goodbye.

"I know it's hard," Tsunade said, doing her best to comfort them. "But it's for your own safety – and perhaps theirs as well." She stood and motioned for Shizune to lead them back to their hospital rooms. "Now I'm sure you're tired. I know it will be difficult, but please try to get some rest. You'll be leaving tomorrow after dark."

Without another word, they rose from their seats and followed Shizune down the empty corridors to their rooms. Naruto waved to Hinata as they parted. She gave him a small, sad smile in return. Both lay down on their beds and thought about all they'd just been told.

Naruto knew what it was like to be away from the village for a long time. It didn't seem all that long ago since he'd gone travelling with Jiraiya. But that didn't mean it would be any easier. With Jiraiya, it had been a training mission. Everyone knew about it and he knew when he was coming back. But this time he was being forced to leave and he had no idea when he would see the village again. He'd have to leave his friends behind without even saying goodbye. And he was going with some strange woman that he'd only just met a few days ago. He thought about all his friends that he'd miss. Kakashi Sensei... Iruka Sensei... Konohamaru... Sakura... So many times, during his two and a half years of training, he'd wished he could have seen just one of them, even for a moment. That was what he'd miss most about the village. But then a thought occurred to him. Things were different this time. It wouldn't just be him and some weird teacher. Hinata was going, too. Maybe that would make it a little easier.

Hinata curled up in her sheets and cried. In less than an hour her whole life had fallen apart around her, and she didn't even understand why. She'd been cast aside by her father and lost everything she'd worked so hard for. She felt like her life had no meaning anymore. And now she had to leave the village. Her home, her family, her friends and everything else she had left – she had to leave it all behind. She didn't know when she would be able to come back... and she began to wonder if it would be best if she never came back at all. With her birthright taken away she would never be accepted by her clan. All she had left were the people close to her. She thought about her small circle of friends and family. Kurenai Sensei... Shino... Kiba and Akamaru... Neji... and Hanabi... Would she ever see them again? But then she remembered there was one person she cared about that she wouldn't be leaving behind. Naruto was going with her. They'd be together all the time – just the two of them and this Hitomi woman. She felt a familiar warmth growing in her cheeks as she thought about being almost alone with him, maybe for a long time. Perhaps it wouldn't be quite as bad as she feared.

---

Tsunade stared out of her office window, sipping on a cup of sake. She wondered for the thousandth time if she'd made the right choice to send the two of them away. A light knock at the door broke her out of her thoughts. "Come in," she said, after hiding her drink.

A young woman with candy pink hair stepped in. "Lady Hokage, may I ask you something?"

Tsunade had already guessed what her apprentice wanted to know. "Of course, Sakura."

The young medical ninja stepped forward and closed the door behind her. "It's about Miss Haruka. She has something to do with Naruto and Hinata, and the situation with the Hyuuga, doesn't she?"

Tsunade sighed. "I was wondering when you would ask me that. Alright, I suppose it's time you were told the truth."