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Notes: This chapter is set some time before Part 8 of WDN.
Summary: Naruto finally founds his clan... outside of Konoha.
Building Clan Uzumaki
Chapter 5: Allied Forces
A Naruto Fanfic by
Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)
"I really don't think this is a good idea, Naruto," Temari said for the third time. "Why do you have to say anything? You know what'll happen if you do."
Naruto sighed as he tugged on a shirt. "Because there are going to be questions. There already are questions. People are going to want to know why I'm getting special treatment, and I don't want them to think I haven't earned it."
"You don't owe them an explanation!" Temari snapped. "If you ask me, you don't owe them a damn thing! What have they ever done for you?"
He shrugged. "Well, they didn't kill me."
"Not for lack of trying! And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think Kyuubi had more to do with you staying alive."
"Exactly. And he thinks it's a good idea."
Temari stared at him, blinking slowly. "He... does?"
"Yeah. You know he loves showing off."
"Show...? Oh, wait just a minute, Naruto! You said you would TELL them! You never said ANYTHING about SHOWING them!"
Naruto grinned at her over his shoulder. "You have to admit it's a pretty fantastic story. I mean, who would believe me if I didn't have some proof?"
"I did," Temari muttered.
"That's different. You saw it happen to someone else first. You were probably ready to believe anything by the time we met."
"I never believed I'd meet someone else like Gaara was back then. And to be honest, I don't think anyone else ever should. You have no idea how bad it can really get, Naruto. And now that you've got others to think about, it's really not a good idea!"
He shook his head. "I'm doing this BECAUSE I have others to think about. People need to know what I'm capable of. They need to know what I will do, and what I'll have license to do, now that I'm..." He trailed off, biting his lip. "I just think they need some warning, that's all. They've trained themselves to hate. It's only fair that I give them a chance to realize that what they hate has been saving them all along."
Temari sighed. "I really wish you'd change your mind."
He smiled faintly as he walked over and hugged her lightly. "Sorry, nee-chan. I can't. I need to do this for Hinata, our kids, and you. I want you guys to be safe, and this is the best way I can think of. Kakashi-sensei, Anko, and Ibiki helped me work it all out with the Council of Elders, and you know that wasn't easy. It's too late to change my mind. I have to do this, and I need you tell me you'll be with me."
She closed her eyes and returned the hug. "You know I will. But you have to realize this could go really badly."
Naruto just chuckled. "I'm pretty sure it won't. Anko came up with an idea that just might help."
Temari frowned at him. "Naruto, what did I tell you about listening to that woman?"
Anko could only roll her eyes at the response from the crowd at that statement. There were a lot more cheers than she'd been expecting, but there was definitely some fear and concern, too.
"Don't even bother acting all surprised, since he has been for a long time now. Actually, there's pretty much no way he wouldn't have gotten there eventually. Now is just the first time anyone's decided to let you all in on why that is. Mind you, that was his decision, and he has no real obligation to let anyone know. Hell, he was practically ordered not to let anyone know. Which of course means that nearly half of you DO know, but hopefully you were smart enough not to spread it around. Anyway, we've asked you all to come here today because there's something Naruto would like to say. Whether you love him, hate him, or don't give a rat's ass about him, you'll want to hear this, trust me."
Again, the reaction was mixed as Naruto stepped forward. He was more resigned than surprised, but it no longer mattered. Nothing they could've said or done would change his mind now.
"Very few people know the story I'm about to tell. But I think it's time you all finally understood how close this village has come to destruction on numerous occasions." He paused to take a deep breath. "Right before I became a genin, I stole a scroll from the Sandaime Hokage's home. It contained several forbidden jutsu, among other things. In the hands of any ninja, it was extremely dangerous. In my hands... supposedly, I could've burned this entire village to the ground with ease. I could have. I didn't. That was the same day I found out something that would change my life, and had been changing it from the very start.
"I found out that there were people who didn't care whether I lived or died. I found that there were people who would kill me before they'd believe a single word I said. I found out that there were at least two people who could accept me for what I was, and what I wasn't. And they all lived in this very village. More importantly, I realized that I had the power to either protect or destroy everyone around me. On that day, I chose to protect.
"But some time later, I was faced with the same decision again, when I met someone who shared the same fate as mine. He was the first person who could even begin to understand what it felt like to be me. The only difference between us was that he'd decided early on that there was nothing wrong with destroying people. It was what he lived for. And if I had done nothing, he would've destroyed this village and everyone in it. By then, I had made friends. There were people I cared about here. So I chose to stand in his way, and we nearly destroyed each other. But from that battle, I came to understand how much worse my life could've been, if I'd been born in another village. I saw how people like me were used as weapons. True, that's no different from how most shinobi are treated, but when the mission is over, they're still thought of as human beings. I was considered an animal, a monster with an insatiable bloodlust. Few would've missed me if I were killed in action, or just killed, period.
"And you know something? No matter how unfair my life was, I couldn't complain. How could I? Everything that made sense to me was an insult to the rest of you. I used to hate the Yondaime Hokage. Because he wasn't strong enough, I have to suffer. All he did was die, meanwhile I'm the one stuck doing all the real work. Yet he's the hero, and I'm the monster. Did anybody ever stop to think what would've happened if there was no baby to seal Kyuubi inside of? You'd all be dead or worse. And if I was even half the monster some of you made me out to be, you'd be dead all over again. But I don't remember anybody asking me if I wanted to be a human sacrifice, and I sure as hell don't remember anybody thanking me for housing the worst demon of all inside me, not only so it wouldn't kill you, but so that none of you had to be the sacrifice. And yet, somehow it's my fault that Kyuubi is still alive. I didn't ask for this. Nobody in their right mind would. Why do you think it had to be a baby that couldn't speak for itself?"
"You have to realize that I'm not Kyuubi. Hell, I hate him, too. He only killed some of you, but he's actually INSIDE me. How do you think that makes me feel? Actually, you don't have to worry about that. All most of you ever concerned yourselves with was that I was in no position to destroy you, and that you could use me as a weapon. I am the strongest one in this village, and once again, I have to choose whether to turn my back on it, or serve it. I finally understand what it means to be Hokage. I've spent my whole life protecting people, whether they deserved it or not. But if it means that one day, I might have to do to someone else the same thing that was done to me? I want no part of it.
"I'm done saving your ungrateful asses and getting no respect for it. From now on, you're going to know when Uzumaki Naruto stepped in and saved your necks. Because you'll only have the right to call on me when no one else can get the job done. Congratulations, Konoha. You finally got your pet demon. But I don't do tricks, and I don't beg. As soon as I'm done with this speech, my family and I are leaving this village. Our new home is less than a mile away, but the important thing is that it's outside the village. You step onto my property, and only my rules apply. But it'd be a lot smarter if you just considered us a small, allied country like the Office of the Rokudaime is going to. As for me personally, when I am in the village or on a mission, I'll have the same power as an ANBU captain.
"Some of you are probably wondering why I'm doing this. The answer is simple. I love this village... but I love my children more. And I refuse to take the risk that some of you might be as cruel to them as you were to me. There's no need to worry about them being possessed by Kyuubi, either. Because if you mess with them, I'll have no problem with letting the real Kyuubi out to discuss my grievances. In fact, maybe it's better that you hear it directly from him..."
"We explained this to you before, Irihi-chan," Hinata said patiently as they toured the new house. "The apartment was too small. And in a few more months, Naruto and I are going to have children. There just wouldn't be enough room where we were, which is why we built these new houses."
"You could put the babies in my room! Then you could stay with us!"
Hinata almost laughed, but she could tell that her young niece was all too serious. "That's very sweet of you to offer, Irihi-chan, and I really do appreciate it. But my family needs it's own space to grow, and it wouldn't be right to intrude on yours. Besides, you know that only the Hyuuga can live where you do. This place is going to be for the Uzumaki to live in."
"But I won't be able to visit you if you're all the way out here!" Irihi cried, very near tears. "I'm not allowed to leave the village by myself yet!"
Sighing softly, Hinata knelt down and drew Irihi into a warm hug. "Please don't cry, Irihi-chan. You know Naruto and I will still come to visit you. And I'm sure your mother wouldn't mind bringing you to see us. It won't be so bad, I promise."
"Will I get to see you every other day, at least?" Irihi asked softly.
Hinata wasn't sure if she could safely promise that, so she said the only thing she could. "I don't know. But at the very least, you'll see Temari and Akamaru every day. And it's not as if you won't know where we are, even when you don't see us."
Irihi sniffled. "I still wish you didn't have to move away..."
"I know," Hinata murmured, gently brushing the girl's tears from her face. "But before you know it, you'll be a big girl, and then you'll be able to come and see us all by yourself. I'm going to need someone to teach my children how to behave, after all. And who could teach them better than their older cousin?"
"Nobody," Irihi replied quietly, wiping her nose on her arm.
"That's right. Now, why don't you go get cleaned up while I talk to your father?"
Wordlessly, Irihi nodded and headed for the bathroom.
Hinata sighed as she stood up and moved to the front door, not surprised to see Neji staring intently at the village gates, as if he hadn't been listening to the whole conversation. "I didn't know she would take it so hard. I thought if I walked with her, and showed her how close we were to the village, she wouldn't mind our moving so much."
Neji shook his head. "It's not the distance that bothers her, Hinata. It's that you're outside of the village, one of the many places she isn't allowed to go alone. She feels as if we're forbidding her from seeing you. I've tried to explain it to her, but she's just too young to understand. Her mind can't accept that there might be people who don't adore you and Naruto the way she does."
"Do you think she'll be alright?" Hinata asked worriedly.
"It will take some time, but I believe she'll come to accept this. Once she realizes that she's not being punished, Irihi will be fine." A small smirk appeared on his lips. "Anyway, I have no doubt that Naruto will come up with a wide variety of excuses to spend time with her. She probably won't even be able to miss you properly."
Neji was right, of course. It was watching Naruto with Irihi that had ultimately convinced Hinata he would make a good father. He was never too busy to play with her, wouldn't hesitate to give her a piggyback ride no matter where they were, and would grin merrily at any Hyuuga who tried to inform him that he should treat their heiress with more respect. But it was quite plain to Naruto, and Hinata as well, that Irihi didn't want their respect, at least not yet. She was far more interested in having fun, which was why she loved tagging along with Naruto. And despite how adventurous Irihi was, somewhere along the way, she'd developed a fondness for curling up in Hinata's lap and falling asleep. Hinata could never quite bring herself to wake up her niece when that happened, nor would she even dream of asking Irihi to stop.
Yet it was more than just blood that bound them to Irihi. She was the type of person that would one day be able make a lifelong friend inside five minutes, armed with nothing more than a smile and a positive attitude. There was something in the way that the girl approached virtually everyone she met that put them at ease. It was the simple promise that, if someone should choose to call Irihi a friend, she would do everything in her power to continuously earn that title, whether it was necessary or not. The fact that she was also the Hyuuga heiress only made this trait even more remarkable.
But this also meant that Irihi could be clingy to a fault, especially if she thought she was losing a friend. She was also painfully aware that there simply were no relatives on her mother's side, and so Irihi was doubly determined to hang onto the family she did have.
So while this was a necessary lesson, it was not one that Hinata looked forward to teaching. She especially felt bad when Irihi finally emerged from the house, her face scrubbed clean, but her eyes a light shade of pink from shedding tears.
"Come, Irihi," Neji said simply, walking away from the house. "Your mother is expecting us back soon."
"Yes, Papa," Irihi replied quietly. With one final, heartfelt glance at Hinata, she hurried to catch up with her father, falling in step with him with the ease of long practice.
Hinata watched until they vanished inside the gates of Konoha. Then, with a sigh, she headed around the house to find Akamaru. It would be at least a few more hours before Naruto and Temari returned, and for some reason Hinata didn't like the idea of spending the afternoon by herself. Not today, at least.
"Then I performed the jutsu correctly," Hanabi replied smoothly, brushing the new mark on his shoulder more out of procedure than any actual concern. "And you shouldn't complain. The pain is much worse without near-instant healing." She gave him a look that was just shy of a smirk, but still seemed all-knowing, in Naruto's opinion.
"Yeah, well, you could've warned me," he muttered, pouting a bit as he leaned back in his chair.
Hanabi glared at him, applying more pressure than was necessary to the wound. "Just as you could have told me that you were joining ANBU, if only at half capacity."
"Ow! OW! Okay, I'm sorry!" Naruto cried, pulling away from her. "What are you so mad about? You did it, too!"
"That was different. We were not family or even friends then. Now you are Hinata's husband, and I expect to know when you are about to do something so potentially stupid, especially if it involves Hinata's peace of mind."
"But that's why I did it, and I already talked it over with her!" he protested. "Look, I know it means I'll be taking on really dangerous missions. But it also means I'll be taking on less missions overall. I'll have more time with Hinata, and-"
"You should not be taking on such missions alone, Naruto-san."
He blinked, relaxing slightly. "Oh, that's no problem. Temari would come with me, of course."
"As would onii-san," Hanabi added at once.
Naruto frowned. "Neji? Well, maybe, but-"
"Or myself, if I deemed it necessary."
He scowled at her. "I might as well take Hinata, too, if you think I'm suddenly so helpless."
"I suspect she would be more than happy to accompany you. And it would help make up for you not having a squad to command. I would not even be opposed to Haruno joining you."
"Hold on! I didn't get into this so everybody could start volunteering to back me up!"
"I realize that," Hanabi replied. "Just as you realize that I have had experience at this sort of thing, and that you would be wise, or at least not completely idiotic, to listen to my advice."
Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly. "Maybe, but I don't ever remember Konohamaru and Kouji saying you let them work with you in ANBU."
"And that is precisely why I am now insisting that you have people you trust beside you for every mission. Even though I knew they were not suited for such work, there were times when I would've given anything to have my teammates with me." She paused, and then glared at him. "And if you ever breathe a word of that to anyone-"
He chuckled, waving off her obvious threat. "Relax, Hanabi-chan. You know I'd never betray your trust. But I do think you should at least tell Konohamaru. The worst it could do is make his day."
"I will consider it. However, you should know that I wasn't making a suggestion when I said you should take my advice. Ibiki-sensei thought it would be best if I were your handler."
"My... what?" Naruto asked blankly.
Hanabi resisted the urge to sigh. "Your missions will come to me, and I will then give them to you, along with any special instructions or recommendations. This is standard procedure for delivering missions to allied shinobi. It just so happens that handlers are not usually retired from ANBU. We, however, have special circumstances."
"Because of Kyuubi?"
"Because I wouldn't let anyone else do it."
"Oh." Naruto blinked. "Why not?"
She gave him a look of slight annoyance. "Not more than an hour ago, you told the entire village that you were Kyuubi's vessel. I would rather not risk that someone in ANBU might send you on a mission you have no chance of coming back from."
"You mean you worked with them, and YOU don't trust them?"
"It was one of several reasons I retired, but that is not important. What is important is that you will be fully prepared for any real threats to your life."
Naruto scratched his head. "Is this a roundabout way of saying you're trying to protect me, Hanabi-chan?"
"No. I have never 'tried' to do anything in my life. I have every intention of actually protecting you, Naruto-san."
"But... it's so weird!" he exclaimed.
Hanabi stared at him blankly, clearly not seeing his point.
"I'm supposed to be the one protecting you! This way, it... just feels weird, is all. I mean, you're my little sister! Shikamaru would never let me hear the end of it, and Neji... ugh. Could we not tell anyone about this?"
For a long moment, Hanabi wasn't sure whether she should be outraged or murderous. It wasn't so much that he doubted her abilities, it was that he was embarrassed to have them working in his favor. She could never recall a time when she wanted to attack someone she wouldn't have normally as much as she did right then.
And Naruto went right on complaining, oblivious to how much danger he was in. "Hinata would probably laugh at me, too."
"I would think she would be far happier that I had kept you alive," Hanabi snapped.
He paused, finally getting a good look at her face. "Oh..." Naruto ducked his head, looking a bit sheepish. "I'm sorry, Hanabi-chan. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." Impulsively, he hopped to his feet and gave her a big hug.
Naruto's hugs were very odd things. Hanabi could never really seem to stay angry at him when he gave her one. It wasn't that she liked them; far from it, in fact. The hugs, much like Naruto himself, could be a bit overwhelming, and in those times Hanabi never knew quite how to react. Naruto made her question the way she normally approached things, and she hated being knocked off balance like that. But at the same time, she realized that these hugs were never given with such a devious nature in mind. Naruto just happened to be very affectionate, and so the idea of comforting someone with a hug was normal to him.
"I didn't mean to sound ungrateful. I'm glad that you want to protect me. I guess I'm just used to doing it myself, or counting on Temari or Sakura-chan to do it for me."
Hanabi scowled into his shoulder. "You can let go now."
Naruto grinned and held her a little tighter. "Yeah, I know. But you always look like you need a nice, long hug. And what kind of big brother would I be if I didn't give you what you need?"
"One that apparently enjoyed living."
"HA! You and your jokes, Hanabi-chan."
"Who said I was joking?" she muttered sourly.
But on this particular occasion, she had been asked, and it was Irihi asking, so there was no real reason to say no. That, and the thought of Neji walking in to find his daughter wearing Temari's signature pigtails was too delicious to pass up.
Unfortunately, Irihi was proving far too moody to actually enjoy the experience. She was clearly still upset about the move, no matter who tried to explain it to her. Temari hadn't even bothered, knowing full well that the girl was too stubborn to accept it in one day. She took after several people that way, including her parents and a certain Sand jounin who would remain nameless.
Temari knew that Irihi would come around, though. She loved Naruto and Hinata too much to stay angry, and Akamaru knew just how to lick a little girl in a way that was more cute than disgusting. The whole incident would probably be forgotten in a week or so, with any luck.
"And you'll really come to see me every day?" Irihi asked, her tone just short of whining.
Then again, no one said it wouldn't be a long week.
"Well, not JUST to see you," Temari said quickly, securing the last lock of dark brown hair with one hand. "I'll be going back and forth to the bakery for Hinata. And my poor Shika would go nuts if I didn't drop in on his class every now and then. Then I have to go check on Sakura and Lee, make sure they haven't made their kid too weird already. Ino's too, now that I think about it. Can't be healthy for all of them to be under one roof all the time. But yeah, I'll be in the village every day, unless a mission comes up, and unless something goes wrong, there's no reason I wouldn't come check up on you. I expect I won't exactly need to, though, will I?"
"No," Irihi said quickly, determined to seem more grown-up than she actually was. "But... I'd really, really like it if you did, anyway."
"Of course you would. No one wants to stay away from me. Except your Papa, but he's dumb."
"He isn't!" Irihi laughed. "He just doesn't like it when you play with me. He's scared I'll end up like you."
"And you're not?" Temari asked.
"Nope. I'll end up like you, Naruto oji-san, and Hinata oba-san. A good mix, see?"
Temari shook her head. "You know, I think we need to find you some friends your own age. At some point, you're going to want them, and you can't run around playing with adults forever. That'll make you weird. Like your Papa."
Irihi ignored the shot at Neji more out of habit, since Temari tended to badmouth him every five minutes on a good day. "I don't want friends. Family's better. Akamaru told me so."
"Uh huh. You know only Hinata, Naruto, and the Inuzuka can hear him."
"I know, but I can still understand him. Whenever other kids come around, he drags me away. So I know I'm better off not talking to them."
Temari frowned thoughtfully. Akamaru wasn't usually the jealous type, although he definitely had a soft spot for Irihi. But he was one of the best security systems around, because not only could he sense powerful foes, he could pick up on negative emotions as well. And if he had pulled Irihi away from some kids her own age, then they weren't the friendly type. The only real question was if they didn't like her because she was a Hyuuga, or because of Naruto. It was no secret that Irihi was Naruto's niece, especially since she was rather proud of that fact, and would get into a shouting match with anyone who thought differently. Naruto had tried to talk her out of that habit, but she refused to be ashamed of him.
Temari sighed and patted Irihi's head. "I know making friends can be hard. But you have to try eventually. You know that once you become a ninja, you'll be put on a team. And it's much easier for everyone if you can be friends with your teammates."
"But I can worry about that later. Akamaru plays with me so I don't get lonely. And I don't want to hang out with anyone he doesn't like."
The girl had a point, but Temari wasn't willing to give up so easily. "Okay, but what about when you're older, and you start getting interested in dating? Nobody will come near you if Akamaru is still following you around."
Irihi shrugged. "So? I wouldn't like anyone that didn't like Akamaru, either. Besides, Akamaru follows you around, and you never mind it."
Temari poked her neck. "That's totally different. I've already caught someone, remember? Just promise me you'll give it some thought, okay?"
"Okay," Irihi sighed. "But I still like Akamaru better. At least when he smells bad, he's got a good reason."
Hinata looked up from her garden as Akamaru sat down beside her, staring off into the distance. "It's not as if we had a choice in that, Akamaru. Irihi isn't our child."
"So? We're family. We've got rights."
She smiled patiently. "Not nearly enough to take her from her parents, though."
Akamaru tossed his head in frustration. "How can you be so calm about this? The whole point of us moving was so YOUR kids would be safe when they get here! How can you just leave her in there? I'd bet anything she'd want to come stay here!"
Hinata sighed softly. "Akamaru, there are hundreds of Hyuuga in that village. Somehow, I think Irihi will be perfectly safe."
"What about when she goes to the Academy? Those brats could be mean to her!"
"I hate to say it, but that is a part of growing up. If we never give Irihi a chance to stand up for herself, she'd resent us. If she gets teased, and if she feels badly enough to tell one of us, then we'll act. But until then, I'd rather she handled it on her own."
"I don't like it. Not one bit." Akamaru flopped down into the grass, resting his head on his paws. "I mean, if she was my kid, I'd be right there every step of the-"
It was not the abrupt end to the sentence that got Hinata's attention, but the prolonged pause and the almost wicked way Akamaru growled.
"Akamaru, NO," she said sternly.
"What?" he asked, feigning innocence.
"You are NOT following Irihi to the Academy."
"I would never!" Akamaru protested. "Though, if I just happen to end up there around the same time she does..."
Hinata stood up and brushed off her hands. "Then she would spot you in a heartbeat."
"It's not like I'd be hiding! I WANT them to know I'm there! And if anyone's got the balls to mouth off to MY kid, then I-"
"Would bite a mostly defenseless child and get us reported?"
"Hey, you know I never bit anyone that didn't deserve it. And anyone that could look at that sweet little face and be mean to it, well, they're just asking for it!"
"You know," Hinata said at length, bending down to scratch behind his ears, "I certainly hope you'll be this insanely overprotective with my children."
"Why do you think I'm practicing now?" he asked, thumping his tail against the ground. "By the time they get here, I'll have it down to a science. And with any luck, the kid will be able to take over for me when I need a break."
"Don't you dare. She'd never go home."
"Remind me how that's a bad thing? We like the kid."
"Of course we do," Hinata replied, "but we can't keep her. That's kidnapping."
"No way. If she wants to stay, it's, um, voluntary visiting! And that's not a crime!"
"It is if the visiting never ends."
"Well, we have to do SOMETHING!" Akamaru insisted.
"Fine. You are going to calm down and take a nap, and I am going to start making dinner. And if you can go the rest of the day without mentioning kidnapping plots, you might get three cinnamon buns instead of the usual one."
"I can't be bribed with food, woman! You think I'll just-"
"Five cinnamon buns."
"I'll be good," Akamaru said at once.
Hinata giggled softly and rubbed his head. "Don't worry, Akamaru. I'm sure Irihi loves you just as much as you love her."
"Naturally. I happen to be very lovable," he informed her, looking rather smug.
"And cuddly," Hinata added, laying her head against his.
"And don't forget rabid."
Her head snapped up. "You are NOT rabid."
"True, but those snot-nosed little punks at the Academy won't know that."
"Four cinnamon buns," Hinata sighed, rising to go back inside the house.
"Oh, come on! I didn't say a word about kidnapping!"
"You didn't have to! I'm not about to reward you for biting a child!"
Akamaru considered that for a moment. "So I can definitely bite the parents?"
"THREE cinnamon buns!" Hinata called from the house.
His ears drooped. "Damn."
First, Naruto and Temari had brought Sakura along with no warning at all. Hinata didn't mind that so much, except that they nearly ran out of food, since Naruto was hungrier than usual.
And just when that small crisis had been averted, Naruto insisted on letting Kyuubi out for a while, since he'd kept his word about not hurting anyone in the village that afternoon. But while Temari had seen one of Kyuubi's clones before, Sakura hadn't, and things were a little uneasy at first.
Thankfully, Kyuubi was too preoccupied with making sure the houses were efficiently protected from intruders to tease Sakura or anyone else. Although he did manage a loud snort every time he either upgraded or completely redesigned a trap that had been Naruto's idea. Temari watched closely because she thought she might learn something, while Sakura was just more concerned about not getting blown up the next time she came to visit. Hinata's reason was twofold: she wanted to know where and what type of traps Kyuubi was setting, and if there were any that the Byakugan might not be able to detect for some reason. Not surprisingly, there were more than a few, and Kyuubi's reasoning for that was that if any Hyuuga had business with Naruto, he would go to them; otherwise, they could and would mind their own damn business. Hinata allowed it because most of the traps were in areas other than the main entrance, and especially concentrated in those that were most likely to be used for spying or invasion purposes.
There was a particularly heated discussion over how many of the traps could be lethal in nature. Hinata didn't like the idea of killing anyone without good reason, and Kyuubi preferred that no one could reach their doorstep before it was decided that they needed to die. Naruto came up with a compromise: the lethal traps had to be activated, not automatic. Of course, under that reasoning, Kyuubi all but covered the compound with them, some of which could only be safely touched by someone under his protection.
Several hours later, Hinata went to bed with a mild headache from using the Byakugan so much to double-check Kyuubi's work, but feeling far safer than she ever had. She had tried to stop thinking of Kyuubi as a demon, and tried to picture him more as a powerful fox spirit that lived inside Naruto. Unfortunately, Kyuubi was constantly saying things that reminded her of his true nature, usually on purpose. But since her way of thinking allowed them to interact more or less peacefully, he never directly opposed it. Still, she could see that he was going out of his way, not only to make her comfortable, but to keep their new home safe.
By the time Naruto joined her in bed, he was sweaty, had bits of grass and dirt stuck to him, and smelled slightly of blood and singed skin. Noticing her questioning gaze, he shrugged a bit sheepishly. "The traps work?" he offered with a hesitant smile, hoping she wouldn't be too mad.
With a small sigh, Hinata simply tucked her head under his chin, slid her arm around his waist, and closed her eyes. She knew the wounds would probably be completely gone by tomorrow, while the dirt and the smell would wash off. And since this was their first night in their new home, she could overlook them for now. She was far too tired to protest, and Naruto was most likely even more exhausted.
Although, she didn't care what Kyuubi claimed; wet dog definitely smelled much better than burned flesh.
End of Chapter 5.
I have no idea how the ANBU tattoos are actually applied. But obviously the Hyuuga know something about permanent markings.
I don't know what the actual starting age for the Academy is, and I suspect some kids might start at different ages, depending on their parents and when they figure out they want to be ninja. But with clans like the Hyuuga, there's also going to be specialized training outside of (probably before, during, and after) the Academy stage, which might even take the place of the more general classes the Academy would offer. For example, kids originating from famous clans probably got the higher scores because they had so much additional knowledge before they even got into the classroom. All of which is a long way of explaining why Irihi isn't in the Academy yet.
Irihi might seem well developed for only being six. I'm not making her out to be a freak genius, as those are too common in Naruto. But on the other hand, the Hyuuga Clan has more than enough resources to saturate a child with knowledge, so I don't think it's that big a stretch. I mean, it CAN'T be. Irihi's just talking properly, not becoming a genin like some freaks I can think of. Then again, most of those people did end up with some major personality flaws, so early advancement probably comes with a price.
Omake!
"I think I'll go check on Irihi," Neji said abruptly, turning away from the bedroom window. "I haven't seen her since I dropped her off this afternoon."
Tenten looked up in the midst of letting her hair down for the evening. "I'm sure she's fine, Neji. Besides, I've never known you to baby her, not even when she actually was a baby."
"She's never really been this upset about anything before," Neji countered. "I just want to make sure she's asleep."
She made a big show of sighing loudly. "Fine. But I'm going with you, just so I can say I told you so. You're worrying over nothing, honestly."
Neji eyed his wife skeptically as she stood to join him, so much so that she finally noticed him staring.
"What?"
"You're going like that?"
"What do you mean?"
To illustrate his point, he poked tentatively at the bun on the left side of her head, then ran his fingers through the loose, straight hair on the right side.
Tenten scowled and batted his hand away. "Oh, grow up. She's not even going to see me. And the only reason I'm doing this now is because YOU can't trust our child to be mature. Now are you coming or not?"
"It's a little hard to be mature with you looking like that," he pointed out defensively, following her into the hallway.
"You do know I only need half of my hair undone to strangle you, right?"
He snorted. "I think I'd have noticed if you'd ever done that."
She glanced over her shoulder at him as they reached Irihi's room. "Even you can't see out the back of your head when you're asleep, Neji."
Even though he didn't quite believe her, Neji tried to recall if such an incident might have slipped his mind. He was distracted from that, however, when Tenten slid the door open, peeked into their daughter's room, made a sound that might have been a cough or a poorly disguised laugh, and closed the door before Neji could look in as well.
"I was right, she's asleep, time for bed!" Tenten said, her voice unusually high.
Neji frowned. "I'd like to see that for myself, if you don't mind."
"What? You don't trust your own wife?" she demanded.
"Not when she's acting like she's trying to hide a body, no," he replied. "You know I can look around you, if I have to."
Tenten shook her head. "Neji, do yourself a favor and don't look. You'll be happier that way, believe me."
If he'd felt like struggling a bit, Neji probably could've moved his wife by force. And he knew her well enough to know that if he activated his Byakugan, she might very well try to strangle him with her own hair, if she were desperate enough. Of course, the very idea that she might do such a thing only told him that he absolutely had to know what wasn't right with his daughter.
So he took the easy way out, knowing Tenten would make him regret it later, and tickled that spot on the side of her neck that never failed to make her melt into his arms. It had served him well in the past, and tonight was clearly no different, for Tenten was soon putty in his arms, so he took the opportunity to slide Irihi's door back open.
Neji stared.
And he stared some more, before quickly shutting the door.
He was quite certain that the sight that had met his eyes would be forever burned into his brain. Yet he wasn't quite sure what bothered him most.
That SOMEONE had dared to manipulate his daughter's hair into... THAT woman's signature style.
That SOMEONE had not only dared to sneak Akamaru into the Hyuuga compound, but had managed to get him into Irihi's room so that she could fall asleep draped across his back.
That SOMEONE had provided Irihi with a metal fan (seemingly made especially for small hands like hers) that was currently propped up against the wall.
Or, that SOMEONE had, in an outright act of defiance, given Irihi a Gaara plushie, which she was still clutching under her right arm as she slept (and had Neji dared to look closer, he no doubt would have noticed that this particular plushie was of the Limited Ultra-Special Edition variety, and had therefore actually been signed by the Kazekage himself).
By the time Tenten remembered what she was supposed to be doing, it was too late. Most of the color had already faded from Neji's cheeks, and were he anyone else, she might have thought that he was going to faint.
"Neji?" she ventured hesitantly, squeezing his arm. "I'm sure it's not as bad as you're thinking. She's probably just having a little fun at your expense, that's all."
"It's the curse all over again," Neji murmured faintly. "The Uzumaki Curse... it'll never leave me alone. And now... it's taken my daughter... my Irihi..."
"Don't you think you're being just a teensy bit overdramatic, Neji?"
Neji spun around to face her, his eyes wide in disbelief. "She has a FAN, Tenten! Next she'll sailing through the village on it, trash-talking and beating up kids for no reason! She'll be an absolute menace!"
Tenten covered her mouth with a hand, allowing a tear to slip from one eye. "I'm sorry," she murmured, shaking her head as she turned away from him. "I just pictured it..."
Neji sighed, reaching out to squeeze his wife's shoulder. "Don't worry, Tenten. I'm sure it's just a phase. It might even be over and done with as soon as next week."
"I... I just need a minute by myself," Tenten gasped, waving him off. "To take it all in. You understand..."
He nodded, briefly brushing his lips against her cheek before leaving her Tenten with her thoughts.
She waited until Neji was back in their bedroom before peeking in on Irihi again. The girl had rolled over so she was now lying on her back, but as she was still draped across Akamaru's back, it looked so uncomfortable that Tenten nearly winced. Still, Irihi gave no sign that she was in pain, and continued to snore softly, clutching her Gaara plushie tightly to her chest.
"My baby," Tenten whispered softly, tears in her eyes. "An absolute menace..." Without warning, a huge smile spread across her face. "I'm so proud!"
