New Chapter: Sorry for the wait, but everything hasn't been peachy for me.

Sad eyes stood staring out a tear stained window of her new room in Sai's flat. The weather had been rather dismal since the night of the ceremony. It seemed nature reflected her mood quite well.

It had now been several days, since she let loose on her father about what she really felt. It was the first time she truly told him the truth, about everything she and he both felt.

Flashback

She came to my room after she had been swindled by the people she called 'family.' She didn't know why she was so surprised. Maybe she thought it would be different after her display of power, but she guessed they wanted to show her that they would give the last word.

Her eyes drifted to Sakura who wanted to give comforting words, but she knew she'd find no comfort this night. Pulling open the closet, she realized nothing in there belonged to her, it never did. Taking my bag, she started stuffing the clothes that she had come back with. Then 'she' walked in, the bane of her very existence, the newly crowned leader of the clan.

"Well I must say this is certainly no surprise of them picking superiority, over wannabes like you," Hanabi goaded. Hinata clenched her fist, she stumped her foot as she jumped making Hanabi stumble back almost falling.

Hinata shook her head at the frightened girl.

"You know it's not wise of you to mess with powerful leaders of clans," Hanabi said embarrassed that she jumped back of a juvenile move.

Hinata considered herself a calm person, but with Hanabi standing here purposely provoking her, and with the unfairness, the clan bestowed upon her she ache and to hit something.

Conveniently, for her Hanabi was volunteering. Shifting in front of Hanabi, she reached her fist back. "Look you little—

"No, no, no, no," the smirking teen said. "You do that and you might find yourself mixed among the branch family, or even prison."

Hinata hit the wall behind them, driving her hand into the dry wall, and, released her.

"That's more like it, you keep showing your respect and I'm sure the elders will embrace you back into the fold."

Sakura scoffed. "Look who's on a power trip," Sakura voice dripped with distain, as she hopped off the vanity table.

"You know Hinata may be above giving you the beat down you deserve, but I'm not," she told the girl as she stalked closer making Hanabi cower like a freighted animal. She was right up on Hanabi pinning her in a corner. "If I hear one more word coming out that vapid mouth of yours, I'll make a permanent mute out of you."

Hanabi looked wide-eyed at female who acted as Hinata's keeper. She knew now that Hinata was a powerhouse, she could only imagine about the pink haired abomination.

"Its fine Sakura let her have moment of glory, she'll soon find out it's not all about ordering people around."

"Haruno," a new voice came stood at the door announced himself.

Sakura gave the girl one more scathing look before, letting her out of the corner. She turned seeing Hinata's father standing in the doorway, glaring at her half-heartedly. The man knew he had done wrong by his eldest daughter, and it reflected in his eyes.

"Hanabi return to the ceremony hall please." Hanabi nodded quickly wanting to get as far away from the two female predators. Once she left his gaze turned to Sakura who gave him a disbelieving look.

"Haruno I would like a moment with Hinata."

Sakura made no movements to leave. She crossed her arms over chest and quirked her head to the side giving the man a cool gaze. Only when she heard Hinata plea for her to give them a moment did she comply.

"What are you doing?" Hiashi asked watching her pack more clothes into a traveling bag.

"What's it look like," she snapped.

Hiashi took a calming breath he wronged Hinata and he knew it, and all he could do know was apologize.

"Hinata I'm sorry," he started.

She scoffed. "Yeah I'm sorry too… that you're a coward," she said turning to face her sire.

Her face was set in a firm grave look. She knew she needed this, one moment. She had to let him know what she felt, and the horrible truth that they both been had been hanging on too.

"You still have your first to stand up for me, against them," she continued.

She watched her father open his mouth to speak, but she shushed him. He had his many turns to speak for years, it was her turn now.

"You were no real clan leader because, you let those dried up old prunes dictate every decision you made, including the ones about your own children."

Hiashi stayed silent and let Hinata continue, so far she was right on point about his so-called leadership. He had always let them pull the strings of his role as clan leader. They told him the way to raise hid own children, and which should be discarded for the other. They had filled his head with so much of their idealism that he started to buy into their propaganda.

"You know father, I don't know why I'm surprised by all this, when you and your puppet masters wrote me off as a failure at the age of twelve."

Hiashi looked at her quizzically. "What are you talking about?"

'So they were to play this game of ignorance well she has played it for far too long. Its game over for sweet Hinata and for him,' she thought.

"A few years back you were in the dojo with Hanabi and my former sensei Kurenai spoke with you concerning my safety." She watched her father as recognition fell upon him.

"You didn't know I was standing at the door listening to you, basically tell her you could give rat's ass whether I lived or died."

He remembered that day. It was a day he regretted that something like that ever spilt forward from his lips. What could he say now, he had said it, and she heard him. There was no way he could defend it, no way around it. All he do was apologize which he expects she's grown tired of hearing.

He treated her, as she was nothing, to him. In his mind, she was nothing, but in his heart, she was his everything. It took her 'dieing' for his mind to catch up to his heart. It was one of the reason's he coddled Hanabi so. He didn't want to lose more of his family. Hanabi was the only thing he had left, but when Hinata came back, he allowed himself to hope again, to right his wrongs. Yet he blew it once again.

"Hinata I—

"Have you ever wondered why?" she butted in again. "Why you find yourself resenting me?" she asked as her eyes filled with tear that she held behind a dam for years.

"I had always thought it was because I reminded you too much of mother as I got older, or because I wasn't as strong as you wanted me. As I reflected on my life many times before, I came to the only logical conclusion. The truth is so obvious, that you don't need your byakugan to see it, but you have blinded yourself from seeing it." She almost sounded amused, but her soul was wailing, weeping as her adrenaline pumped furiously.

She wanted it to dawn on him, and for him to tell her it was all in her head. She wanted to hold on to that child who loved her father, yet he stood there waiting for her to continue, looking indifferent as usual when it came to her. So she finally told him his problem, something he had not the wit to see.

"You blame me for your brother's death." She deadpanned.

Hiashi gazed at his daughter horrorstricken she could think that of him. He stood for a moment shaken by her confession.

"That's not true, that is a lie," he denied firmly after finding his voice.

"Is it," she asked. "From the way I saw it, you're whole demeanor towards me changed, after you received word of his death." She hated herself as she let a lone tear streamed down her face.

"I remember there was a times when you would treat me as if I was your world."

She closed her eyes remembering the treats she received from him, the hugs, and the love in his eyes even after she didn't perform well as she should in her training. After the failed kidnapped attempt on her, and the death of her uncle, all of it was replaced by resentment and criticism.

"Once you saw the true colors of the clan, and how they would sacrifice Hizashi, even if he did choose death for you. You blamed me once you saw I wasn't the fighter the clan desired me to be. You bought into their manipulation, when you were most vulnerable. Therefore, you began to think. Was this weak pathetic girl worth my brother's life?"

Hiashi shook his head no. "This fabrication of conspiracy I have against you it's not true," he nearly yelled breaking his calm exterior.

"It can't be," he whispered to himself.

"Yes it is," she yelled. "The truth of the matter is that you blamed yourself, but lashing out at me made you feel better, giving you a scapegoat, for your own pain, and your own guilt!"

As he reached the for the vanity table he casually leaned against, it for support. He couldn't help the stones that invaded his stomach or how his throat suddenly became dry as a new wave of guilt washed over him. Had he really done such things?

He closed his eyes thinking back at all the times he spent with Hinata after his twin brother's death. Images of him sneering at her lack of progress, criticism, anger, resentment, came flooding toward him. Now he could see. The blinders were off, the slight he showed her, it was no wonder she felt this way. He couldn't blame her, and nor would he.

"Do you see now father, is it becoming clear," she asked.

Hiashi looked to her with tears gathering in his eyes. He had no right to cry, which she told him so.

"No, no, no, you don't get to cry, and you don't get to mourn, because it was me taking the beat down of your hateful words."

She finished packing and spotted the contact lenses Sakura had given her years ago to hide her byakugan. She opened them placing them in her eyes. She looked to her father giving him the message clearly that she would not be coming back, before heading to the door. Then she stopped.

"I'll let you in on a little secret. Years ago Sakura and I had the chance to come back, but we didn't hoping to get stronger to show the ones we left we weren't failures." She continued her story about everything they had done up to the night Sakura stood in her stead, and what she gave away so that she could have her the chance at leading the clan.

"I failed her, and now her gift was wasted and I can never give that night back to her." She took one last look at the broken man, as she bide him a final farewell.

He was taken back even further, by this confession. This family was so terrible to her that she had rather stay in a foreign country with nothing but the clothes on her back and a truly remarkable friend.

He had let his anger drive his daughter away, in and the process damaged her friend. He knew Sakura wouldn't have stayed if Hinata didn't. He have dishonered himself and both females. For the first time since his brother died he wepted.

End flashback

So here, she was several days after sitting in the room she shared with Sakura. She couldn't believe all the self-pity she was feeling, She just didn't know what to do with her life now.

Sure, she and Sakura were promoted to Jonin, as they showed only a diminutive amount of what they learned during their 'sabbatical'. Plus being added to the Bingo Book, among the greats was an added bonus.

This also left time to pursue Naruto, but her heart wasn't in it anymore. Sure, she desired to be with the blonde fool, but she just felt hollow and dank.

She felt as if they had won, who was she kidding they did win. She saw their smirks as they saw her leave the estate, but on the positive note. The rumor of there being conflict within the main branch was music to her ears.

Apparently, her leaving is a black mark of shame upon the house, and there are the ones who have discovered she's in the bingo book. They want to clam that the fighter came form their, oh so noble house. Yet, there are the ones who were only too glad to be rid of her. Yet between all that she hadn't heard a peep form daddy dearest, not that she expected it.

There is also the subject of Sakura who is getting too close to Sai, for her liking. She could tell Sai was using her as much as she was using him.

She saw that Sai and Sasuke had it in for each other, and neither hesitate to play dirty, yet Sasuke had feelings for Sakura as hard as that was for her to imagine that about the stiff Uchiha.

Her friend Sakura was scared to feel anything anymore. She thinks if she lets herself feel, she may find out she's not made of steel. She doesn't want to feel her pain or her lose, hence the long string of meaningless men, to help her forget.

Sakura was strong physically, but she knew she's grown tired of being strong for others. Everyone dumped problems on her until now that she's losing her foundation.

She swore she would save her friend, but it seems the more she tried to solidify her role in her family it was a step away from Sakura. With the clan is no longer a factor she could concentrate on her friend who has been concentrating on her getting into leadership of power of the clan.

How was she going to help Sakura she had no idea, but the best bet would be to start with the potential lover Sasuke.

'That should gover well,' she thought.

Hiashi sat on bended knees in front of the graves of his wife, and brother. He imagined they both most hate him, right about now. Thoughts of that faithful night ran through his thoughts and he cringed guiltily.

His precious wife never played favorites with their girls, but he pitted them against one another though not intentionally, but nonetheless they were enemies. His twin brother who gave his life so that he may live. He gave me the opportunity to see my girls grow up, while his owns son's life was lonely and miserable growing into manhood.

He must be rolling in his grave to know what I did to my daughters. His sacrifice was spit upon by him and his actions.

"My dearest, my brother, help me," he begged. "Help me bring my family together once again. I ask you for the strength, and the courage, for what I must do. Most of all I ask you for forgiveness."

Hiashi's eyes narrowed at the sound of footsteps , he instantly relaxed at the familiar presence of Neji.

"I don't know if I can speak for your wife, but I'm sure father has no grudge against you," he said kneeling down next to his uncle.

"My life hasn't been so lonely since that day of the chunin exams. You've honored my father by breaking the rules of the main and branch families by taking me under your tutelage."

"But I lost the rest of my family in the process," Hiashi pointed out.

"Nothing is final until you are dead." Neji looked into his uncles eyes.

"I will help you carry out this mission at exploiting this family's politics, and inner workings. I will help carry this burden, if you'll have me."

Hiashi studied his nephew. He was as honorable as his father. Two of the bravest men ever birthed in the Hyuuga clan.

"You are most welcomed, your father would be proud."

Hiashi didn't know it, but those words made Neji's usual stoic heart swell with pride.

The Hyuuga clan was due for an overhaul, and they knew that once they started it wouldn't be no turning back. After that, they would be marked men hunted by their own.

A/N: Sorry for the delay I just couldn't get this chapter right. I also wanted to write for Sakura but I don't have any ideas about where I want to take her. If any one has any ideas, I'm open to suggestions.

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