Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Naruto excluding this story.
While you were Missing
Ch.1: Impossible
Her hands were shaking as the golden eyed woman glared at the medical chart in stunned disbelief. Tsunade slowly turned her eyes from the clipboard to its shivering subject. Hinata Hyuuga was trembling like a leaf as she waited for the Hokage to tell her she was wrong, that this was all some insane joke. Her lips twitched at the corners. It had to be a joke. She had come into the office to see her leader because she thought she might have food poisoning or the flu, and after a few tests Tsunade claimed she was pregnant? Impossible.
Much to the shock of her doctor/boss the young girl began to laugh in quiet hysteria. "That's impossible Tsunade-sama. In order for me to be pregnant I would have to have had sex and I think I'd remember that." She continued her bell like laughter until she noticed the stern look on the Hokage's face.
"Maybe." Was all the older woman replied.
"But… In the Hyuuga clan it is strictly forbidden to know a man before marriage. According to our tradition it would be seen as giving something that belongs to my future husband to someone else. It would be seen as shameful adultery. I would never… I would know… if I had made such a major decision. It would change my whole life… I would know…" She faded off, knowing that behind Tsunade's eyes the woman was not so sure.
"Hinata… Two months ago you were on that mission to spy on the sound villiage remember?" The Hyuuga remained silent. "I was surprised that Kiba gave me the report on that mission. Since you have to come up here for training you usually hand in the mission reports. Not only this but the report was obviously written by Shino, and for your information, despite your shyness you are certainly the best communicator on your team."
Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples, sensing an oncoming migraine as she gazed at the quiet girl, whose father would obviously not experience the same silent shock in the face of this looming disaster. "What are Kiba and Shino protecting you from, Hinata? What happened on that mission?"
"…no."
"What?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?? How could you not know? You were there weren't you?"
"Part of the time…"
"… Hinata?"
"Kiba said… I disappeared… and Shino said… not to talk about it because of my father. He'd be so angry if he knew I was kidnapped in the middle of a mission. They were protecting me from him. His anger is…… terrible." Tears flowed freely from the silver eyed girl as she recalled her fathers previous fits of wrath and remembered that soon she was likely to face the worst yet. Tsunade swore under her breath and laid a firm but gentle hand on each of Hinata's thin shoulders, lightly shaking her back to her senses.
"Who kidnapped you? Wheredid they take you? How long were you gone? Who would have done this to you?" The Hokage was enraged. Hinata's pregnancy was not the result of an act of insubordination or rebellion against her clan. Someone had taken advantage of one of her precious students. Someone she loved… They would pay dearly when the time came.
"I… I d-d-d-don't know. I c-can't remember!" Hinata was openly sobbing now, and had lost all control. Like the mother she had long lost, Tsunade Picked up the 19 year old and hugged her close, rocking and cradling her as she stroked her back and whispered soothing words in her ear. Once Hinata's hysterics had ceased the Hokage rapidly thought up a plan.
"I'll have to take you off duty. I can't risk hurt to you or the child. But your father must not know. Shikamaru, Choji, Iruka and… Naruto will take you on a "Long Term Mission" where you can have the baby and either let someone adopt it before you return or return with it and say that you adopted it. Something, anything to keep you from Hiashi. Shikamaru Should be able to think of a good excuse. Stay here and I'll get them all together. We'll send you all out tonight, Hiashi will never know. Hinata, you'll be ok."
Six Hours Later
Naruto Uzumaki had experienced a great deal of anger in his life. Sometimes to the extent where it literally made him someone else entirely… someone he didn't like. Like those times, he was now thoroughly enraged. He eyed the timid and flushed female between him and Shikamaru at the ramen bar. She was so pure, so innocent, and someone had taken advantage of her. It was unthinkable. Shikamaru was speaking quietly with Choji, who sat to his left, on his right sat Hinata and on her right sat Naruto. The were all being treated by a suddenly pale faced Iruka, who sat at Naruto's other side.
The Sensei gazed periodically from the shivering Hyuuga to her untouched meal. He had watched these young adults grow from young children and they were like his family. He frowned, it just had to be Hinata. Sakura and Ino were tough and could have endured this shame… but Hinata, while a formidable warrior, was emotionally delicate after the years of scarring her father had given her heart. When Tsunade had told them what had happened to Konoha's sweetest girls he had nearly cried and nearly been sick, at once. Who could do such a thing. He could tell by the hollow look in her eyes that despite all the strain being a ninja caused for a person, this wound would be unusually difficult to recover from. She was suffering and would continue to suffer, probably for years.
All members of the bar jumped as Naruto leaped to his feet. "I'll kill him! That bastard! How dare he think he can put his sick hands on Hinata-chan?" Unconciously his pupil slitted and his eyes blazed crimson, his voice grew and multiplied. "I'll kill anyone who touches my friends, anyone who makes Hinata-chan cry!" Shikamaru Roughly stuffed Naruto back onto his seat as Choji put a reassuring hand on Hinata's shoulder.
"We'll get him, ok, Naruto, but first be have to find out who HE is, and our first priority is Hinata. You heard Tsunade, all of her chakra will be diverted to care for the baby. It's troublesome but we have to protect her and take good care of her for he next few months." He said winking so that Hinata knew that she was not really any trouble. "Most importantly we have to make sure that if her family does find out they only do so AFTER we are long gone."
"Make sure her family doesn't find out what?" Came a dark, smooth male voice from around the corner. Neji Hyuuga had finally found his charge. Hinata's back stiffened, Shikamaru retreated and Choji stood between Hinata and Neji while Naruot babbled something about the five of them going on a top secret mission. Neji raised one eyebrow at the chaos until Iruka gently took him out of earshot. After a few silent minutes the men returned. As he spent half of his time looking like an angry snob and have of the time like he was in an emotional coma it was a striking thing to see Neji in shock. Slowly he drew in a breath.
"It would seem I have failed in my task as Hinata-samas' guardian." As he looked at the ground his shame and pain was nearly tangible. "She was entrusted to me. I was to protect her and ensure that she… never got hurt." No one had any words to relieve his guilt and Hinata lapsed back into tears. "I assume this is the meaning behind your mission tonight, the reason you will be gone nearly a year." He hugged his cousin gently from behind. "Our Family must no eventually, but I am foremost your guardian, I will tell them when you have gone beyond their reach and no sooner." With that he released Hinata and walked away, only pausing once to look back at her temporary guardians. "Take care of her." He said with the tiniest hint of a gentle smile on his face.
Thirty minutes later the party left Konoha, weighed down by their mission and the knowledge that they would not see home again for a long time. They were all hoping when they returned it would be with at least one new member of their party. Either the new respected little citizen of Konoha or a new inmate for her prison, though in Narutos mind he was savagely hoping it would be both.