Chapter XXXI

Hello and greetings to all! I do want to sincerely and deeply apologize for the immense delay in this chapter, well over a year I believe. Unfortunately, a lot of very bad occurrences happened in the lives of both myself and my coauthor, ncpfan, causing the massive delay. But, alas, it is here. I hope the content and quality of the chapter makes up for the inordinate wait. As is usual, I would like to thank my coauthors, Jose19 and ncpfan for all of their help in this story. Well, with that out of the way, it is time for reviewer responses, and there are a lot to get through.

Thunder Dragon: It has not quite been decided with whom the next lemon will be. A few things I can say for certain though is that it will not be a threesome, those come later, and it will not be Musubi. Musubi does not even understand the concept of what sex is yet.

There are many reasons for the delay, and if you would not mind, I would like to keep those silent.

Yes, he will get others.

1) No, Kurenai is not a Sekirei and will not get with Naruto.

2) Same for Yugao.

3) I do not like Samui, but that aside, it is the same as the others.

4) Not certain about Guren but it is unlikely.

5) As much as I like Mei, no.

6) I have considered Konan, but no decision yet.

7) Not a chance on Hana.

8) No on Hotaru as well.

9) Again, sorry, no.

10) And again, no.

anonymous: You need not worry.

SILVERE ESPADACHIN: Okay, I am glad you like the story.

Leonineus: Yes, I love cliffhanger endings, so sorry. But here is part of the resolution.

Apostle-of-Darkness: I have not. And someone with the name Apostle-of-Darkness using the Puppy Dog Eyes Jutsu seems a little paradoxical.

RockNation: Glad you liked it. Though I am not the one who wrote it.

Guest: Sorry. :(

XMisterdarkX: Uhm... sorry, I do not speak Spanish.

Duncan0Idaho: That is some dedication. Yeah, I know. I wanted to take it a bit slower too but my coauthors agreed it should be faster so we went with something sort of in the middle.

Ezilo: Right now.

thunderdragon: That he is.

Hyrulian Hero Akai: Glad to see I am not the only one who likes that pairing. More, definitely more.

greyblueflames98: Some unfortunate events in the real world, sadly.

TheOmegaNumber: Yeah, hiatuses tend to be rather taxing sometimes, I know.

leonvongolaeleventh: Thank you. Though it is not a solo act.

Will0Whisper: I believe I included a few of those moments in the story so far. But if I have not, there will be more to come.

That is a pretty average power in general.

shadowmaster0304: Glad you liked it. Yes, he will talk to Kurama about it.

GREAT CELESTIAL-DRAGON: I do not really think it would work on most of the Sekirei. It might on the dumber ones like Musubi but that is about it.

BlackRoseFire: Thanks, getting the two worlds to mesh together properly was a little difficult at first.

METALHELLSPWN: Yeah, he did kind of need to go. Yes, that battle will not end well for Neji. The Kages will fight Orochimaru.

Some Dude: Yes. Yes I must. I like ending all chapters with cliffhangers when possible.

Well I am glad you enjoy it so much.

Going back to the fight with Kiba, I will admit that was a bit of a failure. I basically wanted the fight to have some dramatic tension, and I was not yet really acquainted with handling super powerful characters fighting weaker enemies yet, so I was not yet certain how to keep it entertaining.

samusbot: I have copies of every chapter of every story I've ever written.

REVANOFSITHLORD: Come again?

Zeta warrior: Well Minato was an incredibly powerful and skilled warrior. You think he would not have accrued such assets?

Arkisenn: Yes, I agree, but it happens sometimes.

Dreaming of the Phoenix: Thanks. I think.

Arai Kaji: I guess there is only one way to find out, is there not?

Have a Little Feith: Well for starters, this lemon was not written by me, it was written by my coauthor, ncpfan. Lemons I have personally written are in other stories though.

That does not really work, as most of the time, my stories have little I can equate to in the real world.

Yo Vorteks: Really? I think it is sweet.

x102reddragon: Her level of power will be expounded upon later, but she is incredibly powerful.

RoninS636: No clue, you tell me.

Stoorm: None of them are really "necessary", but that does not stop me from adding them.

Ultimate-Zelda-fan: No. Because now that Homura is with Sakura his gender is stable and solidified.

Phew, finally, got all those out of the way. Now, time to begin.

"These are serious accusations, Hinata," Sarutobi began once Hinata had explained to him the events that had led to her mother's death in their entirety, "You may well have to testify against your father before the entire village if we manage to pull enough evidence together to bring Hiashi to trial."

"I know, Lord Hokage, and I understand," Hinata responded calmly and evenly. "But it's about time that my father faced justice for his part in what happened, and I knew that I could finally come forward and expect to be taken seriously since you've made your proclamation regarding Naruto's… persecution."

"And you're prepared for this eventuality?"

"I am, sir," she answered with a serene, confident smile, "I want Naruto to get justice for the wrongs done to him."

Kurenai couldn't help but smile at the courage her student was now showing with bringing this to light, as Hinata knew better than anyone how this could permanently destroy her standing within the Hyuga Clan should Hiashi be found not guilty and acquitted. She knew that the Hyuga Clan would not take lightly the fact that Hinata was essentially bringing charges of murder against her father, and was literally bringing charges of attempted murder and reckless and willful endangerment of the village against him.

With a smile of his own, Hiruzen spoke, "You truly do care for him, don't you?"

"Yes, Lord Hokage. I always have, just like my mother before me," Hinata answered with a nod.

Hiruzen nodded before informing her, "Very well, then. I will have your father taken into custody and interrogated. Is there anything else that you remember about that day or maybe the preceding or following days that you can tell me? It might be very pertinent to this investigation, so anything you can tell me would be useful."

"Well…" she began to think, pausing for a few moments before giving what she was able to, "… I do remember him acting… strangely… for a while, maybe a week or two after everything that happened. I wish I could tell you more, but…"

"That's fine, child," Hiruzen interrupted her with a reassuring smile. "As long as it gives us a time period to investigate, that should be all we need. It's after three in the morning, so you should go get some rest, now."

He turned to Hinata's jonin sensei to address her. "Kurenai, why don't you take Hinata to stay in your home for a while? I am unsure as to how safe she'll be within the Compound of the Hyuga Clan once Hiashi's brought in."

"Yes, Lord Hokage. I'd be very happy to," Kurenai answered before turning to Hinata. "Ready to go home?"

Hinata smiled and nodded before both of them bade Hiruzen Sarutobi a good night, Kurenai wheeling Hinata in the direction of her home. Once they were gone, Hiruzen summoned three of his ANBU before making the trek to Hyuga Manor. He was about to place a Clan Head under arrest, so he decided that this was an arrest he was going to handle personally.

"What you did tonight was very brave, Hinata," Kurenai praised the young girl who was like a daughter to her with a proud, warm smile. "No matter what happens, I'll always be proud of you, and I'll always stand by you."

Hinata smiled. "Thank you, Kurenai-Sensei. I only hope the rest of the village will get the message and leave Naruto alone from now on."

"We can only hope, Hinata," Kurenai responded wistfully. "We can only hope."

Naruto slowly opened his eyes as he returned to consciousness. He felt somewhat refreshed and rested from his slumber, despite the fact that dawn had not yet made its appearance. He looked downwards towards his newest Sekirei to see that she was leaning into his side, her arm draped across his chest, her head using the left side of his chest as a pillow, and both of her legs entangled with his. He also noticed that they hadn't even bothered pulling any bedcovers over themselves, and they were both still as naked as the day they were born.

He smiled softly at the serene smile on Miya's face as she slept, lifting the arm she was laying on to hold her into his side while bringing his free hand towards her face and gently brushing a few stray hairs away from it with the backs of his fingers. As he caressed her face, she let out a soft breath, smiled slightly wider and unconsciously snuggled closer into Naruto's side.

'How did I get so lucky to get a woman as amazing as you, Miya?' Naruto asked himself rhetorically, 'I know I shouldn't put one of you above the rest, but I just can't help myself with you. Strangely enough, it feels right to me – like I'm supposed to love you more, or at least hold you in higher esteem than the others. I wonder why that is…'

He briefly pondered his feelings and used this quiet time to reflect on his relationship with Miya up to now. As he mulled it over, he realized that in so many ways, even before her emergence, she had become the central, single most important person in his life. His first few days at Maison Izumo where he actually agreed to live under someone else's rules had been about his respect for her. When he'd had to leave Maison Izumo for those two days to get away from Miya, not even his Sekirei could calm the distress that Miya had unknowingly caused him. The erratic and unpredictable nature of Miya's behavior during that period had caused many of Naruto's unconscious needs to go unmet, and it began to show.

Thoughts of that period of time brought with it thoughts of his precious Anko and how his big-sister figure had given him refuge from Miya when he had needed it. Not wanting to disturb Miya's slumber, he quickly but gingerly arose from their bed and pulled the covers over Miya to warm her in his absence. Quickly getting into just his boxers, he stole his way outside, being careful to close the front door without a sound, where he briskly made his way towards the lakeshore, collapsed to his knees, and began to weep quietly.

Oh, how he missed her. He missed her pupil-less purple-brown eyes that always gleamed with mirth and mischief. He missed her pineapple-styled pony-tailed purple hair that smelled of the honey used to sweeten dango – hair that she'd only taken down in front of him. He missed her flamboyance that made her so much fun to be around. He missed her playful sadism that was a token of endearment she only gave to him, such as when she would cut his cheek and lick his blood. He missed the way she used the feel of her body against his to try to get a rise out of him only for him to fight with all his might to not rise – he chuckled even while weeping as he reminisced over how they'd even made a near-daily game out of it. Of course, he never did let on just how hard he fought not to allow himself to respond to her over-sexual teasing.

Even more, he missed the side of her that she only let him see – and even then, only behind closed doors, and those special moments brought his sobs forth even more strongly than before. He missed the tender-hearted woman who could empathize with his pain like nobody else. He missed the presence she gave when they were alone – the presence that told him he was safe, that he had nothing to fear, that he was home. She was one of a very select few that truly made him feel like he was part of a family. Being honest with himself, Naruto knew that beyond even Miya, Anko would have been the one woman he truly felt safe about engaging in sexual intimacy with – she wouldn't have needed to reassure him the way Miya had to last night, such was the degree of love and trust the purple-haired woman had garnered from him.

He and Anko had built a bond with each other that Naruto could only rival with the bond that he now shared with Miya. The fact that there was no Sekirei crest to facilitate it actually made it that much more impressive in his mind, though his bond with Miya with the aid of the crest was far stronger and more intense. His Anko – she truly was something special… and now, because of an evil monster's sick, twisted whims, she was gone. That thought enraged him – one way or another, he would make Orochimaru pay.

As his anger began to grow, he felt a soft hand lay itself on the back of his bare shoulder. He turned around at the touch to see his lovely Miya, without a shred of clothing on her perfect, radiant body. A sad, concerned frown adorned her features, accentuated by the silent tears rolling down her face. She was… beautiful beyond words, and it was her calm, austere, but saddened and haunted beauty that served to quell Naruto's growing, burning rage.

"Naru," she began softly, bringing her other hand to rest on his face, "I can feel your anger. And as right as it is, please bear in mind that now is not the time for you to plot vengeance."

Naruto frowned in response, confused at what she was trying to tell him.

She continued pleadingly, "This is the time for you to grieve. Grieve your loss. Mourn for the woman you loved so much. The time for righteous vengeance will come later, but right now… grieve."

Naruto couldn't hold back the slow rise of tears and sobs that came unbidden from Miya's pleas. He closed his eyes, and once the first sob came up from his throat, they burst forth like a ruptured dam, causing him to collapse to his knees. He could feel Miya bringing his head into her bare chest, holding it there tenderly as he wept and cried into her skin. Miya held him to her with one hand around his head and one hand around his back, resting her cheek against the top of his head while shedding silent tears with him. Naruto's own arms rose and gently wrapped themselves around Miya's velvety back as he held the beautiful creature who was now comforting him as he was overtaken by agonizing loss.

The two Hyuga guards on duty that night at the Clan Compound's entrance were quite surprised to see their Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, marching up to their gates, his jaw locked in determination and his eyes filled with purpose, and three ANBU marching up behind him. What surprised them even further was that he wasn't dressed in his Hokage robes but in his black battle attire, as if prepared for a fight. Once he was within ten feel of the compound, he and his entourage stopped.

The Third Hokage addressed the guards with authority, "We are here for Hiashi Hyuua. Take us to him."

"Apologies, Lord Hokage," the guard on the left responded with a bow, "but Lord Hiashi is sleeping at the moment…"

"Then wake him," Sarutobi interrupted, his tone low and forceful. "This is not a social visit. I must insist that you allow us entry immediately."

The two guards, knowing a disguised order when they heard one, bowed in acquiescence to their Hokage's command and opened the gates, permitting them entry. Sarutobi and his ANBU wasted no time marching forward, prompting one of the guards to quickly jog in front of them and lead the way to Hiashi's bedchamber. He led them through the Main House, several Hyuga servants quickly rushing to the side as the God of Shinobi and his entourage marched by them with purpose and intent. The guard stopped and gestured to the door, indicating that they had reached their destination.

Hiruzen marched in front of the door, assumed a horse stance, and kicked with all his might, causing the door to implode into the room with a loud crash, splinters flying everywhere.

Hiashi woke up with a start before frantically looking around and exclaiming, "Huh?! Just what the hell is going on?!" His eyes centered on the venerable Hokage before he demanded indignantly, "Lord Hokage, what is the meaning of this intrusion?!"

"Hiashi Hyuga," Hiruzen answered coldly, "I am placing you under arrest on charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, manslaughter, and willful endangerment of the Village Hidden in the Leaves!" Turning to his ANBU, he commanded, "Take him into custody."

Two of the ANBU promptly moved to Hiashi's bed, one with a sealing tag, the other with cast-iron manacles for his wrists.

"Now just one moment!" Hiashi began to object, but before he could continue, Sarutobi cut him off.

"Hiashi, do not make this worse for yourself by resisting arrest. If you run, I will have no choice but to levy severe sanctions and penalties against the Hyuga Clan as a whole until you surrender yourself or are captured!"

Hiashi gritted his teeth together in anger and frustration before growling out, "Very well, then."

The first ANBU placed the sealing tag on him and activated it while the second pulled Hiashi's wrists behind his back and cuffed them into the manacles.

"May I ask who my accuser and my alleged victim are?" Hiashi asked with no small amount of sarcasm.

Sarutobi informed him straightforwardly, "Attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder are against Naruto Uzumaki…"

"WHAT?!" he bellowed out with fury and disgust.

Sarutobi didn't even slow down or flinch as he continued, "Willful endangerment of the Village refers to the event five years ago when he began to lose control of his tenant – an event, I was told tonight was orchestrated by you… and manslaughter is against your late wife."

Hiashi immediately attempted to send his chakra through his coils, but found he couldn't do so. After several minutes of straining to send chakra through his chakra points, he gave up, panting heavily from the exertion.

Hiruzen calmly explained, "That seal on your forehead is a chakra inhibitor. You cannot channel chakra until either I or one of my ANBU deactivates it. But… you never did let me finish."

Hiashi just turned an enraged glare to the Hokage, who simply stood there and told him, "Your accuser is Hinata Hyuga."

"WHAT?!" Hiashi bellowed out once more, "You dare place ME under arrest based on the word of a displaced heiress?!"

"Yes, Hiashi, I dare exactly that!" Hiruzen retorted, having had enough of the Hyuga Clan Head's belligerence. Turning to his ANBU, he ordered, "Take him away," before he turned on his heel and led them out.

By the time they had reached the courtyard on their way out, most of the Hyuga Clan seemed to have assembled to see if they could learn what was happening. The Hyuga Elders stood before the front gates, though they were not in stance to fight or attempt to hinder the Hokage's passing.

Hiro Hyuga, Hiashi's father, stepped forward and met Hiruzen before asking, "Lord Hokage, might I inquire as to why Hiashi is being placed under arrest? I have no intention of hindering your path or of obstructing justice, but as you can see, the Clan as a whole is assembled, and we really have no idea what to tell them about this."

Hiruzen pondered the elder's words for a moment before nodding, "Very well, Elder Hiro. I shall address your Clan and explain all of this."

"Thank you," Hiro said with a bow before stepping back and allowing Sarutobi to address his clan from the front gates.

Turning to the crowd, Hiruzen cast a jutsu to amplify the volume of his voice before he began, "As Elder Hiro has just expressed to me, many of you must be curious as to why Lord Hiashi is in chains, being dragged away by ANBU. I informed the village as a whole not three days ago that any and all incidents regarding Naruto Uzumaki would henceforth be dealt with swiftly and to the fullest extent of the law. One such incident, of which I'm sure many of you were in attendance, took place roughly five years ago, when Naruto had lost control of his… condition… and charged Lord Hiashi with the intent to kill him. His wife, Hanari, stepped in front of young Naruto and took the blow intended for Hiashi!"

Hiruzen paused for several seconds to gauge the audience. Their opinions all seemed mixed: some seemed angry at the reminder of Hanari's death, some shook their heads in sadness or shame, while several others glared furiously at Hiashi, himself.

Hiruzen then continued, "I have been informed that the reason young Naruto lost control to such a degree was because Hiashi not only ordered him, an eleven-year-old child at the time, to be beaten by several full-grown Hyuga adults under the threat of having their Caged Bird Curse Marks activated, but when Hanari tried to stop what was happening, Hiashi began to beat her as well. This is what provoked Naruto to such anger, and as such, Hiashi is being indicted with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, manslaughter and willful endangerment of the Village Hidden in the Leaves!"

"But Uzumaki is the one who killed Lady Hanari!" Hiruzen heard the voice of one Neji Hyuga object in an angry shout, "It's what everyone in this Clan says!"

"Define everyone, Neji," Ko Hyuga, a Main family member who had been assigned as Hinata's chaperone when she was a young child, responded, "Who is 'everyone'?"

"Everyone who was there that told me what happened!" Neji retorted.

"And were they all members of the Branch family, by any chance?"

"Of course they were! It's not as if anyone in the Main family would have told me anything."

"I would have, if you had but asked me. I'm sure any of the elders who were there would have, as well, if they had been present," Ko answered evenly, looking back to the elders, all of whom were shrugging or shaking their heads apologetically, knowing they were unable to verify Ko's testimony.

Ko continued, "Other than that, did it not occur to you that maybe the Branch family were keeping it from you because Lord Hiashi may have threatened them with Caged Bird Seal activation, as he is wont to do?"

Neji gritted his teeth in fury, wanting to retort but being unable to respond in such a way that would even make sense.

Ko addressed the rest of the Hyuuga Clan, "I have known Naruto Uzumaki for many years! Both Lady Hanari and I frequently found ourselves in his company before Lady Hanari's passing. Lady Hanari held nothing but the greatest of fondness and affection for him in her heart. He is a fine young man who has earned both my respect and admiration – both of which most of you can attest I do not give easily or lightly. And I can tell you this: Hanari's intercepting Naruto's attack was with the intention of saving Naruto's life, not Hiashi's. She knew that if Naruto had killed Lord Hiashi in his anger that nothing would have been able to save him from execution!"

Murmurs began to arise within the courtyard. Neji ran back into the compound in anger. Hiashi simply glowered darkly as he could feel his clan supposedly turning on him.

Ko turned to Sarutobi and bowed in apology, "My apologies, Lord Hokage, for the interruption, but I felt it was time that the truth fully came out to the rest of the Clan. I could not do so before now, because I would not have been taken seriously, and I might have possibly been remanded to the Branch family for the attempt while accomplishing nothing."

Sarutobi smiled and raised his hand to wave off his apology, "Think nothing of it, Ko. I thank you for backing me."

Elder Hiro's voice could be heard next, "All Hyuga, stand down! Allow the Hokage and his contingent to pass with their prisoner."

Those assembled did as ordered by Hiro, opening a pathway to the main gate of the compound so that Sarutobi and his ANBU could escort their clan head off the grounds. Many of them stayed after Sarutobi and contingent had left the grounds, watching as they walked off in the direction of Torture and Interrogation.

The murmurs and unintelligible conversations between the various members of the Hyuga Clan quickly came to life once Hiashi was taken from the compound. Some of them appeared excited, some appeared apprehensive, some just appeared angry. Their tones of voice were as varied as their expressions were. Neji Hyuga, however, couldn't make out anything that was being said in the jumble, nor did he care enough to try.

He was filled with rage – rage towards Ko for daring to refute the story he'd believed and built so many strong feelings around, rage towards Lady Hinata for bringing this event about so that his perspective of what happened could even be called into question, rage against Lord Hiashi for being cruel enough and arrogant enough to be able to perform such despicable acts, whether he believed the man guilty or not.

But his rage and hatred were most strongly directed at Naruto Uzumaki. It was he who killed precious Lady Hanari – the woman who became a second mother to him after his own father was taken from him by the Main Family. She was the one who made him feel like he was valued, and that he was a person of worth. She never treated the Branch Hyuga any differently than she treated the Main Hyuga. She saw the entire clan as family, and she loved them all that way – with maybe the only exception being her husband. She had utterly loathed the separation that the Caged Bird Curse Mark had wrought upon the Hyuga Clan, and she was an outspoken proponent for abolishing it. And that murderer had taken her from him.

That's what he knew to be true. His rage and hatred, his drive to grow stronger, had been built upon that one supposed truth – and now Ko told him and everyone else that it was a lie. The realization that his hatred and rage towards Naruto was misplaced sent him reeling. So then what was he supposed to feel? Where was all of this fury and hatred supposed to be directed, now?

No, his rage and hatred would not be denied. He would sate them both – he had to. It was the only way he could see to keep from losing himself to them. They had to be satisfied. It was the only way. Hanari's blood was still on Uzumaki's hands, and therefore, only Uzumaki's blood would avenge her death and allow her to finally rest in peace!

Neji didn't notice Namiji off in the shadows staring at him longingly with fear and worry, nor did he notice her distress through their bond. She shivered, suddenly feeling cold and clammy, as if Neji's twisted rage and hatred were physically disgusting her. She wanted to help him find his happiness, but could she? Could her Ashikabi even be helped?

Steeling herself, she schooled her face and slowly approached Neji. Whether he could be helped to find happiness or not, she was his Sekirei. He was the destined one that she Reacted to, so whether she could or couldn't help him, she could love him. In fact, he was the only person she could love in that way, now. She was his, for the rest of her natural life, whether she wanted it or not, whether HE wanted it or not.

When she reached him, Namiji gently took hand, causing him to gasp as he was surprised to be pulled out of his darkened thoughts, and led him to a shadowed corner of the courtyard. She then turned around, let go of his hand, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him firmly, causing her wings to light up just below her Sekirei crest.

Neji stiffened, not knowing what to do. After a few seconds, Namiji pulled away from him and gazed into his face as tears began to roll down her own.

She took the chance to speak up, "Neji, why do you keep doing this to yourself?"

Neji's eyes narrowed slightly as he flinched almost imperceptibly, "What are you talking about?"

Taking his silence for denial, Namiji continued, "As my Ashikabi, I want to make you happy. Being with you is the only thing that matters to me. Is it really so hard for you to let someone love you?"

Neji's face became like stone, though Namiji could see his jaw was tensed with gritted teeth behind his closed mouth.

Coldly, he told her, "Fate has allowed me victory, not love. I have no loved ones, anymore."

"That isn't true," Namiji argued, "You have me."

"No," he growled out, "I don't know what this is, but… it's not love. Love cannot be given to someone who is incapable of love."

"Deny it all you want, Neji Hyuga," Namiji retorted forcefully with a defiant glare as her voice started to break, "But you can't lie about your feelings to me! I can feel them through the Bond, just like you can feel my own! You know that I love you! You know that I'm committed only to you! And I know that you're not as incapable of love as you believe yourself to be!"

Neji, in a sudden fit of rage, backhanded his Sekirei to the floor as his Byakugan involuntarily activated. Namiji simply turned her unflinching and unwavering gaze at him, devoid of surprise or anger, though he could see the pain in her eyes – pain at his rage, and at his inner conflict.

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW?!" he shouted at her as tears of anger and frustration began to escape from his eyes, "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE BRANDED LIKE A SLAVE BY THOSE ABOVE YOU?! AND ALL BECAUSE A SELECT FORTUNATE FEW WANT TO REMAIN IN POWER BY WHATEVER MEANS NECESSARY?!"

Neji yanked his headband from his forehead, showing her the hideous muck-green curse seal that now stood out starkly on his pale skin.

Glaring at her, he continued shouting, "Look at this! Do you know what this is?! This is the mark of a slave – given to me by my own uncle! Ever since I've received this mark, I've been treated as a lesser human being than any Hyuga without it! I've even been tortured with it by my uncle, my grandfather, and others! I come from a family of evil, sadistic tyrants – a family who knows NOTHING about love at all! The only ones who were different were…" Neji's eyes clamped shut as his shouts died down into anguished, defeated groans, "… were my father, who was murdered by Lord Hiashi and Lord Hiro when I was only four… and Lady Hanari, who loved me as though I was her own."

Neji collapsed to his hands and knees before clenching a fist and smashing the wooden paneling of the deck beneath him repeatedly, roaring out each time his fist connected. He stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and turned to see Namiji looking into his own with all the love she could plainly see that she felt for him. Her gaze, which when looking at him, reminded him so much of Hanari's gaze when she looked upon him fondly, but Namiji's was also so different.

Namiji didn't say another word – she took Neji's chin in her hand and moved in to kiss him, pressing her soft lips firmly against his own. Her wings once again took form, and this time Neji didn't stiffen, but softly took her in his arms and returned her kiss, deepening it.

When they pulled away, Namiji told him, "I love you, Neji Hyuga. I don't care how many times I have to say it in order for you to believe it. You're not incapable of love, and you're not unlovable. If you weren't capable of love, you wouldn't grieve the loss of your father and Lady Hanari the way you do… even to this day."

Neji grimaced in both sadness and fear. Was what she said true? Could he dare to open his heart, even just a little bit? He started remembering times when his sensei and his teammates watched his back, and even took hits for him while out on missions – they didn't have to do it, and he had berated them at the time for being foolish and sentimental instead of focusing on the mission at hand. He knew why they had done it, though, and he hadn't wanted to admit it to himself – they did it because they cared for him – as a teammate, as a friend… as a brother, even?

His thoughts came back to Lady Hinata, who he had so brutalized during his match in the preliminaries. It occurred to him now that had she wished, she could have used a single hand sign to end their match. She had always tried being kind to him, as well, just like Hanari. But damn it that she had to look so much like the beautiful late Hyuga Matriarch! Seeing Hinata was so painful to Neji – it was like she had been reincarnated into her daughter, or even cloned. It was as if Fate was playing some sick joke on him!

Fate! Why Fate?! Why was Fate such a cruel mistress?! Why couldn't she simply leave him be?! Why did he have to constantly prove to her that he was worth something?! That he could be more than the hand she had laid out for him?! When would Fate see that she was WRONG ABOUT HIM?!

Neji closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as he shook his head to clear his thoughts. Fate might be his mistress, but that didn't mean he loved her. He in fact hated her with a passion! And he didn't want her invading or consuming his thoughts right now, not when Namiji's touch, her kiss… her body… all felt so wonderful. Neji regained himself and slowly turned his gaze towards Namiji.

"Thank you," he told her softly with a ghost of a smile, "I'm sorry I struck you in my anger. You did not deserve that, and it was unworthy of me as your Ashikabi. But please bear with me, and wait for me just a little longer. I… I will let my hatred go… once it has been satisfied on the day of the Finals. Once I've faced him."

Namiji smiled at him and gave him a slow, soft nod. Taking her hand in his, she helped him to his feet and led him to their shared bedchamber to retire for the night. She could wait for one more month – she'd already waited this long, after all.

Hiro and Ko were both pondering what they'd overheard Neji shouting to his companion, their thoughts leading them in very different directions. Hiro himself was feeling regretful and guilty over what Neji had said, while Ko was pondering what he could do to help the young lad. Ko, much like Hanari, loved the Hyuga Clan as a single clan, and didn't understand the need for a Main and separate Branch families. Hyuga should be Hyuga, and that was that.

"If only he understood," Hiro lamented quietly, "That seal is for the protection of our bloodline."

"Then why don't we all wear it, Lord Hiro?" Ko asked him with mild sharpness, "I frankly think he's right – that seal stopped being about protecting the Byakugan a long time ago. It's an enslavement mechanism, nothing more."

"That isn't true…"

"Then why hasn't a new seal been designed that would protect all of us from having our bloodline stolen?!" Ko interrupted with a raised voice, "It wouldn't cost us anything, and it could even serve to unify the Clan once more. I, for one, am sick of the self-righteous Main family treating the rest of our Clan the way they do! I've even taken to severely disciplining anyone that I catch using the seal for petty, frivolous reasons, which just happens to be most of the time!"

Hiro closed his eyes and breathed out a heavy sigh in shame, "You're right, Ko. Many do use the seal for reasons beyond its intended purpose. But what would you have us do? Would you have us unseal the Branch Hyuga so that they could rise against us and destroy us?"

"Would that be so unjust?" Ko asked Hiro, whose eyes went wide at the question, "The Main family has oppressed and persecuted the Branch families for as long as we can remember. But it's not the Branch Hyuga who are in the wrong. It's the Main Family, and as a whole, we need to take responsibility for our wrongs against them."

"We can't do that…"

"To do any less than that is cowardly and cruel!" Ko interrupted once again, "Are you a coward, Hiro?!"

"What?!"

"Are the Main family nothing but cowards and weak-hearted tyrants that will do whatever they can to remain in power over others?! Is that what this family is?! Is that ALL this Clan is?!"

Hiro once more hung his head and sighed heavily, "I know what you say is true, Ko. But I am just one man, and an old man at that. What difference can I make among the rest of the Main family?"

"They'll listen to you if you would only voice such a conviction. Your voice holds far more sway than even you realize," Ko exhorted him. "And even if they do not, while you may be old, I am still young yet. I don't care how, but somehow I'll change things in this Clan. The Caged Bird Curse Seal needs to be abolished. It's not about protecting our bloodline, anymore – that's just the excuse the Main Family feeds themselves to justify its use. A new seal can easily be developed – a seal that all Hyuga could be proud to wear instead of only Branch family Hyuga who must hide it in shame. A seal that looks like a beautiful work of art and not a disfigurement. A seal that can unite the Hyuga instead of dividing them!"

Ko bowed to the elder Hyuga and left him to his thoughts in order to retire for the night. The thoughts that Hiro had been left to had once again changed direction. He couldn't help but smile and be filled with hope as he considered the young man with whom he had just spoken. Whether Hiashi was found guilty or not, it was becoming more and more clear that the Hyuga were destroying themselves. Neji was not alone in his feelings towards the Clan and towards the Main family, this he knew. New leadership was needed – leadership that could save the Hyuga from themselves. He couldn't help but think that Ko Hyuga might in fact be the Hyuga Clan's savior! He walked back into the complex to return to bed, the hope of a brighter future for the Hyuga Clan under new leadership bringing a smile to his aged face.

Hiashi sat for an indeterminate length of time in his assigned interrogation chamber. It was warm and somewhat humid, almost like it would feel on a scorching humid summer afternoon, and he was beginning to sweat and grow thirsty. No water had been left for him, he was strapped to his chair, and he knew that shouting for water would do him no good, as the room was muted to the outside by a silencing seal.

'No doubt they're trying to make me more inclined to cooperate by making me uncomfortable,' he thought with bitter smugness, 'We'll see how far that gets them.' He eventually heard the door open, and without looking up, Hiashi spat out, "I demand to be released immediately! I refuse to cooperate with any interrogation you conduct if you insist on treating me like a criminal!"

"Well, you see Hiashi, that's a problem," a male voice he knew well but was not expecting responded. Hiashi's eyes widened as he snapped his head upwards only to see Inoichi Yamanaka glaring at him with grim resolve.

Inoichi continued, "You're being treated like a criminal because you've been charged with a crime. And unlike other crimes where further evidence would be required before an arrest could be made, this particular crime requires no such evidence."

Hiashi's gritted his teeth and growled under his breath as Inoichi added, "So, in the interest of saving time, we're foregoing the questioning, and I'm just going to dive straight in and start poking around in your head."

"WHAT?!" Hiashi bellowed out in anger and fear, "NO! YOU CAN'T!"

"Actually," Inoichi's grimace darkened slightly, "Yes, I can."

Inoichi made a few hand seals and, not even stating the name of his jutsu, touched Hiashi's forehead with the thumb and fingertips of his right hand while holding his left in a half-hitsuji seal. Hiashi's gaze went blank as he started reliving various flashes of his life in his mind as Inoichi recorded them in his own mental space for extraction and documentation afterwards.

It was several hours later when Naruto and Miya woke up once more. It took Naruto over half an hour of weeping uncontrollably before he simply stopped from exhaustion. At that point, Miya led him back into the house and brought him back to bed. Naruto had gotten back out of his boxers and pulled the sheet over the two of them, and before long, both of them once more lost consciousness, Miya once again leaning into Naruto's side and using his chest as a pillow. This was the position that Naruto woke back up in, and he couldn't help but smile softly at the sight.

Naruto pondered Miya's handling of his heart and mind since he'd learned of his precious Anko's murder. As he thought about it, he couldn't help but marvel at just how deeply Miya understood him as a person, even before the Bond was established. He couldn't deny it – she truly did know him. She understood him. All the Bond did for her was deepen the understanding by allowing her to experience the things she already knew he felt by observing the inflections of his voice, or the way he held himself at any given point in time.

He began to see the pattern of how Miya's emotional state directly affected his own, but he also began to see how the reverse was true. All of Miya's feelings were either direct or indirect responses to Naruto's own. When one was content, so was the other. Likewise, the same phenomenon could be observed when one or the other of them was under some kind of distress. During the entirety of his stay at Maison Izumo, from day one until now, it was always Miya whom he looked most forward to seeing and being with. Even with the Bonds he had already built with his Sekirei, he still needed Miya the most.

Through the new Bond, he could also sense just how much she needed him. He could now understand her on a much deeper level. The real reason she had been short and even angry with him when she didn't know how to handle being in love with him was because she needed him, and at the time, that scared her. Her Bond also told him that it was her acceptance of her need for him, and realizing that such a need was a good thing, that helped her to truly and happily let him in. That thought made him smile – there was no longer any distance between them.

He was brought out of his reflections by a soft, sleepy moan from the woman who was sleeping with him. This was immediately followed by her stirring and shifting as she was beginning to come to consciousness. A few moments later, she pressed herself up into a kneeling position, straddling his leg. She raised her arms up towards the ceiling and stretched as she yawned in what Naruto thought was an adorably cute manner, before stretching her arms outward. She sleepily opened her eyes and smiled as she caught Naruto's gaze.

"Good morning," Naruto greeted her quietly with a soft smile.

"Hi," she breathed out wistfully in response before lowering herself back down and bringing her face next to his, giving him a long yet tender kiss.

When she pulled away she asked, "Did you sleep well?"

"Like a baby – both times. You?"

"Better than I have in a long time," she responded with what Naruto could have sworn was gratitude. "Ever since everything that happened between my first husband, and then your parents, restful sleep is something I've found very hard to come by."

"Really? I didn't know."

Miya smiled, "That's fine. Besides…" she lifted herself back up and stretched once more before rising to her feet while saying, "… I think those nights of restless sleep are behind me, now."

"Good," Naruto replied, following her out of bed.

Once he was on his feet, Miya wordlessly took his hand and led him out into the gentle first light of dawn towards the hot spring that would serve as their bathtub. After washing up, both themselves and each other, followed by the two of them making love in the spring for the next two and a half hours, and then cleaning themselves once more, they got out and returned to the cottage, Miya leading Naruto by the hand and draping herself over him whenever they happened to be still, whether standing, sitting, lying down, and son.

Naruto was pleasantly surprised – he had never expected Miya to be so affectionate. As he thought about it, even the sensations he felt through her Bond were far stronger than what he had experienced through the others'. Whether due to the nature of their relationship or whether this was just the sheer strength of Miya's feelings, he could not yet determine, but it was something he took great comfort in.

As they had prepared themselves a rustic meal for breakfast, Miya pulled Naruto outside once more. The midmorning sun was only two short hours away from approaching its noonday zenith, though it seemed to spread its heat and light much more mildly where they were. Neither of them had even bothered putting on a single scrap of clothing. Miya had admitted to liking the feel of the sun and the wind against every square inch of her bare skin, at least in this particular place, and had even told Naruto that she did not intend to wear anything for the rest of the time they were there if she did not need to. Naruto, surprised but intrigued by Miya's admission, opted to do likewise, just to see how it felt. He had no complaints so far.

Miya brought Naruto to one of the cushioned lounge chairs just outside the cabin. Naruto seated himself while Miya took a seat right next to him on the same lounge chair.

"Well, this is as good a time as any for me to tell you the truth about everything," Miya began, her expression taking on a more sober quality. "Do you remember what Matsu told you about the origins of Sekirei?"

Naruto nodded before he recalled Matsu's answer to Kurama's question, "Yeah, that's right. She said that No. 01 told her about the Sekireis' origins lying with the Sage of Six Paths."

"Yes, that is what I told her," Miya replied, "I also told her a good bit more than that, but I haven't told her as much as I'm about to tell you. But before I do that, tell me what you know about the Sage of Six Paths."

"Just what they teach in the Academy," Naruto answered, "The myth is that he was supposedly the progenitor of chakra, and he taught his disciples how to use it. This is why we have the ability to use chakra to perform jutsu of various kinds."

"Oh, he was no myth, of that I can assure you," Miya began, "And he wasn't the progenitor of chakra, either."

"He wasn't?"

"No, he wasn't. His mother was."

"Wait, how do you know all this?"

"Because I was there to see it all, at least in a sense."

Naruto narrowed his eyes in thought as he tried to discern the meaning behind Miya's declaration. Miya brought his focus back to her by placing her hand over his and squeezing it gently.

"Why don't I start by telling you my story?" she asked rhetorically, to which Naruto just nodded.

Miya took a breath and began to tell Naruto of Kaguya Ootsutsuki, and of how she ate the fruit of the God-Tree to acquire power to stop the wars plaguing her primeval land. She told him of the fight between the Rabbit Goddess and her sons, Hagoromo, who was the Sage of Six Paths, and Hamura, who was the ancestor of the Hyuga Clan. Naruto was surprised to learn that instead of the progenitor of chakra, Hagoromo was in reality the first ever Jinchuriki, by way of sealing the Ten-Tailed Beast inside of himself. She informed him of the creation of the nine Tailed Beasts that were known today as Hagoromo split the chakra of the Ten-Tails into nine distinct pieces as he was about to die.

"…and I now come to the part of the story where the Sekirei enter it," it was this segment of her chronicle that would shock Naruto and completely destroy his perspective and worldview.

"You see, Naru, when Kaguya's sons sealed away the Ten-Tails' body and created the moon around it, it reverted back into the God-Tree. But as debris from the Earth surrounded the Tree, a piece of the Tree broke off and crashed to earth, forming a crater that became the bed for the lake here," she pointed to the lake.

"So that's why this place feels so… mysterious," Naruto commented with mild wonderment.

"That's part of it, Naru," Miya informed him as she continued, "Because the wood was of divine origin, it was still very much alive and imbued with incredible potential power, but without a soul of any form to release it or give it direction. Many years later, when Hagoromo split the Ten-Tails into the Nine Tailed Beasts we all know today, much of the chakra that was split was cast off into the atmosphere. Some of it found its way back here and merged with the piece of its body that was lying at the bottom of this very lake. The properties of the water here mixing in with the merging process caused the infested wood to mutate into a chrysalis of sorts. When the chrysalis matured, it cracked open – and a new lifeform emerged."

Naruto had listened to the tale in complete entrancement up to now, Miya's telling stirring something within him that was both familiar yet new at the same time. He knew that it was true – but more than that, he felt as if he somehow was supposed to know this. It was not long before he figured it out – it was his bond with Miya that was generating this feeling of familiarity, but it was almost as if… Kurama was emanating it as well? What did this mean?

Miya's account continued, "This new lifeform could only spend several years protected and isolated within the safety of this small region as it learned and grew. At first, it was little more than an extension of the God Tree before Kaguya came along and corrupted it. But after a time, it grew into its own. It developed its own identity, completely separate from the Ten-Tails. Its power, while tamed and controlled, was actually far greater than that of any of the current Tailed Beasts. In fact, there's not a man, woman, tailed beast, demon, anything currently alive whose power can match this being's. As its power continued to grow, humanity had started to recover from Kaguya's tyranny, and chakra soon became widely used. The residual traces of human chakra in the ether left imprints of knowledge behind with it. The being was able to absorb these imprints, and began to identify more with humans, even taking on certain human traits – feelings, rational thoughts, hopes, dreams, even fears. It even took on a gender of its own."

"A gender?" Naruto asked curiously, "So it was…genderless before?"

"That's right. The being instinctively became female, and started taking on a human appearance. The human that she had the most knowledge of, at least while she was still human, was Kaguya Ootsutsuki, so she started to meld into an appearance that was almost identical to that of Princess Kaguya before she had eaten the God Tree's fruit and morphed into the Rabbit Goddess she had become."

Naruto narrowed his eyes in thought, pondering the significance of what Miya was telling him. He intuitively came to his conclusion with a wide-eyed gape, staring at the woman before him and pointing her way, trying to speak his mind, but utterly failing in his sputters.

"I see you've pieced it together, Naru," Miya appraised with a calm, knowing smile, "Yes. That being… was me."

And fin. That ends this chapter. Again, sorry for the interminably long wait, and I hope the wait for the next chapter is much shorter. If you enjoyed this chapter, be sure to post a review about it. If you did not, that is fine, just try not to be a flamer. And if you are confused or unsure about anything, leave your questions in a review and I will do what I can to address them. Until then, bye-bye!