Time Travel Lovers **BEING REWRITTEN/EDITED WITH MAJOR CHANGES**

Chapter 36: Hiashi Moves Forward

School's been kicking my ass and we just finished day seven.... I'll update as often as I can but this arc only has about four more chapters too it. After I finish this arc I'm going to do a hiatus for this book and work of Wife of the Six Paths for a bit. Love y'all!

May 15th. Iruka Umino had returned with a shake of his head and the note that the Wave was now on lookout too.

He had nodded his acceptance of the report and dismissed the chunin. His head fell into his hands after Umino had left. After many deep breaths he had stood up, left his office, and went to talk with Neji.

He had explained that the search now had to be called done. It was time to schedule the clan meeting.

That was then. Now, he was sitting at the head of the meeting hall. Main and branch sat interspersed and talking quietly. Neji sat to his left and Hanabi sat in Natsu's lap off to the right. The elders sat around him.

He cleared his throat and all talking stopped. He stood and looked at his clan. His proud clan that would uphold it's pride through this time.

"As all of you know, Hinata and Naruto have gone missing. You are aware of the fact that they left under their own power. Now you are being told that the final out reach has been concluded. As per the stipulations set by the Hokage and the clan council we as a clan must now move forward and proceed with all clan functions."

Murmurs broke out across the room. He let the murmurs go while he walked over and picked Hanabi up and held her against his side. He walked back up front and the room fell quiet again.

"As you know each clan must have a named heir. Since Hinata is now absent I must name another. I have decided to do something rather unprecedented but I believe it will continue Hinata's will for reunification of the branch and main family.

"Hanabi will train to be heiress and may one day assume her place as clan head. But as she is now too young to lead in any fashion. Neji will act as my heir to the clan until Hanabi reaches a majority age or the rank of chunnin. Should anything happen to me in the time between then and now, Neji will assume the role of clan head with the elders as his advisors. After that it will be up to him if Hanabi will assume control upon reaching majority. So now, Neji will you please come here?"

Neji stood and came to stand at Hiashi's other side. Hanabi on one side, him on the other.

"Neji if you would please."

Neji nodded and removed the bandages he kept around his forehead.

"It is too my great shame that I forced the Caged Bird Seal upon my nephew when he was only five. Now, two and a half years later I wish I could undo it. The process to undo the seal would require a master in sealing and it would be an extremely painful process that could possibly kill if anything were to go wrong."

Hiashi took a deep breath and placed his free hand on Neji's shoulder

"The Caged Bird Seal shall no longer be placed on any member of the Hyuga clan. We Hyuga are a great and mighty clan. We are strong. We are a part of the history of this village. No Hyuga will ever fall. We will make this clan a great force for the future."

Hiashi looked around the hall. He had the rapt attention of every person in the hall.

"Hinata and Naruto will be severely missed. But we will move forward. We are Hyuga. We are strong."

________

After the congratulations and condolences had come to an end, Hiashi found himself alone in his office two hours later. He sat quietly as he thought over everything that had led his life to this point. The death of his wife, the sacrifice and brave rebellion of his brother, the change Hinata and Naruto had gone through, everything with Neji, and then Hinata's birthday, that month, and then them leaving.

So much.

His mind was racing. Thinking, regretting, and reliving. When a poof of smoke next to his desk startled him. Hiashi lept out of his chair, byakugan blazing and his body set into a fighting stance.

When no attack came he looked around. There was no assailant. No person was in his office. The only thing out of place was the fact that there was now a mid-sized tiger sitting next to his desk. He and the summon stared at each other in a tense battle of who would move first.

It ended up being the tiger. The young tiger swished it's tail and rose up placing it's paws on his desk. The tiger opened it's mouth and dropped a scroll.

More staring between the two. Now with Hiashi's gaze flicking to the scroll every now and then.

"Hinata-chan misses you Hiashi-san. She asked me to tell you that it is no fault of your own. She and Naruto made this choice for the sake of Konoha. They wrote this letter after hearing of your searchers."

Hiashi swallowed hard. A lump swelling in his throat. "Are... are they okay?"

The young tiger snorted lightly. "They are fine. Hinata-chan and Naruto-kun are perfectly fine. Just read the letter. I'll be the one delivering any news in the future Hiashi-san. After now I won't be staying to chat. You may not even see me before I am gone."

Hiashi nodded.

"I'll be going then."

And so the tiger was gone. Hiashi stared at the scroll.

It was just a standard scroll. He unrolled it slowly. Fighting the slight tremor in his hands.

Dad,

We are so sorry. We know what we did was awful but we couldn't stay in Konoha any longer. We have too much knowledge about problems that need to be fixed. Staying put and letting the events we knew would happen, go forward wasn't an option. We will be back. We swear. It will just be a few years. Probably around the summer when we are twelve. In the mean time just know that we are safe. We will be stationary for the next year at least. We will send you updates about once a month.

We love you Dad,

            Hinata and Naruto

Tears fell on the scroll.