A Growing Affection

Chapter 7: A Father's Prerogative

"I demand you keep him away from my daughter!" Hiashi Hyuga slammed his palm on the desk for effect.

"You demand?" The Hokage had been staring down at her paperwork, but now she lifted her head to look at the clan leader. On the surface she appeared amused, but the twist of her lips and a tightness around her eyes dared him to push again. Realizing he had gone to far, Hiashi took a deep breath to steady himself.

"Even if I were inclined to honor your request," she hurtled the last word like a shuriken, "The first Hokage set up the laws so that the people of the Konohagakure can be friends with who they want, date who they want, and marry whomever they wish."

Her smirk broadened as she added, "A fact I'd think you be painfully aware of."

She raised her hands in mock defeat, "So what can I do?"

"Send Naruto on as many missions as you can, as far from the village as you can find."

"The only tasks we have that fit that profile involve espionage, and are unsuitable for that knucklehead. Besides that, I think Naruto and Hinata are good for one another, in whatever way they choose."

"So put simply, no, I will not help you." She answered with great finality.

Hiashi spun imperiously and strode out.

"I should have known there was only one way to stop this." He offered that parting shot as he left.

'That was ominous,' the Hokage thought, 'I had better check on Hinata.'

"Hinata," a voice called her name as she walked out of the bookstore. The young woman looked up to see her elder advancing towards her.

"Lady Tsunade," the teenager bowed, "I thought our lesson was later."

"It is," the Sannin was relieved she arrived first. After a moment of internal debate the elder shinobi decided to be forthright.

"Hinata, your father just came to see me. He asked me to stop you and Naruto from spending time together. I think he is going to try and force you to discontinue your training with the knucklehead."

"I know," she looked down sadly, "He told me yesterday he thought the time I am spending with Naruto is wasted. But I know he just wants me to stay away from Naruto. When I told him he was wrong, that Naruto was helping me grow stronger, he grew angry. He tried to hide it, but I saw. That must be why he spoke to you."

"But if he already spoke to you, then what is his 'one way to stop this'?" Tsunade asked herself more than her student. Each woman met the other's eyes at the same time.

"Naruto!"

"Welcome, Naruto," Hiashi forced a smile as Uzumaki entered the Hyuga clan's dojo.

"That will be all, Hanabi," he dismissed his daughter, who had brought the 'guest' to him.

"Thank you for coming," he nodded in mock gratitude, "I need to speak to you about Hinata."

Naruto remained silent; that was the only reason he could have thought the Hyuga clan leader would want to speak with him.

"I hate to say this," Hiashi affected remorse, "But I don't think her time with you is benefiting my daughter. She needs to spend more time with her teammates, developing her teamwork. And I'm afraid she is too focused on you to be gaining much from your time together. You may just be taking advantage of her."

"Respectfully, Lord Hyuga," Naruto forced down his pride, and said calmly "I disagree. When we started training with the Hokage, she told us that Hinata's Chakra reserves and stamina where both much higher than the last rating Kurenai gave her. She thinks it's because of our training. And I'm not the best teacher, but I've managed to pass on a few of the skills Jiraiya taught me."