Naruto : Monsters: Chapter 69

His distinct lack of empathy, combined with the other behaviour patterns mentioned above, all these points leave it impossible to deny that Hikaru exhibits many of the classic traits associated with that of a psychopath. In short, this has led me to believe I am dealing with a very mentally disturbed child.

...Well, fuck you too Iruka!

...

Yet despite demonstrating several traits that could easily be described as psychopathic, I am reluctant to label him one. One needs only to see Hikaru interact with one Uzumaki Naruto to understand why.

To say he is different would not be doing it justice. The person he becomes when he is with her is such a stark contrast to that boy that I see sitting in my classroom that I must confess, I find myself having trouble reconciling the two as the same person. Where one is apathetic the other is caring, where one is indifferent the other demonstrates a fierce almost fanatic loyalty.

He dotes on Naruto constantly, listens to many of her childish worries despite proving to be smart enough to find such things beneath him intellectually and demonstrates a fierce over-protectiveness when it comes to her well-being. It is thanks to him that she has been able to assimilate with the rest of the classmates as well as she had despite being the Kyuubi's host. 

I still recall how in the early days of the Academy, in stark contrast to his usual cold methodical approach to a problem, Hikaru would without the slightest hint of hesitation punch another child's face in for insulting her – an event that was repeated several times. An unusually knee-jerk and open reaction to someone who usually is so emotionally detached from the world around him.

It was as if every emotion he failed to show anyone else in class, he gave to her.

It is for these reasons that I had recommended that the Hokage permit the continued association between the two. Despite the Hokage's understandable concerns that Hikaru's relationship with Naruto was only a thinly veiled ploy of the Hyuuga Clan to gain influence over the Kyuubi, I have long concluded that is not the case. Hikaru is associating with Naruto out of his own free will, his interaction with her is too genuine for it to be otherwise.

Then there is his younger sister, Hyuuga Hanabi, and his cousin, Hyuuga Neji.

By all reports, he appears to be highly attached to his younger sibling and, while perhaps not to the same extent, to Neji as well. 

While I am not familiar enough with either of them to give a proper assessment on their relationship – as I had never had the pleasure of instructing either Hanabi or Neji – I have personally witnessed him interacting with the two during their lunch breaks or in the middle of the corridor between periods, and I confess it is a relief to see him act so human to someone outside of Naruto. It proves that despite my earlier concerns, Hikaru is, in fact, capable of caring for others.

This is far from the typical profile of a psychopath and does not fit within the established parameters of one.

It is for the above-stated reasons that I have concluded that rather than being unable to care, Hikaru chooses not to. That he has a frightening ability to shut down his emotions at will. Either disregarding them or even turning them off and on entirely as easily as you or I would flip a switch. He can emotionally distance himself from those around him while still permitting himself to care for a chosen few with little difficulty.

If true, it would explain the dichotomy he has demonstrated; sympathetic in regards to some while cold-blooded dismissal when it comes to others.

This is of course not typical behaviour for anyone, let alone a child, and I would have normally attributed the source of this behaviour due to a mental trauma caused by some traumatic experience during early childhood. But looking through his history I have failed to discover any evidence to support this theory, as he appeared to have a relatively peaceful life. 

The closest event that I could find was during the Kumo Incident when one of the ambassadors tried to kidnap him as a child, but all reports agree that the ambassador was stopped long before he could reach him and that Hikaru himself was unaware of the attempt until long after it was over.

In conclusion, Hikaru is not a psychopath though he has certainly shown himself capable of behaving like one due to his frightening ability to shut his empathy off when needed. 

This skill would prove to be highly useful in an assassin, as unlike many of his peers Hikaru is unlikely to suffer from any guilt or mental trauma as a result of killing someone outside of combat. He most likely would be able to perform such tasks with little or no emotional difficulty.

It is for the above-stated reasons that I recommend Hikaru be considered as a candidate as a Hunter-Nin. With his bloodline, along with his natural ability to distance himself emotionally from others, Hikaru would have no difficulty tracking and bringing down a fellow ninja of the Leaf should they turn traitor. 

And while he would also be unlikely to care for any civilian casualties or innocent bystanders if it meant the success of the mission, he is pragmatic enough not to kill indiscriminately and would assess the pros and cons of a situation before committing to any action.

Recommendation:

Wet-works, Hunter-Nin, Intelligence and Counterintelligence unit.

By the time I reached the end of the report and put it down, I couldn't figure out whether to be offended or flattered by what I had read and before I could make up my mind, Danzo began speaking again.

"Your performance in Kakashi's test was especially telling. Put it simply, you performed magnificently." Despite the praise, Danzo's voice sounded bland as always. 

"When you found yourself facing a vastly superior opponent, you retreated. You didn't foolishly try to fight him yourself and fled immediately upon fulfilling your objective of acquiring a bait, before leading him into an ambush. 

And when that failed, you used every dirty trick you could think of – no matter how potentially lethal – uncaring for any sense of fair-play. It didn't matter how you did it, it didn't even matter if it was you or your teammates who delivered the winning blow, just that one of you got your hands on that bell, all that mattered was victory. Thus you managed to turn a hopeless situation into one where victory was possible.

"And perhaps even more impressive was your seamless teamwork. At that point in time, you had only been a team for under twenty-four hours, yet you managed to work together as if you had been doing it for years. 

While that might have been partially explained away by your experience with handling Uzumaki, that was not the case with the young Nara, and a team's dynamics can be greatly altered by the addition of a single new member. But under your leadership, the three of you managed to coordinate together far better than I would have believed possible from a newly formed Genin team."

"Pragmatic, intelligent, ruthless and most importantly, efficient," Danzo stressed the word. "Yes, I do not believe I could find a more ideal candidate even if I had another decade to look."

I felt dread fill my spine at the implication. "Candidate?" I parroted, not sure why I felt such fear from a single word, only certain that it meant nothing good for me. I tried to figure out what he was implying but it was no good. 

My thoughts felt muddled, slow and unclear while my head was all but spinning from being overloaded with all the shock and information I was forced to process over the last few minutes. Underneath my forehead protector, I shut my eyes and took a deep steadying breath before speaking. "Danzo-sama, please just tell me what you want from me."

"Very well, I will be frank then," Danzo said, agreeing to my request. 

"We are running out of time, both Hiruzen and I. Neither of us ever expected to live for so long, or for him to still remain as the Hokage at his age. And it cannot last. Already his years are beginning to show. While his mind may be as sharp as ever, his body is not and it is beginning to fail him. 

He grows weary faster with each passing year, and his skill in combat has noticeably blunted. Another few years, a decade at most, and he would no longer be fit to lead the Leaf. Which is why we have already begun making preparations for when that day comes."

======================

If you want to support me, Or just read ahead of the public release, you can check my p atreon :

 p atreon.com/sybife