Author's Notes: I am getting old. I really should be out-growing fanfiction. And I am. Almost. But before I go, I would like to give one final hurrah to all the people who have shaped and supported me, even if they might never read this.
Each chapter will be dedicated to a different author. This is dedicated to clockwork starlight.
Please view in 3/4 format.
A Final Hurrah
Chapter One: A Most Extraordinary Creature
In a large but tastefully minimalist office, a woman slept on a leather chair. Papers, some scattered, most well-organized, laid on her desk. A laptop remained half-cocked. There were many doors but no windows.
One of the doors opened. A man entered. He was not a young man, easily in his early forties, but his body was hard and his face, harder. As stiff as his face was, it softened just slightly as he approached the sleeping woman.
"Oyabun*?"
Hyuuga Hinata stirred. Her pale eyes opened. "I'm sorry. Did I doze off?"
"Not for long," Hyuuga Ko said smoothly. Hinata almost smiled as she reached for her spectacles. After all these years, Ko was still too kind, even though she wasn't seven and silent anymore. Worried, scared, yes, but not silent. It had been a long time since Hinata had the luxury to be silent.
"Tea?"
Hinata gratefully accepted the icy-smooth green cup. "Thank you."
The tea was, of course, a gift from the Cha-gumi, who continued to corner the luxury tea leaf market. The cup was a gift from the Takumi-gumi, who had their fingers in every corner of the legal (and illegal) oriental art market. Not for the first time, Hinata thought how funny it was that, for someone who was raised to be so desensitized to blood and barbarism, she could still appreciate the grace of fresh tea in perfectly glazed pottery.
"What's on the schedule today?" she murmured through the steam that fogged up her glasses.
"You have a meeting with the Elders later," Ko answered, one eye on his mistress, the other eye on his tablet. "Afterwards, if you have time, we should also stop by the Monga district. Some of our partners are behind in their payments."
In the freedom of her office, Hinata grimaced.
"Procurers or runners?" It was a polite way of saying pimps and drug dealers. The Hyuuga dealt mostly in financial crime nowadays, but as one of the oldest yakuza, they still had old businesses to run, as distasteful as Hinata's modern sensibilities might find it.
"Mostly the former." Ko hesitated. "There are also some rumors we should check up on."
"What rumors?"
"They say there's a new blood in town. A new supply chain. From abroad."
"Drugs or girls?"
"Girls."
"What are they bringing? Ukrainians? Africans?" The Japanese always did have varied tastes.
"They aren't importing, ma'am. They're exporting."
Hinata narrowed her eyes.
"Procurers coming here for Japanese women?" Rich men everywhere tended to have varied tastes too.
Once upon a time, Hinata would have cried. Now, she thought something like this:
Bad enough it was happening in Japan. Worse, it was happening in Hyuuga territory. Most terribly, it was happening without her permission.
"I'm sorry," Ko murmured as the silence dragged. Hinata followed his gaze. She had clenched her fist.
Hinata released her fingers. "It's not your fault Ko."
"Still."
"Where's Neji?" Hinata asked.
"He's taken the day off."
"Ah, yes." Hinata remembered. Neji had been so apologetic, but she had ultimately insisted.
"It's your friend's party. You have to go," she had said. Besides, it wasn't like Neji hadn't already given her everything he had.
"I wish Hanabi-sama were here," Ko said softly.
"I don't," Hinata snapped, her suddenly harsh voice ringing through the office.
"My apologies, Hinata-sama."
Ko's cellphone beeped. Hinata returned to sipping her tea as Ko politely turned away to address the new matter.
"Hinata-sama, Hiashi-sama is here to see you," Ko said. Although his voice was even, Hinata could sense his perturbed air. Hyuuga Hiashi rarely stepped foot in the main office anymore, not since his retirement.
Hinata set her tea down more violently than necessary.
"Send him in. And bring more tea," she said as she scrambled for a mirror.
Hatake Sasuke was pissed.
This was not unusual. Kakashi knew better than anyone that Sasuke was a gloomy boy, the term boy being loosely applied here to a twenty-two year old. Nor was it unusual that the root of Sasuke's agitation came in the form of a blond blue-eyed boy, boy again being loosely applied to the tall well-built twenty-one-and-a-half year old currently draped on Kakashi's couch.
"I already said you'll go," Naruto said cheekily.
"And I care because?"
"Professor Genma will be there."
"So?"
"As will Iruka-sensei."
Kakashi watched as Sasuke visibly tightened his jaw. "Fuck off, I'm not going."
Naruto gave a cat-like stretch and yawned for good measure. "Gai-sensei will be there too."
Sasuke froze.
"He said he's especially looking forward to seeing you," Naruto said. His voice was controlled enough, but his face had already split into a wide grin. "I think the exact words were: it's so glorious that the modern youths still retain the gentlemanly qualities of graciously acknowledging each other's achievements."
Kakashi shook his head. Goodness knows how that boy would ever become a lawyer. He couldn't hide his emotions for shit.
"Lee is not my rival," Sasuke hissed.
"But he thinks you're his," Naruto chirped. "And of course Gai-sensei would take his side—" Naruto tumbled away just in time to avoid Sasuke's lunge. He couldn't quite escape Sasuke's leg however.
"Don't break the furniture, boys," Kakashi called as a howl echoed through the apartment. It was useless. The moment the two boys had met at that dojo twelve years ago, Kakashi could kiss peace goodbye. Kakashi himself didn't particularly mind. But for others however—
As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Kakashi purposely counted to a slow fifteen before he opened the door.
"Well, hello Kurenai!" Kakashi drawled.
The woman was livid.
"Hatake-san."
"Lovely day, isn't it?" Kakashi continued brightly. The howling had stopped, but there were sounds of thuds and grunting now.
3…2…1….
Something crashed and broke.
"I get it. Your son is young. Young people have a lot of energy." Kurenai's eyes, a lovely brown with a hint of red, flashed.
"Of course they do," Kakashi agreed, inwardly admiring the sight before him. It wasn't his fault Kurenai always looked so hot when she was pissed.
"But does he have to mimic an elephant every single goddamn day?" Kurenai hissed. "During my daughter's nap time?"
"Sasuke!" Kakashi called over his shoulder.
The ruckus silenced for a brief moment. "What?"
"Kurenai-san is here. Again."
"Ah. Sorry." The voice was grudging, but sincere all the same.
Kurenai sighed. She opened her mouth to speak.
"Dobe."
A thud. Another yowl. The ruckus commenced again.
"So what's up?" Kakashi said happily over the noise. Kurenai covered her face with her hands.
"Why do I even bother? I should just move away." It was an empty threat. Kurenai was lucky to have her apartment in Konoha, one of the most expensive districts in the city. It was unlikely she'll ever do better.
From behind his mask, Kakashi frowned. As hot as she looked, Kurenai also looked tired. Although she wore make-up, her face seemed drawn, and the skin around her neck was gray, as if she hadn't been sleeping enough. It was hard being a single mother.
"Hey—"
"Don't," Kurenai said flatly. Before Kakashi could get a word in, she turned and stomped off.
Kakashi shrugged. He had been about to offer to install soundproof walls.
Ah well. He could always offer the next time she came around.
"Boys, if you break the lamp, you're paying for a new one."
By the time Hiashi Hyuuga was ushered into the main office, he found his daughter sitting serenely at her desk, lipstick freshly applied, glasses wiped clean to reveal respectful but bright eyes.
"Hello Father." Hinata rose to greet him, but Hiashi waved her down.
"This isn't a courtesy visit," he said a tad dryly. It was as much for her sake as his that Hiashi avoided coming to the Main Office. They wanted to avoid doubters saying Hinata was only a puppet daughter for her father.
Hinata nodded. "How are you feeling?"
"Well enough. I golfed today."
"Good."
There was a moment of silence. Hinata did her best to sit still as her father blatantly scrutinized her.
Although she would never know it, Hyuuga Hiashi was secretly admiring how appropriate his daughter looked in her position. Oh yes, she had changed the office slightly. It was a still a mostly traditional wooden affair, except for the Western leather chair. But Hinata had changed the scrolls on the wall, from the thin delicate calligraphy he preferred to the bolder strokes of more modern masters. For newcomers, the thick calligraphy suggested Hinata appreciated bold strength despite her frail appearance. For those who had served underneath her father, it reminded them that she was different yet no less strong. It was a subtle change but effective. Even more notably, she had taken away the ash trays on her desk. For generations, the ash trays had been a constant in the yakuza life. Hinata had left ash trays on the coffee tables in consideration of her guests, but it was clear that she herself refuse to actively partake in the habit. Some might take it as a freakish new change. Others would take it as a sign of a new generation who knew better than to die early from lung cancer.
And just like the office had changed, so had she. Gone was the blunt hair cut Hinata had determinedly kept during her time in high school. It was longer now, feminine, a good juxtaposition to the sharp suits she wore. The women of yakuza might wear kimono and dresses, but Hinata was yakuza, and she wore the black uniform just as well as any other man.
Pity. Hiashi privately thought that as a woman, Hinata looked best in kimono. But the brooch pin—the one that marked her as the head of the Hyuuga-gumi—would look ridiculous on a kimono however.
The only thing that was slightly worrisome was Hinata's black glasses. Were they even thicker than before?
The Hyuuga's genetically mutant pale eyes, while giving them almost eagle-eye sharpness and incredible night vision, were also extremely sensitive to light. It made Hyuuga more susceptible to presbyopia at a younger age, and many Hyuuga lost their terrific vision. Had Hinata's vision gone worse?
Well, even if it had, Hiashi couldn't blame her. While the life if a foot soldier was fists and fury, the oyabuns were paper-pushers, not dissimilar to many legal occupations. Hiashi himself had killed his vision a long time ago.
But enough. Like he had said, there was a reason why he was here.
"The Elders want you to get married," he said bluntly.
Hiashi watched Hinata's reaction closely. To her credit, she was motionless, except for the smallest twitch in her left hand. Seems like she hadn't completely corrected that bad habit yet.
"So soon?" Hinata finally murmured.
"You are twenty two now." Hiashi paused. "If you find the right man, it will strengthen your position."
Hinata visibly winced. Her father wasn't usually so direct. After all, his vagueness had infamously allowed him to slip in and out of good and bad opportunities over the years. For him to be so explicit, he must be worried indeed.
"Who proposed it?"
"Hyuuga Hatori."
"Ah." Hatori-sama had been one of the Elders who had most vehemently opposed Hinata's ascension.
"That one, you have to watch."
"Yes, Father."
They were briefly interrupted when Ko came in with fresh tea. Ko hovered briefly at Hinata's elbow. A quick shared glance between the father and daughter and then a nod from Hinata allowed him to stay standing quietly to the side.
"So you agree with them," Hinata asked.
"I think it's a good idea, although not for the same reasons." Hiashi raised the tea cup to his mouth in an elegant manner that looked almost odd with his heavily scarred fingers. "They will propose other Hyuuga, mostly from the Main house, although I won't be surprised if they push forward some Branch candidates."
"Neji," Hinata said flatly.
"Perhaps." Hiashi considered his tea. "This is from the Cha-gumi, isn't it?"
Despite the situation, Hinata couldn't help but smile. "Your sense of taste is as fine as ever, Father."
"Hm." Hiashi took another sip. "Are you really that opposed to Neji?"
"It is difficult to see him in that manner."
Hiashi read between the lines. The fact that Hinata hadn't explicitly said "yes" meant she would do it, if pressed, although she still disliked the idea enough to vocalize opposition. A very Hyuuga way of speaking.
"I do have a suggestion."
"Yes?"
"You could consider men from outside the Clan."
Hinata inclined her head. "It has been a while since we've had an outsider marry in."
Hiashi craftily waited for his daughter to raise her tea cup to her mouth before he spoke. "Or outside the Syndicate."
Hinata almost dropped her tea cup. Ko visibly blanched. "Father!" Hinata gasped.
"Yes?"
There were two possible outcomes. The Hokage would interpret it as the Hyuuga leaving the Fire Syndicate, which would mean war. Or, the Kage of whatever Syndicate Hinata's husband belonged to would interpret their marriage as his Clan leaving his Syndicate, which would also mean war. Either way, there was no happy ending.
"You're thinking too narrowly, daughter," Hiashi said bemusedly.
Hinata narrowed her eyes, not a little miffed at her father's humor. "Yes, sir?"
"Temper, Hinata."
"I'm sorry."
Despite his words, Hiashi was inwardly pleased. It was good Hinata was developing some bite. "There are plenty of new families arising every day, who have not yet been officially tied to a Syndicate. You could bring them into the fold."
Hinata frowned. "The Elders won't accept a new family." It was why she hadn't even considered it. The Hyuuga were amongst the oldest families around, able to trace their lineage back centuries. The only non-Hyuuga they could consider accepting would be a family as old or older.
"If he's powerful enough, they can't argue." Hiashi replied. Despite his conservative facade, there was a reason why the Hyuuga hadn't died on their own out-dated ideals. "And then there are civilians."
"Civilians don't marry yakuza." At Hiashi's look, Hinata reconsidered. "Or at least, civilian men don't marry yakuza women."
"You never know."
For the briefest moment, Hinata remembered a blond, blue-eyed smile.
"No man in his right mind at least," Hinata said firmly. "Unless you have a person in mind?"
"Perhaps."
Hinata stared. But of course. Hiashi was her father, but he was Hyuuga first.
"Consider it, at least." Hiashi rose. "I should get going. You'll be late to your meeting."
The door had barely closed when Ko touched Hinata's arm. It was a soft touch, barely any pressure, and one of the freedoms Ko was afforded as Hinata's bodyguard of fifteen years.
"Hinata-sama?"
Hinata exhaled deeply.
"More tea please, Ko."
"Banzai!"
The boys dunked back their beer. Haruno Sakura, being not a boy and instead a very graceful and beautiful and mature woman, sipped her drink.
"Who would have thought Lee would get himself promoted so quickly out of university?"
"The power of youth!"
"I'll drink to that!"
They had gathered to celebrate Lee's promotion to product manager at a local but large tech firm. As an former upperclassman, Lee was more Naruto's friend than Sakura's, but she had been personally invited, and it wasn't as if she had anything else to do anyway. Professor Iruka had showed up, as had Genma-sensei and Gai-sensei, who were apparently teachers at the martial arts dojo Lee, Naruto, and Sasuke attended. Sasuke's father was also present, still wearing his strange mask. How he ate dinner was an eternal mystery.
"I apologize for these fools," drawled a husky but undeniably feminine voice. Sakura turned and smiled at the only other girl besides herself. Tenten raised her drink in response.
"Cheers," Tenten said wryly.
"Cheers."
"You look pretty sober," Tenten noted.
"I haven't drank much," Sakura admitted.
"Don't. God knows these fools won't stay sober enough to protect your maidenly virtue."
Sakura chuckled. "I can take care of myself."
"Still." Tenten tossed back her drink before turning to wave down the waiter. "More beer!"
Sakura didn't bother inquiring whether Tenten needed protection. Tenten's brash tomboy-act wasn't only for show. Although plenty of girls picked up martial arts nowadays, few were as devoted as Tenten was. As Naruto often put it, the girl gave as good as she got.
Sakura sighed. While she wasn't entirely jealous of Tenten's wiry muscled frame, which was just a tad bit bulky for Sakura's taste, she did envy Tenten's easy confidence and healthy glow. But as a senior aspiring for med school, Sakura really didn't have the time to pick up something as time consuming as martial arts. It took everything she had just to put on concealer every morning to hide the ever-deepening dark circles that came from late-night studying.
Tenten waved a hand in front of Sakura's face. "You alright?"
"I'm fine." Although it was kind of disgusting how everyone spoke with food in their mouth, and drank like fish, Sakura couldn't help but ease in the atmosphere. Everyone was so happy.
"Oi, bastard, the least you can do is drink."
Except for Sasuke that was. He sat scowling even as he dunked his beer. When he was finished, he ran a hand through his spiky hair, and then continued to glare at Naruto.
"There we go. We don't baby our drinks here!" Naruto crowed.
"Don't be so loud," Sakura said automatically even as she continued to watch Sasuke. Damn, how did he always manage to look so hot?
"You know, before I met Sasuke, I thought Neji was as bad as it gets when it comes to being a square," Tenten muttered.
"Neji?"
"Ah, one of our friends. He used to train at our dojo, although he doesn't do it so much anymore now that he's in med school."
"Wow," Sakura said enviously. "Med school huh."
Tenten didn't seem to notice. "Fool was supposed to be here an hour ago, but he got caught up—speak of the devil. Neji!" Tenten waved. "We're over here."
Sakura watched as a tall man weaved his way toward their table from across the restaurant. Even from afar, Sakura could see how carefully he moved. He was graceful, not like a ballerina, but like a person who knew at every given moment exactly what his body was doing. He reminded Sakura of the Beijing opera performers she had gone to see once, who moved so purposefully they could direct an audience's attention with a mere curl of their wrist. If he wasn't at least as trained as Naruto and Sasuke, Sakura would eat her necklace, the long double-linked one she had save months for. It was the accessory for autumn after all.
"Neji!" Lee didn't stand so much as jump out of his seat. The only time Sakura ever saw him so excited was whenever he greeted her. Thankfully, Lee didn't break into poetry, something Sakura was unfortunately only all too familiar with.
"A most glorious reunion!" Gai-sensei boomed.
"Kindly restrain yourself." Neji's voice was dry, acerbic, almost like Sasuke's actually. He looked handsome enough too, although it was hard to tell with the sunglasses.
'Bishie,' Inner Sakura crooned.
"Ah, Neji, I bet you've never met our younger students," Iruka-sensei said, his voice just slightly slurred. "This is Naruto and Sasuke. The young lady sitting over there is their friend Sakura."
"Hey," Neji nodded. Sakura tried her best not to blush.
"Dude, what's with those shades?" Naruto blurted out.
Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes. Trust Naruto to be so rude to a stranger.
Neji raised an eyebrow as he lowered his sunglasses.
"I never knew it was a crime to protect one's eyesight from harsh light." He had dark eyes that, for some strange reason, seemed odd to Sakura.
"It's night time."
"Now Naruto, don't be rude—" Kakashi drawled.
Neji shifted his gaze and met Sakura's eyes.
Shit. She'd been caught staring.
Sakura did the first thing that came to her mind. She grabbed her beer and emptied it.
"Hey, hey, slow down, girl," Tenten said. But then she took a drink too.
The meeting with the Elders went as expected. Forewarned, Hyuuga Hinata had actually smiled when they mentioned marriage.
"I am grateful that the Elders would be so concerned for me," Hinata had lilted. "It is true, I should have a husband."
She could tell she surprised them with her apparent acquiescence. Some Elders, bemused, said nothing, while others looked at her suspiciously.
Hyuuga Hatori recovered quickly enough. "There are several eligible men in your generation." Before Hatori could mention that one of them happened to be his son, Hinata cut him off.
"You must understand, Elder," and here she retracted her smile, although her voice remained light. "While I agree with your sentiment, I have yet to devote much time to the matter. Discussion, is of course, necessary, but preemptive in this case. We will discuss this again, soon, after I have put more thought."
"Hinata-sama, it seems as if you are dismissing the matter," said Hyuuga Jouchi, a short but sharp-eyed bald Elder. Hinata did not consider him one of her supporters, but he was not her enemy either. Jouchi could be counted on to be logical, which was more than Hinata could really ask for.
Hinata bowed. "I assure you, I do not treat this matter lightly."
"You are young." Inexperienced. Proud. Wrong.
For a wild moment, Hinata absurdly wished Neji was here.
Next to her, Ko shifted, just enough for Hinata to feel it through their shared tatami-mat. Hinata breathed.
"I promise I would give the matter due consideration." She paused, exactly as her elocution teacher taught her. "I would have more time if the situation in Monga would be resolved faster."
As irritable as old men could be, they were still Hyuuga. It would be have been difficult to righteously continue their argument at the expense of the Monga issue, and so despite a few obviously discontented murmurings, the meeting proceeded as Hinata wished it.
The club was loud, packed, and happening. As young people danced, drank, and smoked, Neji couldn't help but wonder how he ended up here.
"I think she likes him," Tenten said.
Oh yes. He forgot. Someone needed to see Tenten home. Lee was drunk out of his mind, the adults had decided to go to a pub instead, and Neji was hardly going to trust one of the brats to stay sober either, which meant he had to stay himself.
Sigh. The things he did for his friends.
"Neji?"
Neji turned his head. "What?" he asked.
Tenten stepped closer. "I said, I think she likes him."
"I heard you the first time." While the music was loud, she was practically speaking into his ear.
"Oh."
Neji raised an eyebrow. "Who are you referring to anyway?"
"I was talking about Sakura."
"And who's him?"
"Sasuke." Tenten jerked her chin to the left.
Neji followed Tenten's gaze and watched as the pink-haired girl hovered over the scowling boy. Neji privately thought Sakura had seemed sensible enough although there was that pink hair and those green eyes…as for Sasuke, Neji didn't know him, didn't recognize him, and thought he just looked like another good-looking, angst-y, self-absorbed punk. In Neji's opinion, Sasuke's sole saving grace was the fact he was Hatake Kakashi's son. But that too had its detriments. As a rule, Neji avoided consorting with policemen.
"I feel sorry for her," Tenten sighed.
Neji blinked. "Why?"
"It sucks falling for a frigid douche like that." She swirled her beer-can pensively. No girly cocktails for Tenten. "I would know."
Neji looked away. For a while, there was an awkward silence.
"Although I guess I should feel even more sorry for Lee," Tenten said brightly. "You do know he's into her, yeah?"
"She's the cherry blossom he's being trying to write poetry for?"
"The very one."
Neji couldn't help but snort. Trust Lee to fall for a pretty pink-haired airhead.
"Anyway, how have you been?" Tenten said cheerily.
"Good."
"How's the family?"
"They are doing well."
"Even your cousin?"
"She's…busy."
"I'm sure."
Neji watched as Tenten threw back her beer. Few people had the privilege of counting Neji as a friend. Fewer still knew of Neji's background. No one was close enough to get hurt. Neji intended on keeping it that way.
God he was tired. Neji idly rubbed his eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Neji said automatically. At Tenten's frown, he relented. "My contacts feel dry."
"You could take them off."
"Not here," Neji said shortly. He wasn't in a habit of revealing his pale eyes in public. They were too distinctive. And not only were they were in public, they were in Monga. Despite its hip and happy appearance, Monga was not a safe place, and even if Tenten knew ten different ways to break a man's neck, she was still a girl.
Speaking of which, Tenten was starting to sway. She hadn't begun to slur her words yet, but enough was enough.
"We should get going."
"But we just got here!"
"It's been long enough."
"But Lee—"
"Lee can take care of himself." Neji carefully, but firmly took hold of Tenten's arm. "I'll walk you home."
"…Alright."
"Well done, Hinata-sama," Ko murmured as they walked out of the main assembly hall.
"I hope it will be enough to keep them away for a while," Hyuuga Hinata murmured back. "But we shall see."
Around them, Branch Hyuuga moved aside to let them pass, their pale or not-so pale eyes politely pointed at the ground. A Branch Hyuuga was any Hyuuga who had taken up the vow to serve the Main House. Most of these were full-blooded Hyuuga, but not always. Branch Hyuuga were marked by the white band they kept wrapped around their forehead. It was a symbolic measure. Once upon a time, the Branch House had been branded on their forehead, but it wasn't feasible or useful in modern day. Nowadays, they wore their brand in far more discreet places, usually on their upper left chest, but they still wore the white band around their foreheads when they were on the main compound.
"Dinner, Hinata-sama?"
Hinata considered before ruefully shaking her head. "Have some sushi brought to the car. I want to go to Monga as soon as possible. We'll leave after I take a shower and put my contacts on."
"May I suggest we take more guards than usual?" Ko asked.
"Must we?" Hinata hated fanfare.
"I think it would be wise."
"Fine," Hinata said curtly. She immediately felt guilty. Ko was only looking out for her best interests.
"I'm sorry, Ko."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Ko demurred.
When she stepped out of main entrance, feeling rather fresh-faced from a shower, her car was waiting for her.
So were four other cars.
"So many?" Hinata said, not hiding her dismay. Besides the driver, each car would carry at least two other men. Each of the men would be carrying at least one gun.
"Hinata-sama…" Ko began.
"Fine, fine." Hinata stepped into her car, although not before greeting the young man who held the car door open.
"Hello Takuma."
"Hinata-sama." Hyuuga Takuma bowed low. He was her latest driver, a relatively fresh member of the Branch House, just barely older than her. He had light brown hair which matched the light brown contacts he wore. If Hinata had to guess, he probably had some Caucasian blood in him.
Hinata briefly wondered how bad the bullying must have been for him, growing up. Not that she could ask.
Hinata did not say thank you. It would not be appropriate. She did smile however as she slipped gracefully into the car, her heels clicking.
"Ko, where's my sushi?"
—
Sure he had a lot, but Naruto wasn't drunk. Tipsy a bit maybe, but not drunk, or at least not drunk enough to notice Sakura's frown.
"You alright?"
It would take a lot of alcohol for Naruto to stop watching Sakura.
"I'm fine." Sakura's word were sharp and clear enough, but her head was lolling against her shoulder. Next to her, Sasuke shook his head.
Naruto resisted the urge to snap. It wasn't Sasuke's fault that Sakura hopelessly loved him, just like it wasn't Sakura's fault that Naruto hopelessly loved her. These things happened. Most of the times they didn't last too long, but occasionally, in the case of Naruto and Sakura, they never seemed to end.
"I'll go get you some water," Naruto promised. As he stepped away from the bar, he motioned toward Sasuke.
"We should take her home soon."
Sasuke shrugged.
"I'll be right back."
Unfortunately, the bartender turned out to be a jerk. If he were alone, Naruto would have started a good fight. However, Sakura was waiting, and so Naruto ended up running to the nearest convenience store, which was two blocks away.
Naruto had just stepped back into the club, bottled water in hand, when he saw Sasuke waiting at the entrance.
"What are you doing here?"
Sasuke scowled back. "Sakura made me go look for you."
Naruto's hackles rose. "Where is she now?"
"Chill the fuck out," Sasuke snapped. While Naruto was a cheery drunk, Sasuke got belligerent. It was why he rarely drank, unless forced to by Naruto.
Naruto was still sober enough to know when to back down, especially when Sasuke was being catty. "Alright, alright." But it was Sakura.
Sasuke's scowl relaxed into small smirk. "Chill, she's at the table," Sasuke said. Drunk Sasuke was belligerent, not blind.
Except, Sakura wasn't at the table.
"Sakura?!"
She wasn't anywhere.
The Hyuuga generally wore colored contacts whenever they stepped out of the door. Only Hyuuga Hinata, 23rd Oyabun of the Hyuuga-gumi, bared her pale bright eyes proudly. She wasn't even wearing her glasses.
There were several reasons for this. While most Hyuuga tried to blend in with the rest of the mostly Asian populace for practical and safety reasons, pride alone was enough reason for Hinata to purposefully expose her light lavendar eyes. It was an added bonus that her seemingly pupil-less eyes tended to distract, if not outright disconcert her enemies.
"I don't usually handle cases like this personally," Hinata said softly. Quiet as her voice was, it seemed loud in the silent room. "But since you are affiliated with an old partner, I thought it best to come in person."
In her heels, in her tailored Western suit, Hinata was tall and gloriously cold, a veritable goddess of death. The pimp kneeling in front of her shuddered. He was a big man, with tattoos, and a face that had grown ugly from being denied none of life's vices. His hands were beefy, the kind Hinata would not be surprised to see hit a woman.
The girls were pressed against the walls, all of them some variant of shivering, skinny slut. This pimp wasn't a particularly high end one, and his merchandise reflected that.
"Hyuuga-sama—" The man tried to meet her eyes but ended up staring at the ground instead. "You could hardly blame me—"
Hinata listened with half a ear as the man waxed eloquent about his business's latest troubles. Ko carefully watched his mistress. At some unspoken cue, he flicked his gaze toward one of the Hyuuga men looming over the pimp. The man obediently raised his leg and slammed his foot down against the pimp's kidney. The pimp sprawled onto the ground with a gargled gasp. One of the girls let out a strangled shriek.
"I know the economy hasn't been doing well," Hinata said blandly. "But there's always a demand for your services. After all, it is a physical desire."
"But there are so many new shops nowadays, it's hard to compete—"
So he was still trying to lie. Hinata glanced at Ko again.
Again, the foot slammed down against the kidney. This time the pimp coughed up blood.
Hinata waited for the pimp to stop coughing before she spoke again. "I'm sure the Yotsuki-gumi agree with my assessment."
The pimp paled.
"Y-You know."
"You think I wouldn't know if one of the Kumo Syndicate moved onto Hyuuga territory?"
Again, the room was silent, except for the pimp's labored breathing.
Hinata's shoulders drooped minutely. "Why didn't you tell me they were threatening you?"
"It wouldn't have happened if you'd been a proper oyabun!" the pimp snarled. His words whipped through the room. By the time they settled, Hinata was smiling. It was a sad smile.
"It was good doing business with you."
The pimp had just enough time to widen his eyes. Two hands, and soon the sound of neck being twisted cracked through the room. Most of the girls knew better than to scream. One fainted. Another ran for the door.
"Let her go," Hinata said. The Hyuuga guards stepped aside.
"The money, Hinata-sama?" Ko prompted.
Hinata hesitated. She glanced at the wall, where the girls huddled.
"Give them to the girls." She paused long enough to meet some of their gazes and did her best not to shudder at the fear she saw in them. "Spend it wisely. And try not to kill each other off."
Some of them couldn't be older than Hanabi. Hinata looked away. She slipped on her sunglasses. "Ko, we are done here."
"Yes, Hinata-sama."
Hinata knew one of the men would take care of the body. Cement, harbor, maybe even a land fill….
She didn't need to know the details.
"I'm sure she's fine."
"She better be," Naruto hissed.
For once, Sasuke didn't rise to Naruto's challenge. He knew he was in deep shit if something happened to Sakura. Not only would Kakashi and Naruto take turns killing him, Sasuke would also feel genuinely guilty. Sasuke did care, in his own way, perhaps more than he really should.
Monga was an old district. It had existed for centuries as an entertainment center. Although most of the buildings had been razed and renovated over the years until they all had shiny ephemeral neon lights, the atmosphere was still faintly sensual and slow, developed from generations of ancient debauchery. The young people sensed it even if they couldn't name it, and so while other parts of downtown were glitzier, Monga continued to be survive well into the twenty-first century. Nowadays, Monga was especially popular among the college crowd, which was why Naruto had suggested it in the first place.
Monga was busy on a normal night, and it was the Saturday. Even as Sasuke shoved through a group of giggling girls, he knew it Sakura wasn't tall, nor was she answering her phone.
If she stayed on the main road, Sakura was safe. It was the alleys that were the problem. Everyone had heard the stories about Monga. Most of them were probably fake, but then again, rumors had to come from somewhere.
Naruto seemed to come to the same conclusion as Sasuke had.
"You go right, I'll go left. Call if you find her."
"Hn."
Sasuke ducked into the alleys.
It was dark here. While the main street was brightly lit, the alleys had only a few signs, most of them vague. This wasn't Osaka's famous host club district, where the products were proudly photographed and placed in public. No, this was seedier, and thus more seductive. As one politician once wryly said, anyone who came here deserved the trouble they got.
There were still quite a few people here, mostly businessmen and a couple of heavily made up women. Sasuke walked deeper into the labyrinth, where the new buildings started to mesh with the old, and people became less and less common. There were dead ends and true dark-spaces here.
Sasuke started to walk pressed to the buildings, keeping his back mostly pointed to the wall. It was probably an unnecessary precaution, but…
Three alleys down, Sasuke saw a group of people. He would have passed them, except the group of people were moving strangely.
Sasuke drew closer. It was a group of men, holding down a girl, who was struggling. It was impossible to tell who she was in the dark.
Sasuke hesitated. It was probably none of his business. There had to be at least three guys. But Sakura…
One of the guys pulled a hand back and brought it down, hard. The girl gave a muffled wail.
That decided it.
"Hey you!"
"I didn't want to kill him."
"I know," Ko said soothingly. But there had been no way out of it it. The moment the pimp challenged her pride, Hyuuga Hinata had been left with no alternative.
"…Was he right?"
Ko couldn't see his oyabun's face. She kept it pointed to the window. Still, her hands were clenched and her voice shook. If Ko looked very hard, he could probably still see the seven year old girl she once was.
Ko carefully selected his words. "There's always a period of instability after every succession. It's…natural for other Clans to challenge your position. Things will stabilize once you've proven your strength."
"What if I don't?" Hinata said softly.
Ko blinked. Even he sometimes forgot how young Hianta was.
Perhaps it wasn't that surprisingly, Ko thought. Hinata went through a lot of pains to look older than her age. Her make up was always dark, and she never wore pale colors. Still, at the end of the day, she was only twenty-two years old.
"Your father wouldn't have chosen you if he thought you weren't worthy."
There had been other candidates. Older ones, ones who had actually climbed the ranks through blood and battery. And then there had been Neji, the genius. Considering all that, it was only natural there had been an uproar when Hiashi had formally declared Hinata heiress four years ago.
Some accused of Hiashi of favoritism, or continuing to rule through a puppet. Ko had to privately admit he too had some suspicions. But over the last four years, Hinata had grown into her role, and in the last year since she'd assumed ultimate control, Hinata had been steady, if not brilliant.
Ko trusted his old oyabun. As much as Hiashi loved his daughter, he would not have handed her the Hyuuga-gumi if he thought she couldn't handle it. Hiashi was a man who had given up his own twin-brother for his Clan after all.
So caught up in his thoughts, Ko just barely heard Hinata's words.
"I hope so, Ko. I really hope so."
"I am sure it is so."
Hinata's frame relaxed, although her hands stayed clenched.
"Stop the car," Hinata abruptly said. "I want to walk."
"It's very crowded here—"
"I want to walk."
Well, there was little Ko could say when his mistress took that tone.
Takuma Hyuuga stopped the car. Hinata stepped onto the street. Ko immediately stepped out as well, as did two men from each of the three cars following them.
Hinata stood motionless for a long time. With her sunglasses on, it was hard to tell what she was looking at. Was she watching the other young people, who giggled and laughed without a care in a world? Was she jealous of them? But try as Hinata might, she could never be one of them. As silent and still as she was, she was too conspicuous. A woman in business suit, surrounded by seven men also wearing business suits, all standing in the middle of the street, neither talking nor moving. People were staring, some even pointing. The stupid ones giggled. The smart ones gave them a wide berth.
Life was hard enough being born yakuza. Once you chose to be yakuza, there was no turning back.
Without saying a word, Hinata stepped off the main road into a side alley. The rest of her men obediently trotted after her. She lead them down and deep, past the illegal brothels and drug dens. At the sight of them, most people vanished. Others paid them low bows, not knowing exactly who they were, but also knowing anyone traveling in such a large entourage so brazenly in the deep districts was someone to be respected. None of the Hyuuga men dared stop their oyabun, but each of them began to rest a hand near their side-arm. They also took off their sun glasses, and from behind their contacts, their pale eyes glowed. The contacts reduced their night vision capabilities somewhat, but it was still better than a normal human's.
Hinata abruptly stopped.
"Are you looking for something?" Ko asked.
"I just wanted to walk." Her voice was distracted however. She was staring at something on her left. She too had taken off her sunglasses, revealing her unadulterated pale eyes.
"What is going on there?"
Oh, this had been a stupid idea.
Sasuke dodged and narrowly avoided a brass knuckle to the face. He grabbed the leg that lashed out at him, but didn't have time to follow up, and so could only give it a sharp twist. It was enough to knock the guy down, but he'll be back up soon enough.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
If it had only been one guy, Sasuke would have been done long ago. These bastards were worse than even yellow belts*. They were only punks, wannabes posing their violence through saggy clothing and bling, which Sasuke was wholeheartedly thankful for. Cool as the saggy pants might look, it made them slower. Still, as posers, they also had some of the legit gear. Sasuke counted two brass knuckles and a wrench. He had managed to avoid those, at the expense of taking in some cheap shots. But it really was only a matter of time. He was already beginning to favor his left leg after a particularly nasty kick to the knee cap, and Sasuke's arms were throbbing, as was his left cheek, where a brass knuckle hadn't missed.
There had been four when he started. Three were still standing. If Naruto were here, Sasuke probably stood a chance. If Sasuke was alone and not so drunk, he could probably run.
But then there was that girl.
In the brief seconds in between each attack, Sasuke had quickly glanced at the prone figure on the ground. The girl was skinny, slender, like Sakura, but she wore glasses and her hair was red, not pink.
In short, Sasuke was fucked, all for a stranger he didn't even know.
"Run," Sasuke gritted out as he dodged yet another swing of those deadly brass knuckles.
The girl, trembling, shakily stood. She hesitated.
"Run, you stupid bitch!" Sasuke shouted.
The girl ran. One of the guys made to move after her. Sasuke reached for and successfully grabbed the guy's hoodie. A swift jerk, and Sasuke managed to smash the guy's head against the wall. Unfortunately, that made him wide open for a straight punch to his kidney.
Sasuke went down. The cement was hard and unforgiving.
The kicks came swiftly after that. Sasuke immediately curled, protecting his stomach as best as he could. He tried to get up, but a blow to his shoulder—the wrench?—knocked him back down.
The alcohol had long worn off. Sasuke's head and mind was disturbingly clear.
Fuck. Kakahi had been right. Sasuke was going to die in a dirty street corner. No one will find him until hours later,aAnd when Kakashi reported for work at the police station the next day, he'll find the notice on his desk. Worse, Kakashi won't even know that Sasuke died for a girl. He'll think Sasuke had started it, like he had always did back in high school.
Fuck.
Well, if Sasuke was going to die, he wasn't going alone. Sasuke blindly grabbed an arm and in an action he had practiced for years, he snapped the delicate elbow. The guy staggered long enough for Sasuke to pull him down with him.
Three punches. One to the stomach, another to the face, and then an elbow into the sternum.
The blows stopped in shock, giving Sasuke enough time to raise his elbow. The punches had been enough to knock the guy out. If he slammed his elbow into the guy's pale expose throat, it would be death.
Sasuke hesitated.
"Fucker!"
And then the kicks began again, this time aimed at his head. Sasuke tasted blood as he was forced toward the wall, away from the prone body. There were only two left, but Sasuke was done.
Looks like he really was going down alone.
Well at least he'll finally get to meet his parents again. They'll probably be disappointed in him however.
He never got to see Itachi again, did he?
Sasuke's ears were ringing from blows. It was hard to differentiate what he heard from what he felt, so it took Sasuke four heartbeats to realize there was screaming. It took Sasuke another four beats to realize he wasn't getting hit anymore.
The two guys were on the ground. Over them stood several men, all dressed in business suit, all hitting and kicking with a practiced ease of men used to dealing hurt. It didn't take an idiot to realize these were the yakuza. Why they were here, Sasuke had no idea, but he didn't dare think they were here to save him.
"Plea—"
"Shut the fuck up, you worthless piece of trash." The yakuza really didn't mince their words.
The guys had started screaming, but swiftly, each of them shut up, until there was silence, broken only by slightly harsh breathing.
Sasuke's vision blurred. Blood from somewhere, probably his forehead, had gotten into his eyes. He grabbed the end of his shirt and wiped his face. Fuck. Some of his ribs were probably broken.
One of the yakuza approached. Sasuke tried to jump away, only to fall and keel against the wall.
The yakuza held out his hands. "Easy."
Sasuke held his own arm out, in an undeniable gesture to stay the fuck away. The yakuza, thank god, stopped.
Sasuke's vision was swimming. This time it definitely wasn't blood getting in his eyes. Blood loss perhaps, although Sasuke hadn't counted many open cuts. Then again, it was hard to tell where all the pain was coming from.
Sasuke forced himself to focus. He could count the figures now. There were seven men. There was also a woman. And she had white pupil-less eyes.
Holy shit.
Sasuke unconsciously took a step back. When he did, he stepped into the glow of the one light in the alley. His face was illuminated.
"Sasuke-san," the woman gasped.
How the fuck did she know his name?
Sasuke blacked out.
-Gumi: *Yakuza group.
-Oyabun: family boss
-yellow belt: a ranking in martial arts
I apologize if Hinata seems OOC. It was hard trying to characterize her realistically, so I did my best, drawing from modern day twenty-one year olds, and also taking into account both canon Hinata and the infamous Hinata of Road to Ninja, the sixth Naruto movie.
Review, darlings. I think this is the longest first chapter I have ever written.