Disclaimer: Unfortunately Naruto belongs to Kishimoto.
A/N: Another TsumexHiashi oneshot. This is completely in Tsume's POV, and I apologize now that it may be a bit confusing with how it is written. R&R please~
He didn't deserve it. After what he had done to her, he didn't deserve it. To go to him was weakness, just like a few years ago. Not to mention he was plenty strong enough to get through this on his own. Assuming he cared. She wouldn't be surprised if he felt nothing over it and was just living life the same as always. And if he did feel anything then he had a wife. He did not need her. They were the past not the future or now.
And yet she still felt her feet moving forward. Still felt that need to check on him, to be the shoulder he might need. Why? She had no idea. Maybe it was just an ingrained reaction from their history. Which should have been surprising since she was merely a teen at the time. But then again she was holding a grudge from that time. Granted there was about a six year difference between them so it gave her good reason. Well at least in her mind. So with that grudge in mind, why was she running to him?
Or rather why was she here? Why was she standing in front of these large wooden doors? Instinct. That had to be it. That had to be what made her open those doors, walking through them. A few clan members asked her what she was doing, but she just made them back off with a single glare and growl. They were lucky she had left her partner at home. Her plus her canine companion was not something anyone wanted to deal with. Their clan head knew that well. She couldn't help but smile at the thought, and take satisfaction at the thought that he had a scar as a result. Shinobi did not scar easily and it took large wounds that did not receive proper care to actually form. She guessed it was a result of how they were raised.
Of course the same thought she had taken satisfaction in had quickly become a bit depressive when she thought about when and what had happened along with that scar. So she shook it from her head and concentrated on where she was walking. It was ironic that he knew his way around her compound, but his was still confusing. Of course she rarely came here. Too uptight for her taste, and to say she was unwelcomed was an understatement. Luckily however she had her nose, thus it was simple to get on the right track to find him. While some would have trouble following a scent well enough around an area such as a compound, she found it easy. Well easy when it was his scent being she knew it so well.
A few steps, and she turned a corner. A few more strides and she entered through a doorway. Just a little more and she was right where he was. Well outside the room. And wasn't he a bastard, sitting there and training his daughter. His three year old daughter. And there he was stoic as usual. She actually kind of wanted to punch his wife for just sitting there and watching the training. At least she assumed she was his wife. The girl looked like her so it was a decent guess. Of course it was also possible it wasn't his daughter, but she could not see him training anyone else that just so happened to be around the age of his daughter.
And he just shouted some harsh words. Definitely his daughter and the look alike older woman had to be the wife. Oh goody there was the person in the clan she truly hated. The bastard father of the bastard. Well this was going to be fun. Granted they had yet to notice her yet, so she could turn around and leave and they would never know.
But he wasn't okay. There was a certain lack of conviction in his voice. His movements were not as fluid and smooth. His jaw was clenched when he wasn't barking, and his eyes, oh his eyes. His eyes held the most telltale sign of all. It was a sign very few caught. But she knew him and she knew him well. She could see the sadness in those white eyes. Which is why she walked forward. He needed her. Not his wife. He was probably too afraid to show his true self in front of her. He was the man and she, well she looked like the perfect example of a dainty woman. Not his daughter. He had to be strong and show her strength. That was being a clan head after all. Certainly not his father. She hated very few in the village. First was her aunt. Second was him. She was pretty sure the feeling was mutual too. Which is probably why he shot her look to try to get her to stop. Like she cared what he thought. So of course he spoke before she walked too far in, hoping to get rid of her before she, as he liked to say "soiled his son."
"Do you need something?" his voice was harsh and full of dislike.
"Yes actually. I need to talk to Hiashi." And the room was instantly dead silent. No one but the Hyuga elders and maybe the wife called him by just his name. Clan heads were supposed to refer to each other by their last names with a sama, or at the least a san. But never just the first name, well unless they were particularly close like the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans. Hyugas and Inuzukas were not close however. To the Hyugas the Inuzukas were too wild and unrefined. To the Inuzukas the Hyugas all had sticks way too far up their asses for lack of better words.
Thus her word choice came as a shock to them. Or rather lack of choice. Well a shock to everyone but Hiashi who seemed to be completely out of it. Yeah he so was not okay. And his father was well pissed.
"Exactly what do you have to say to him?"
She had to give the man points for being calm right now. "It has to be private."
"Like I would allow you to be alone in a room with him."
"Oh please. Don't put him on such a high pedestal. I merely need to talk private business that includes our clans with him. Nothing of the perverted sense that you are apparently thinking. Honestly to suggest such a thing," she clicked her tongue and shook her head at him. This was actually turning out to be enjoyable. The old man was setting himself up for stuff, and he knew it too judging by the red that adorned his face from his anger.
"If it includes the clan and you cannot say it here then there is no reason for you to be here."
"Oh shut it!" she snapped at him. Now she was getting annoyed and impatient. And there Hiashi stood just watching. "Hyuga I don't have all day. And I'm getting impatient."
Her old nickname, or rather how she used to refer to him snapped him from it. Though not in the way it should have, which worried her about how much his family was effecting him. "Anything you have to say can be said in front those present here."
"Really even your daughter and your wife?"
"You said it is about the clan, thus it can be said. Now then are you going to speak and continue cutting into my daughter's training time, or are you going to do us a favor and just leave?"
"Preferably the latter please," the elder cut in.
Yeah now she had lost her patience and any temperance she had. "You!" she pointed at the elder. "Shut the fuck up!" she then turned back towards Hiashi, meeting his eyes with her emotions clearly displayed in hers, as well as her intentions. "Now then Hyuga you sure you want me to continued talking in front of your daughter?"
She watched as he tightened his lips, his father guffawing at her in the background. He was thinking. Appearances, or following her. He was weary of what she was planning. And they called her unrefined when they kept assuming she was going to seduce him.
"Hiashi go." Her head snapped to the voice, as did his. The wife. Of course she had a beautiful voice. Hers on the other hand was rougher, or maybe that was just her language.
"Ki-"
"Hiashi go now. Hinata can probably use a break from training anyways." Everyone's eyes were on the wife whose name apparently started with 'Ki' not that she got the chance to hear the rest because the woman had cut Hiashi off after all. Not that she cared. She was more of thinking about his daughter's name. Out of all the names, he had chosen that one. It made her smile, inwardly at least. More interesting than all of that though was his wife's eyes. They were knowing of what was happening and what was going to happen.
And she also managed to finally get them to move past the awkwardness as Hiashi walked towards, and then past her to lead her to somewhere private. Before following him she made sure to send a nod of thanks to the wife, who sent a nod back at her. She decided she liked the woman.
Once they were in the room, and the door was closed, she met his eyes. He seemed annoyed about being forced to be here. That wouldn't last long. "Hizashi is dead."
"That's old news." She wouldn't call a few days old news. It was obviously him keeping bottled up feelings.
"How did he die?" They had heard he was dead, but not told of how. Which meant it was some big clan thing, which is what worried her the most. And judging by the loss of the sternness on his face, he was breaking.
"I killed him." Well that was unexpected. But she knew he meant figuratively or through indirect action, and not literally by his own hand or intentionally. Though ironically both went on the same question path.
"How?" It should have surprised her at how gentle her voice suddenly was, and yet it didn't. All she could think of was wanting to hear his answer. That's all she wanted, and she was anxious for it, but she would remain patient. For him. Just for him.
And it paid off since after a while he answered. "A Cloud Shinobi attempted to kidnap Hinata. I killed him and the Cloud demanded my death and body. We gave Hizashi instead. I tried to do it but…" and he broke.
She merely walked over to him, taking him into her arms as they both crumpled to the floor. He buried his head into her chest, crying, finally letting out the tears he held for his brother. She didn't bother telling him he did nothing wrong. That would just anger him. She knew that all he needed was her body to hold him, and her hands to smooth his hair as he let out what he held.
It was only in front of her that he could cry, that he could care. It was only in front of her that he could be weak. Even though she still loathed him for what he had done to her, she couldn't resist being his shoulder. Because it was only her that could allow him to release his feelings. And in the end she still cared for him. This was why she was here.
