I stepped gingerly into the sweeping courtyard, lifting my suitcases with ease. I let my gaze glide around the area, at the various houses that littered the perimeter. My brows crumpled slightly as I spotted a house that seemed isolated from the rest of the place. The latter was built much grander than the former was, and was situated right down the walkway from the front of the house I had just walked through. Branch…? Is that what I'd heard about?
I shook my head to clear it and ambled up towards the open front door of the principal house right in front of me. The place was strangely hushed, but I took it in gratefully, savoring the silence. The only sound was the light shuffling of my feet against the ground as I headed onward. My lips twisted slightly as the zephyr ruffled my straight, long hair gently; I could feel the storm coming. I stepped nimbly on to the deck of the house and straightened regally before entering the capacious space of the house.
The first person I saw was Hyuga Hiashi. He quickly stepped forward to me, his steps swift and sure. I lay my suitcases down on the floor and watched calmly as he made his way across the expanse of space toward me. His hair was slightly longer than I had seen it when he came to visit me at my mother's funeral. His eyes reflected the same color as my own and his mouth was set in an uncertain but firm line as he hurried in my direction. He held out his hands as he drew nearer and caught mine in his. I flinched infinitesimally at the contact, but I knew better than to hope he hadn't seen it with these eyes.
His eyebrows turned down and he said in his clear voice, not letting go of my hand, "Welcome to the Hyuga manor, Rikoteki." My eyebrow rose for a fraction of a second as I huffed lightly. I smiled with the derision clear on my face as I gazed back strongly at him.
"I'm sure I'm very welcome here," my eyes narrowing. I noticed movement behind Hiashi and sensed the overwhelming confusion and fear at my abrupt statement. I could see them clearly – the two girls that I had heard were his children – both of them looked frail; yet, I took an instant liking to the elder girl, who I assumed was about the same age as I was. My lips pursed into a thin line as my gaze flickered back to the man before me.
"Have you not told them? Then why did you even ask me here?" I asked, my icy tone cutting the air and tearing the calm into shreds. I saw as a boy stepped in behind me, sensing his reservation at entering the house. He was a Hyuga; he was scarred yet he was beautiful. I closed my eyes momentarily and heaved a huge sigh while I waited for an answer from the man I was facing. His daughters were staring at his back with trepidation on their faces, breath baited, waiting for an explanation to blow away the fog of doubt.
"You are my cousin's child. When I found out about you, I had to come and get you," he said, his voice strained. I barked a laugh and shook my head, all the while observing the shock on the faces of his two other children, and the boy behind me, who was looking on solemnly. He looked unfazed but I could sense the surprise at the revelation, together with the curiosity that engulfed him as he glanced upon my slender frame and long brown hair. I laughed again at the audacity of the words uttered by Hiashi.
"What do you mean, you found out about me? You knew about me all this time. He seduced my mother, and disgraced her, casting her out of this clan. When at the same time, he already had a wife! I'm sure you didn't know about me, especially not when you have the Byakugan, and when you covered his ass for him."
He seemed to gain some steel as he retorted, "I didn't want that to happen."
"Sure. You should have seen the way she cried when she passed by this place. Forget it. Heartless bastards will never understand. I'm glad he's dead."
I swiped my suitcases off the floor and spun around, my hair fanning out behind me in a graceful arc. I came face to face with the boy, and our gazes held for a short second. I could feel it… his pain, his hurt, his grief, his loss; it echoed my own bit for bit and I could see that he saw it as well. He seemed perceptive, incredibly discerning; he was a genius. We dropped our scrutiny of the other and I stepped out of the house fluidly.
"You stay at the branch house."
I scoffed at the clipped tone that Hiashi used and replied simply, "I never expected any more than that, sir."