Yamanaka Ino was a girl who knows what she wants and tried to get it. That's why today was going to be the day she stopped playing around like a fangirl to be what her grandma had said she needed to be. Her grandma had told her last month that she was disappointed with the attitude and way she was going. It was to the point that she had said she would not have anything to do with her if she did not change very soon. And even gave her three months to straighten herself out. That was why once she got to the academy she removed herself from the rest of the fan girls to talk to Amy. Amy was someone she would talk to every once and awhile just to keep sane sometimes. While talking to her about what Amy was going to do to best upgrade her skills she heard Naruto and Khârn talking about being "True" ninja. Being the gossip queen she was she split her attention between the two conversations.
"If you really want to know how to become a true ninja I'll tell you, but if I do there is no going back to normal. Are you sure you want to know?" Having Khârn look at her to show he knew that she was listening in on what was being said was something new. She had thought that he was not someone that paid much attention to his surroundings but now she would have to rethink that. The fact that he had looked towards Hinata first was telling. She would have to talk to the heiress later to confirm this. Ino had to think on what she was hearing, it was a way to become what her grandma had hinted at many times that she wanted her to shape up and work on. But this did sound like it was not the same. Thinking that it could not be that bad she did a quick nod to show she understood what he was asking.
"There is a ceremony for those that wish to be a true ninja that aren't currently members of a clan and or the only male. It's harder for females that are part of a clan but, females can also do it too." Being the clan heir, she knew that what he said about females having a harder time doing anything outside the clan without the head's ok, was something she had ran into many a time. It was something she really did not like. There were times she did not get to go somewhere do to being the heir of the clan but others clan or otherwise could. It was something she could get behind do to finally getting to do something for herself. She already knew she would not be able to marry for herself but for the clan, that was shoved into her head very early by her grandma as a warning that if she did not do things for herself early in life she would never get to do so later. This sounded like something that could change her life into one she would have control of not her clan.
Naruto had to ask "Why would it be harder if you were part of an clan?"
"A lot of the clans would try to stop this ceremony from happening because they would lose power over that clan member once it starts." That statement had shaken Ino. "There are obligations that clan members would have to be willing to oblige too." No shit thought Ino "In a way it is freedom from their current clan." Hearing that Ino straightened up just a little more than what she was before. "I was able to get the information on the ceremony location and what is needed. Catch me afterwards, we'll go to my apartment and i'll give you a copy of packet I was given. I was given a lot of packets cause this is the first time this has been done in more than 20 years. It was a hope that more would apply for it. Read everything front to back a few times to make sure you know what you are getting into. Fill it out and seal it with chakra and blood. Once done drop it off at the post office by noon tomorrow. The ceremony will begin 3-4 days afterwards most likely sat so the clans can't fight the actions tell Monday. But by that time all paperwork would have already been filed with the Fire Lord. You'll get a letter that will describe when and where it will be held. That is what i was told." He would have said more but Iruka had just came into the room. "One last thing Do not ever talk about this to anyonebecause it could be bad for others who may want to do it." Ino KNEW that was said at her the second it was said. This was a chance to change her situation to one that was more favorable to her. There was no way she was going to jeopardize it, so she blinked at him to tell him she would comply.
The rest of the day until they were released for the day was a blur for Ino. Her brain was going into overdrive to try to explain what she heard and how it would work. Using all she knew as a clan heir she could not come up with a way out of her place as heir without a lot of things happening. So she had followed Naruto and Khârn as they walked away from the academy, during which she had to ditch and avoid her frenemy Sakura. What was weird to her was Hinata did not do what she is known to do. She was not following her crush she had instead went straight home. When the two had gotten to the apartment she hid around the corner on the same floor waiting for Naruto to leave. Seeing him leave she went to knock on the door but before she could it had opened up with Khârn stepping to the side waving her in. Once she sat down in a chair she was going to start asking questions but Khârn started off first.
"I know you have questions for me so let's get them out of the way. First: You being clan heir will have to be very cautious on how and what you do. This is normally done by males but there are stipulated circumstances that allow females to do so but you may have to do things that you may not like to get the freedom you're looking for. Second: I have not read the booklet for females so your on your own when it comes to it. Third: Once you start the process you will have to finish it, because things will happen very fast so think really good before you start the packet. Read all of it and look up anything you do not understand first before you start. It has been hinted to me that someone in your condition might not be able to start your own clan you may have to join another clan in a high position to avoid problems for yourself. Especially because you do not have a younger sibling to hand off the title to. Be sure to read up everything you can get to that has anything to do with clans and especially clan heir before you start, so you will not have any surprises. Fourth: and MOST important is you MUST be WILLING to do whatever is necessary to get the job done when ASKED. Any hesitation may cause problems for you and maybe others as well. Before you have a conniption, no I did not have to go through this with Naruto because he and I are not part of a clan being orphans. Someone in your standing will have many hoops to jump thru to get things done. You being female makes it even more troubling with how most clans see their females being, I'm sorry to say, property. So here is the packet for 'Clan' members and the extra packet for female to go with the standard packet. I would get to it quickly because Naruto will probably have his done by the end of the day which will set the time schedule for others to join this ceremony to speed up. Your best bet is to get it done and dropped off before the next day end. Cause what I was able to find out is once the first packet is dropped off things start to happen very fast to stop the clans from stopping the proceedings. There is normally about a one to three day window but with so many clan heirs graduating I bet it is less than six hours from the time the first packet drops that things start to go to shit. The only good thing is I told Naruto not to drop off his packet until just before closing to get the best lead capable. I was given a heads up that someone paid for special delivery on the packets that were dropped off today to get maximum leeway of three days. The way I see it they get delivered to the processing place before closing and get processed tonight. All paperwork gets filed with the Fire Lord's offices, we would be informed where to be on the morning of the ceremony. Hopefully be done with it before the clans or others could find out about it to stop it from happening.
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First thing Ino did when she got home was head to the clan archives to study up on the laws for the clan heir and the station of the females. Some time later she made a decision to ask someone else about what she found because every time she found an opening it would almost always came back to the same place, one she did not know if she wanted to do. So she tried different angles to which most ended up back at the same spot, some of the more outlandish endings there was no way she was going to do. Keeping her dignity was a must. Finally she left the house with a gift headed to the one place she knew should give her the answers she was looking for.
Reaching the Hyuga home was uneventful, but getting in was going to be so if not done correctly. Ino knew she had to talk with Hinata but the hole time walking to the home she was thinking on how to do so without causing suspicion. Just asking to talk to her alone wouldn't do so good having seen how the clan acted out in the village. She knew how to do it but she hoped nothing would go horribly wrong. Reaching the gate the guards spoke up immediately.
"Hello Yamanaka san, can we ask what brings you to the Hyuga today?" asked what she knew to be a younger probably new to being one of the guards. Most of the guard except the newer ones had the holier than thou attitude the older members of the clan had.
"Yes you may, I am here on semi-official business as clan heir to talk with the current clan heir Hinata about a possible joint adventure in the future that could benefit both clans. I wanted to get her thoughts on it."
"Thank you, we will inform lady Hinata that you are here to talk with her. She should be with you shortly, if you would follow me I will drop you off in a conference room that the two of you could use before retrieving lady Hinata."
Once seated Ino knew she was pushing it. Having worded it the way she did she had put Hinata and the Hyuga in a bind. By saying it was a talk between both clan heirs it was implied that it was a talk with the two only. But if others show then the status of Heir could be in flux if pushed in that direction. Being the gossip connoisseur she was she had heard things that pointed that Hinata was being evaluated harshly as heir and her younger sister was being lined up to take the spot. Before she could think more on the subject she was interrupted by the opening of the door. At seeing Hinata got up to greet her. "Hello Hinata … san." as she was going to say chan someone she did not want to see at the time do to the questions she had and the situation she just setup do to the wording used earlier. The clan head and three other older Hyuga possibly elders, entered the room. Shit just got real thought Ino. "H… Hello, it is nice to see you. I was not expecting to see you being this is a talk between the two current clan heirs on unofficial business, and who may the others be." Ino said with a tone that she copied from her grandmother that she had used once when someone had interrupted a private meeting she and her were in. It was a tone she was told to use only in such cases with certain words and mannerisms to both be courteous and scolding at the same time. It would allow the offending party a way out without losing face without much trouble but if the person stayed things could/would escalate to places that neither would like.
Hiashi having been on the receiving end of that tone many a time, from both his mother and his late wife, quickly understood that he and the elders may have stepped in a situation that might get very ugly if they did not leave. He was on his way to saying that he just wanted to say hello before letting the two conduct their talks but before he could utter anything one of the more hard core elders had to open his mouth. Years later it would be the considered the moment the Hyuga began their fall from being the "Noble" clan to being just a below average minor clan.
"We, happen to be 'ELDERS' of the clan and we are here to monitor your talks with Hinata, to make sure that what you talk about is in the best interest of the clan." said the female of the three elder clan members. Right then and there Hiashi knew things had just gone very bad, when he saw the Yamanaka heir shift her stance from passive to aggressive and her eyes narrow slightly. Taking a quick glance at his daughter he winced at seeing Hinata's head drop and start to go into her closed up shell she took when someone talked bad at her. Having seen her when she was on her way to the room she had seen the confident stance and look she had before, shattered his frozen heart. For the first time in since his wife died he finally saw his little girl for who she was and it made his soul hurt. He was determined to fix his relationship with Hinata if he had anything to do with it. But tragically that was going to be taken from him, he would never be able to officially help his daughter all because he had let the elders get away with too much.
Ino was taken back on how the elder had talked to her and was just going to blow it off. However, when she saw the way Hinata had reacted to what was said and how it was said her brain went into overdrive. Ino's brain had quickly gone thru all the stimuli from the last minute and flagged two or three things as things that had priority. The first was Hinata's first look when she opened the door to the room. She had a slight smirk and happy gait but changed the second Ino had reacted to the new people showing up. Which meant that she did not know that they were there. The second was Hiashi's flinch when she had asked why they were there. And the last but most telling was his overall change that told her that what ever happened in the next few minutes was not to his liking or approval. Knowing that things were about to go off the rails in a bad way, most likely for Hinata, she decided to do whatever she could to make the best of it to stick it to the elders as hard as possible. Having been looking up so much information on clans and heirs she was able to quickly come up with a way to not only save face but to hurt these elders. Backup plans slammed into place also just incase they did not back down like most people with a brain would. These plans would only protect herself and Hinata from any action for about a week before both clans would get entangled in political and possibly physical engagements. Which meant that she would have to fill out that paperwork as soon as she gets home before word gets out to her clan on what she is about to do.
"Is that so. Last time I checked meetings of clan heirs of the same sex on any business that is preliminary, is to be private to show trust. So what you are saying is that either you do not trust the Yamanaka clan or you are dismissing Hinata as clan heir. With no replacement at hand it would seem that I would assume that it is the first one that is at hand am I correct?" Asked Ino.
The elder not seeing the trap that was laid out in front of them being so arrogant and full of themselves talked before what was said registered. "Not at all, bu…"
Ino jumped in to capitalize before cooler heads could realize what was going on. "Well then I Yamanaka Ino take Hinata formally Hyuga and heir as my retainer. I will have someone sent over to collect all her things later today. As for this meeting being that there is no current heir to the Hyuga this meeting is at an end." Ino turned grabbed Hinata's hand and pulled her out the room, knowing she did not have much time before what she did finally registered in their heads. She rushed herself and Hinata out of the clan main gate and into the open so if anything happened she would have witnesses. "We need to move fast to my home Hinata, I'm sorry this has happened but if we do not get there soon things may get bad for you and me."
"You do not need to be sorry for me, it was something that was going to happen sooner or latter. You just moved the time line up faster for them. The only good thing was they were not ready for it when it happened. Also you will not need to worry about any reaction happening for about one to two hours, my father will see to that." Said Hinata in a tone.
"How can you say that, he was right there when you were basically disowned and did not say a thing."
"He may not have said anything but you had to see it in his reaction and how he moves. You were so much in a hurry to get us out that you did not see my father put himself in between us and the elders. Plus he had a smile on his face for the first time in many years when you had pulled your retainer thing. By doing so you had protected me more than you realize."
Just a quick one. Had this headed in a different direction but was reading a different fic and thinking of a self insert fiction based somewhat on this challenge and my other. Sort of a mix of the two with little to no interference to the timeline until around the start of the chunin exams. The fic would start at the beginning of the academy things would happen but the main line time line would not start to feel the butterfly effect until then. When the effect does start it goes off the rails fast when things are revealed. Right now it's only in my head but I have had that Idea for some time now do not think i will write it for some time but the idea was getting more weight. Need to get this one and Before the Fall up to at least 20k before I could look that direction. Either that or an second writer on this and/or the other. Now back to the reason it changed direction, it happened when I was putting down the part with Ino going to talk with Hinata. It was at first not going to be on screen but hinted at. Then it grew to Hinata deflecting Ino's questions. But then I thought what would happen if someone stuck their nose in at the worst time for both Hinata and Ino, what would they do to keep things going straight long enuff for things to happen.